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Show r '"--'4 ' f-fWl' V-'S""" 'TS'-Sryi WE iivEf CHANGED JV 7 HERBERT QUICK ANDELE1NA STEPANOFF MacMAHON COPYRIGHT by The BOBBS-'MERRiLl CO. W.N.U SERVICE THE STORY Commissar Vilinsky's Soviet flQuad invades the home of Kras-sin, Kras-sin, aristocrat at Kazan, with- tlie purpose of renuiMtionlnjj the place for government use. Vtl-insky Vtl-insky insults the daughter. Mu-sia. Mu-sia. Oonimissar Lor if is ursed to confiscate the home. The family consists of Judge Krassin. Mrs. Krassin, Ilya, former officer, and Musia. Loris promises to investigate. inves-tigate. Vladimir, former oMlcer, is Musia's fiance. M rs. Krassin expresses fear for her son's safety. safe-ty. Ilya recognizes in Viltnsky a former dishnnes steward. CHAPTER IV Continued Even Mrs. Krassin, sitting in state on her divan and Razing on them in Indecision, perplexity and fear, attracted at-tracted no more attention than a single sin-gle sharp glance from Vilinsk.v, as If he were, wondering whether or not he were recognized. He took his stand in the middle of the room, feet wide, hands on his hips. He inspected the premises like a buyer at an auction, or a prospective tenant looking the place over critically. And as he walked about, the little clerk followed with a portfolio and notebook, trotting about his master first on one side and then on the other, like a little dog likely to run between Vilinsky's legs and be rebuked or struck for it, his back bent In servility. They talked about the room; Vlllnsky pointed to the windows with the remark that the curtains were too dark. "This room will do for the reception recep-tion room," said he. "But it will have to be altered according to your notes. And have more mirrors. I like mirrors mir-rors and those other things I told you about have you the memoranda?" This conversation did not sound like the talk Mrs. Krnssin had expected from a man in a peasant's blouse; but on second glance, the man did not look like a peasant. It was a perceptible per-ceptible length of time before she was Impressed with the sense of Insult and degradation wiiich swept over her at their insolence; and then her face flushed, and her hands clenched. The blood of a thousand years of ruler-ship ruler-ship flew in hot rage to the very ends of her fingers, and flooded her brain. She partly rose, then sank back into her chair, as her caution returned. Where was Ilya? And as another inspection in-spection aroused her suspicions that this was that very thievish steward who had had Ilya followed to his home, perhaps she put her pride under her feet quickly. "May I ask," said she, approaching Vilinsky, "what it is that you desire here?" Vilinsky did not take even the trouble to look sneeringly at her. tie was a master of insult. He threw a glance at her over his shoulder, and resumed his inspection of the palace. "They," said the clerk, using a servile ser-vile form of expression, and bowing with admiring pride toward the commander, com-mander, "are looking at this house for themselves." "I scarcely understand," said she to Vilinsky, "what your clerk can mean." "If they like the house," said the clerk, after Vilinsky had indicated that lie meant to pay no attention to the lady's question, "you will have to move out." "Within eight hours!" exclaimed Vilinsky, promptly. "But we have no place to go," protested pro-tested Mrs. Krassin, still incredulous as to the genuineness of the threat. "And I could not move my belongings in so short a time." "Tour belongings!" said Vilinsky, with his hack toward her. "You won't have to move your belongings, as you call them !" "Tovarlsch Vilinsky," said the clerk, "will choose what he needs. You can then take away what is left if there is anything." "But," Mrs. Krassin began to protest. "But !" shouted Vilinsk.v in mimicry. "Enough of you! Bloodthirsty parasite! para-site! You have lived lived while better bet-ter people have been starving or In prison! Now is our time to live, and to choose. I have no time to argue with you !" "If you are to get out," went on the clerk, "you will receive an order." "Our house registry book," said Mrs. Krassin in her most diplomatic tone, "has just been returned from the militia. I request you to look at It, so that you may see how many people are living in this house at the present time." "It's not worth while," snapped Vilinsky with an impatient motion. "My time is too precious. Now, this room," addressing ilie clerk, "put down as my private oflice. And this but this is a room we have seen before. Who can show us this house, so we may not lose time by getting iosl ourselves?" our-selves?" "I shall be glad to show you," said Mrs. Krassin, still diplomatic, and Willi all her hostess' dignity. Vilinsk.v looked at her with something some-thing like amusement. "Lead on," said lie with large Jocularity. Jocu-larity. "Maybe we'll keep you on as housekeeper. I should like that!" And then begun that strange tour through tlie old and labyrinthine establishment, es-tablishment, the end of which we have seen in Musin's suile. Always Mrs. Krassin, like the hen-pheasant con cealing her nest and her lledgllng, sought to evade the necessity ot sur-prising sur-prising Ilya in his room. She thought of protecting no one else. She entered en-tered the rooms of Vladimir and tlie young men, the discovery of whom would have been like Ihe unearthing of a treasure to Vilinsk.v, wilh no attempt at-tempt to give warning, and finding them deserted, she merely explained that they were occupied by members of their extensive family who had taken refuge in Kazan. All the time she vas vainly seeking some way to convey a message of warning to Ilya In his room. Sometimes Vilinsky opened the door to a room which Mrs. Krnssin said he had seen, to find out whether or not she was deceiving him. Always lie found that she had told him the truth. All the time she was forced nearer "Enough of You! Bloodthirsty Par. asite!" and nearer to tlie necessity of going Into her son's room, and of thus bringing bring-ing him and tills Terror face to face. It tilled her with dread. Vilinsky had shown his ferocity in his behavior to her; and she remembered what Ilya had said when she asked him if Vilinsky Vilin-sky had recognized him as one of the family at whose complaint he had gone to prison so long ago, "Yes. I believe he knew me! I am sure he did !" Was there in her mind the secret thought that if Vilinsky once was introduced in-troduced into her daughter's room he would forget this dreadful quest for Ilya which she suspected? She could not have told you if she bad tried, probably and she would not have tried. Whatever may have been In the mind of that agonized and perplexed per-plexed mother, she now played the card she had been holding back as she reached Ilya's door, she wnlkec calmly past it and slopped at Musia's. "How about this door, old lady?" asked Vilinsky, pausing at the entrance en-trance to Ilya's suite. Again she was diplomatic; she allowed al-lowed a slow smile of half contempt as if at his ignorance and stupidity to curl her lips. (TO BE CONTINUED.) |