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Show J 1 I steeds gave a great bound and went scurrying through the early streets of the Muscovite capital. In half an hour they had reached their destinadoor. tion, a thick wood on the banks of the No, replied Hardy, there Is no Moskva. Hardy's other second was answer. already on the spot with a surgeon, a fat little man, wrapped thick in furs, who walked briskly to and fro In the CHAPTER XXXVI. snow, carrying a case of Instruments. You are In good time, gentlemen, The Duel. Frederick Courtland Hardy slept cried Gortchakov, consulting his poorly that night. The typical hero watch, there are still ten minutes to of romance, when about to fight a duel spare. at break of day goes to bed and sleeps I think I hear sleigh bells now, more soundly than ever before In his said the surgeon. I hope it Is life. This deep slumber proves his so that I can get back to my Iron nerve more Incontestably than warm bed. What the devil people bravawant to come out In such weather as any amount of do or any number of great oaths could this, Is more than I can understand. do. But we are not dealing with a Let them shoot each other and be damned, if they want to, but not at typical hero of romance. Hardy, as he tossed about for hours this hour and in such weather. on the bed, felt genuine disgust at We shall try to be expeditious, himself that he was unable to go to said Hardy, cheerfully, and, in the sleep. He experienced no fear, and he meantime, I beg pardon for my share had a feeling that it was irregular for in the inconvenience to which we are a gentleman to lie awake under such putting you. You're right about the circumstances. sleigh bells. Here are our friends bits and dropped them Into a waste basket. paper Frederick Hardy, a fashionable Boston Is there any answer, dear master?" was Jilted lost his man, ftociety wealth, by a girl and sent by a friend to take called the voice of Wang through the of an American SYNOPSIS. Company charge tore in Russia. On hisTrading Journey through Neville, supJapan he met Stapleton posedly an Englishman. They agreed to go together to Russia. Because of suspicious circumstances they were several times molested by the Japanese. Hardy was arrested and found upon his person were papers showing maps of Jap forts. Hardy was proven guiltless. On a atrain he met Atsome Sano, daughter of Jap merchant. In Nevilles shoes Jap found a be to him of pictures forts, proving Russian spy. Hardy departed for Rus-el- a on a steamer, which was wrecked ehortly afterward. He was rescued by si Russian steamer. On reaching Vladivostok he was well treated. He started for Siberia, meeting Princess Romanovna n the train. Hardy boarded a vessel for Amur. Hardy showed the princess his .expertness as a rifle shot. The steamer was stranded. and her The maid were attacked byprincess Chinese. Hardy .saved their lives. The princess thanked Hardy for his heroism. Manchurians fired upon the craft. Hardy slew their chief. Burning arrows were hurled upon the Pushkin's decks. An attempt was made to board the vessel. The attacking Chinese were repulsed. Romanoff sneered at Hardys solicitude for the princess, fitanka a messenger, sent for help, was nailed to a cross on the shore. To put an and to the awful torture Hardy himself out of his misery, taking his put Stanka awn life In his hands. Forest fires menaced the vessel. Hardy volunteered to About midnight It occurred to him now. he go for help. Refused permission Jumped overboard and started to swim that it might be a good thing to make Through a vista between the leafless with the princess distress message. Romanoff was angry at Hardy for his brave efforts to rescue the princess. He wooed He said her in his own savage way. Hardy had made love openly to a Japanese girl. Help came and the princess was rescued. Hardy Journeyed on a raft. he took Arriving at his destination of the trading company's busicharge ness. Hardy received a letter from a social leader in Boston and another from Alsome. Hardy took lessons in Russian of a Jew, thus connecting himself in a way with that race. Hardy received a letter from the princess, thanking him for liis bravery. Hardys teacher was III danger of death. He employed Wang as a servant. Hardy went to Moscow, where he was invited to call upon tile princess. He started for the palace home of Princess Romanovna. Hardy aroused unaccountable Jealousy of his Korean boy by on announcing that he was going to callwho the princess. He engaged a cabman drove him to a large house on a poorly the house, lighted street. After entering a resort of Hardy discovered that it was was Felix Hu-linihilists who supposed he comp to tell them of a powerful plosive he had discovered. The real Hulin arrived and denounced Hardy as an im- nihilists determined to kill ?ostor. InTheorder to protect themselves. unloaded revolver in his overan Finding coat pocket, he pointed it at Hulln's on which the tiomb, table, and swore lay tto blow them all up together If they touched him. Holding the nihilists at bay, Hardy started to leave the room when the police were heard at the outer door. Hulin threw his bomb, killing several policemen, the nihilists fled and Baruch the Jew, suddenly appeared and led Hardy to the cellar. Baruch conducted Hardy through an underground passage to another house, from which he boldly emerged ami returned to Ills hotel. Hardy visited the princess, contributed to the fund for the relief of the victims of the nihilists. He gave more than Romanoff The latter, entering the room, Jiad. struck openly Insulted him. Romanoff Hardy, who challenged him to a duel. The Russian accepted. Preparations for Jhe duel were made. swash-bucklin- g n, ; The two weapons were raised and pointed. "Dvah! It could not be seen that the hand of either man trembled in the slightest. Tra! Two shots rang out, almost simultaneously. Neither man fell. Hell and furies! cried Romanoff, I throwing his pistol to the earth. have missed him. This weapon is utterly worthless. I demand another shot. "Very well, replied Hardy, quietly; but If we shoot again, I shalj shoot to kill. I beg that you will Inform his highness of my intentions, at the same time conveying to him the assurance of my most distinguished consideration. You have missed, whispered petulantly. Why did you do this? You're as cool this minute as I am. Are you sure you have not wounded him? demands another My principal shot, said Koukolnik, advancing. He to Mr. presents his compliments Hardy, and suggests that he has not done justice to his great reputation for skill. Perhaps he will get better control of his nerves, now that he has escaped danger once, and his hand will not tremble as much as It evidently has done this time. Tell the prince for me that. If we shoot again, I shall do myself the honor of lodging a ball exactly midway between his eyes. Koukolnik started for the prince with the message. He had not traversed over half the distance when Hardy said: I am faint, lieutenant. Let me lean on you for a moment. cried My God, you are wounded! Gortchakov, putting his arm about the Americans waist; and, Indeed, a dark stain, rapidly spreading, dyed his waistcoat and shirtfront. I I am slightly wounded," gasped Hardy, and fainted away. What's the matter there with our Gort-fchako- badly, made no reply other than: bullets someThe times go astray. I turn him over to you, lieutenant, I have not deprived you of the pleasure of killing him yourself. His coat and shirt were cut away from his chest at the hospital, and a young grub of an Intern assisted the surgeon In washing the wound and passing a silk handkerchief through it an operation that caused the patient to bite his nether lip till It bled, but did not draw a groan from him. You will be all right in about a month, said the surgeon, on taking his leave, but I beg you. If you think of fighting again, either to postpone your little affair till the spring breezes begin to blow, or don't call on me to assist you. I shall have chilblains as a result of your foolishness, that may cause me more suffering than your nasty little puncture. Gortchakov departed In a surly humor, evidently disgruntled because his principal had failed to remove the lieutenants chief rival, as he supposed, to another sphere, where they neither marry nor are given in marriage. Hardy was left alone with a largeboned, florid nurse of peasant type, and the young grub of an Intern, who was disposed to be inquisitve as to the cause of the wound. He rid himself of the Intern by pretending that he desired to sleep, and then sent the nurse to telephone for Wang. The boy arrived about noon. What has happened, my dear master? he sobbed, sinking on his knees beside the cot, and taking one of Hardys hands in both his own. Are Have you been atyou wounded? tacked? Have you met with an accident? Tell me, I beg of you! You do not know how I have suffered with fear and anxiety, as I felt that you were about to encounter some terrible danger. And you left me this this producing the will and tearing It into bits, to Increase my anxiety. Did you think that money could have com- d princess. And I, he laughed, bitterly, am merchant here In her autocratic find aristocratic Russia a merchant who owes her sufferance of me to the fact that I can shoot straight! He said nothing that night to Wang of the impending duel, but the boy fteemed aware that some danger threatened his master, or that the latter was gravely troubled about something. Although told several times, kindly, to go to bed, he returned as often, and hovered about Hardy. Inft Romanoff family, I humbly beg your pardon for that wrong, but should you kill him and your wonderful skill places his life entirely In your hands should feel that his blood is on my head. Will you X not grant a distracted woman's prayer and spare his life? Wound him, if you will, but, oh. do not kill him! By granting this request, you will place under still deeper obligations one who already owes more can she than ever you hope to reELIZABETHA ROMANOVNA. pay. As he read, Hardy turned pale to the Hus. He tore the note in small open-mouthe- d Stry-etens- k cuff-butto- CHAPTER XXXV. Continued. Romanoff was handsome as a god. fcrave, masterful, impetuous, of high birth; the sort of man, it seemed to Hardy, to appeal to a woman like the deed, Wang responded to Hardy's jnoods with that delicacy of understanding sometimes seen in a dog for Its master, or a woman for the man She loves. Well, Wang," said Hardy at last, 'you may sit up all night if you choose, but I, for one, am going to get some sleep. Good night! and he retired to his own room. He began to undress slowly and flbsentmindedly, standing for long minutes motionless in the middle of the floor, or dropping into a chair, in deep thought, as though he were confronted by some weighty problem that he could not solve. He turned off the light at last and crept into bed, but he was destined to be again disturbed by Wang, who tapped timidly at the door. That boy is becoming a nuisance! he muttered; there is such a tiling as too much devotion. Well, Wang! he ehouted, sharply. If you please." called Wang, here Is a note for you." Hardy arose, went to the door and took a letter from the boy's hand. Wait," he commanded, till I see If there is an answer." He tore open the envelope and read; I tune lust My Fiit-himat the duel Is to take place in the morning, amt that pistols are the weapons . mu.cn. You know that 1 gave my consent to this deplorable affair because you asked ne In terms that left me no choice. I am going porr to beg something of you; it is that you spare my headstrong and violent cousin's life. He wronged you outrageously, I know, and in the name of the flushed with his own countenance shame. He struck you! cried the Korean. I could spit on his corpse. I could spurn it with my foot! I have no doubt you could, therebjr displaying your devotion to my unworthy self. Your plan is Impracticable, however, for the simple reason that there Is no corpse. Romanoff Is alive and well at the present moment and is no doubt gloating over my discomfiture. "He Is not even wounded? asked the boy. Not even wounded. But why did you not kill him when you had the opportunity? It surely would not have been difficult to hit that great hulk of flesh. Is it then safe to strike an American gentleman in the face? N ot always. My reasons for not killing him are too complicated for a boy to understand. They Involve a ladys sanction of a duel, and then her subsequent nullifying of that sanction. They involve, in general, a ladys request, which can hardly be overlooked when she is, in reality, the cause of the hatred which made the meeting necessary. Do you follow me, Wang? I I think I do, replied the boy, You spared him because wearily. the princess asked you to. You have been magnanimous, whatever the cost to yourself, and given the princess her admirer, for whom, In his moment of extreme peril, she found that she cared more than she had supposed. And now you are done with the whole Romanoff family! Hardy forgot his pain for the moment and started at the boy in wonderment. If you were not a boy, he said at last, sinking back on the pillow, I should think you were a woman. Your intuition in such matters is positively marvelous. And now I mustnt talk too much, for It makes this shoulder ache like a bad tooth. I must get well, and we must go back to and the store. But there is one little thing that I want you to do for me. Go to the place where the duel was fought this morning. I shall describe the location exactly to you. Romanoff stood near a large oak tree, whose trunk divides about six feet from the ground Into two trunks equal in size. ' Look about there and see if you can find In the snow a gold It is there, and, shining against the white, should be easily found. Bring It to me as quickly as possible. Wang left without another word. Not long after the boys departure the nurse brought in a bouquet of priceless orchids, which she arranged in a vase and set on a table near his bed. An Isvoschlk brought them, she Here is the explained to Hardy. note that came with them. She handed him a tiny billet-douand raised one of the shades. Holding the note in his teeth, he opened the envelope with his good hand, and x read: with a Lead Pencil, He Wrote his will. Such a document already existed, but he now arose and, putting on dressing-gowand slippers, went out into the office. Lighting the gas, he wrote as follows; Moscow, January 7, 19)4. Being of sound mind and in possession of all my faculties, I write this as a codicil to in.v will, now in the keeping of Andrew Mackey, Esq., attorney at law, Boston. I hereby will and bequeath all y my ready money, deposited In the hank at Strvetensk. and amountRusso-Kititisk- ing to something over 6.1NM roubles, to my faithful seeretary, Wang, and I heartily commend the said Wang to the favorable notice of Frederick Etnerv. president of the AmerUan Trading Company in Siberia. The hoy is faithful, honest, and pi senses a degite of busuiess ability quite aston'rhing in one so young. FREDERICK COt'ltTl. AN HARDY. This he folded and put in an envelope on which he wiote with a lead pencil, For Wang. Tossing the envelope on a table in his sleeping room, he went back to bed, and at last succeeded in getting to sleep. He was awakened by Gortchakov pounding upon his door and shouting; Get up, my friend, get up! We shall be late for the rendezvous! Hardy dressed hurriedly and went out to his second, who was waiting in tlie office. The lieutenant's sledge and beautiful team of thoroughbreds 'was waiting at the'eurb. Jump in, pray, he said, "and let's be off. And we mustn't talk of anything's happening. There is nothing going to happen except that you will shoot a great rascal and bully through the heart, and we shall come back to a hearty breakfast, having done a good morning's work with very little waste of time. Gortchakov had now fixed on Romanoffs heart as the most pleasing receptacle for Hardy's bullet. The coachman cracked his Ions nervous whip and the high-strun1 trees My Friend; I do not know what your feelings are toward my unhappy self. I had no idea that this deplorable affair would end as it has. Will you allow me to come In person and express my regret, and do whatever lies In my power to alleviate your sufferings? Thank God you are not killed! ELIZABETHA ROMANOVNA. Tell the man that there is no an- For Wang. swer at present, said Hardy to the nurse. Wang was gone two hours. When he arrived he came straight to Hardys a sledge could be seen approach- ing, drawn by three horses, running like mad. The driver rose tc his feet and settled back on the seat, bringing them to a rearing, pawing, sudden halt. The details were soon arranged and the ground measured off. Hardy did not pay anv attention to these preliminaries, but walked briskly backward and forward to keep his feet warm, glancing occasionally at Romanoff. who stood leaning against a tree, his hands in Ids ulster pockets, an insolent, careless smile on his handsome face. He certainly was a of splendid specimen manhood, thought the American, and if he fell the least tremor of fear, he knew how to disguise it. D!d it seem at all unlikely that a high bred, aristocratic woman, the daughter of a hundred warriors, should have fallen in love with a man like that? , "It is time now, my friend, said I Gortchakov, coming up to Hardy. must troube you to remove your coat. But you will not catch cold, for it will only take you a minute. Upon my word, I admire your nerve. You ought to have been a Russian. You will shoot him at the word 'three! Hardy removed his ulster and faced his opponent. A long dueling pistol of excellent make and perfect precision was placed In his hand. "Are you ready, gentlemen?" asked I will count three, slowKoukolnik. ly. You will raise your weapons and take aim when I commence, and will fire at the word three. As these words were being uttered. Hardy fixed his eyeglasses more firmly on his nose, the while he examined the distance and the person of his antagonist with a cool, practiced glance. Koukolnik began. Odeen! I I couch and handed him a small gold object, with a bit of linen hanging to it. Here it is, he said; it is stamped with the crest of the Romanoff family. 1 thought you had lost one of your own cuff buttons. Bring paper and envelopes, Hardy requested of the nurse, and then leave us alone for a few minutes. The woman complied. Now take my indelible pen from my waistcoat pocket and write. Wang sat down at the table and ooked inquiringly at his master. "Your highness, dictated Hardy, I hope that you will not give youself the slightest uneasiness on my account. My wound is a very trifling matter, from which I shall soon recover. I am greatly honored by your kind offer to call and see me, but I must deny tnyself the of receiving you. I can not man? asked Romanoff, in a voice that pensated me for your loss? Oh, it pleasure allow-- you to compromise your exalted made no attempt to conceal a sneer. was cruel of you cruel! thus position by yielding to the dictates He seems to be slightly weary. 1 your good heart. Will you allow me said There! Hardy, kindly, of to I add that feel I have already tresGet thought I must have hit him. How is touched by the boy's concern. passed too far on your good nature and I his business in done Have and sit that it up chair. surgeon? it, Bring tirn quite unwilling to continue the Inhere by the side of the bed, and I'll fliction? As you have frequently adtn'red for him? 1 lie is seriously wounded, fear, toll you all about It. I, an American, my skill with the pistol, I am inclosing trophy of the same, his highcoat Frederick Courtland Hardy of Boston, anesslittle Get the his surgeon. replied cuff button, which I hope will conhim lift the him. into about Mass., have fought a duel, and, I sus vince you that I have not disappointed Here, sledge. Let me get in with you. Now, pect, about a woman! your expectations. Will you kindly hand A a woman? stammered Wang, it to him with my compliments? Wishdrive like mad; drive, I say!" ing you all happiness in the years to turning suddenly pale. come, I remain CHAPTER XXXVII. As nearly as I can find out. I was Your humble servant. FREDERICK COURTLAND HARDY. calling on the Princess Romanovna, The Gold Cuff Button. paying her my respects, when in came WiPS laughed a queer, hard little .- -a the surgeons orders, Gortchakov her cousin, the Prince By oi mingled exultation and hate, drove directly to a hospital, where insulted me so grossly that I deemed without waiting for any further direc-tion- s I Am Faint, Lieutenant, Let Me Lean on You." Re,-"-.-- Hardy was laid upon a bed and his wound examined and dressed. The prince's bullet had passed through the flesh beneath the shoulder, making a clean perforation a painful but not a dangerous wound. Hardy revived In the sledge, and to demand why he had shot so Gort-c.nakov- '-' it my duty to demand satisfaction ol from his master, he put the cuff him. I strongly suspect that his button in the envelope with, the note, highness' antipathy to me is rooted sealed it and directed it to the Princhiefly in the fact that I, on one oc- cess Romanovna. casion, saved the life of his fair "You will take that to the princess cousin. He struck me in the face palace, directed Hardy, and give It Wang. nto her highness own hands. As the American said these word; (TO BE CONTINUED.) |