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Show went to the Slaviansky Bazar to get a slender, dark man with eyewho should glasses, he explained, give me the password for the night 'The Princess Romanovna. This man came out, hailed me and gave me the password. I bring him here, and then, ten minutes later, along comes this other slender, dark foreigner with eye glasses, who, It seems, is able to find his own way about! That is the truth. Brother Bielinskl, I call the and the pious Virgin to witness soul crossed himself. Very well, said Bielinskl, a tall with thin, hookman, nose and keen, furtive eyes. Very well. May I ask, my friend, turning to Hardy, "whether you are a member of the Brotherhood, and, if not, why are you here? The explanation is very simple, replied Hardy in French, in which language the question had been directed. I am an American merchant, residing in Stryetensk. I have an acquaintance with the Princess Ro- T SYNOPSIS. Frederick Hardy, a fashionable Boston society man, lust his wealth, wasto Jilted take by a girl and sent by a friend chatge of an American Trading Company store In Russia. On his journey through Japan he mot Stapleton Neville, sup-to posedly an Englishman. They agreed Because of ausgo together to Russia picious 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 provan guiltless. On a atrain aP he met Aisnme Sano, daughter of merchant. In Neville's shoes Jap founda be to pictures of forts, proving him Russian 6pv. Hardy departed for Russia on a steamer, width was wrecked He was icsrued by shortly afterward. a Russian steamer. On reaching Vladivostok he was well treated. He stalled meeting 1iincess U.nimiicvni on the train.- Hardy boarded a vessel for Amur. Hardy showed the prioress his expertness as a rifle shot. The steamer was stranded. The princess and her maid wore attacked by 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 An attempt was the Pushkins decks made to board the vessel. The attacking Chinese were repulsed. Romanoff sneered at Hardys solicitude for the princess. Stanka a messenger, sent for help, was nailed to a cross on the shore. To put an end to the awful torture Hardy himself put Stanka out of his misery, taking his own bfe in his hands. Forest fires menaced the vessel. Hardy volunteered to he fO for help. Refused permission Jumped overboard and started to swim with the princess distress message. Romanoff was angry at llardy 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 charge of the trading companys business. Hardy received a letter from a social leader in Boston and another from Aisome. 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 tor his biavery. Hardys teacher was In danger ol death. He employed Wang as a servant Hardy went to Moscow, where he was ir.vlted tc call upon the princess. He start for the palace home of Princess Romanovna. Hardy aroused unaccountable jealousy of his Korean boy by announcing that he was going to call on the princess. - CHAPTER XXVII I wealth-pampere- d formed and thrown Into the Moskva, thus giving the impression that he had fallen in and drpwned; or, a needle might be driven into the base of his brain, after which he could be dropped into the rivef; or, he could be taken out to some lonely spot, gagged, of course, to prevent an outcry, stabbed or beaten to death, and robbed. The gags could then be removed and this would cause the impression that he had been killed by footpads for his money and valuables. Fortunately, his attire, that of a wealthy aristocrat, would corroborate the impression. .These are merely suggestions, of course. Would it not be well to decide officially on his fate, and then appoint a committee to settle the manner of his removal? Mr. Kourbski sat down and glanced about with a air. It is time, said Bielinskl, rising and resting both palms on the table, to bring this incidental discussion to a close, and proceed with the more important business of the evening. Nothing must be allowed to interfere with the great work which we have in hand; The destruction of government and the establishment of universal freedom; the elimination of war, oppression and tyranny, and the of general and everinauguration lasting peace, equality and brotherd d hood. As Bielinskl spoke, his face flushed Continued. , Hardy, meanwhile, slipping Into a long ulster, the fur collar of which he turned up about his ears, left the hotel and stepped to thet edge of the sidewalk. A droshky dashed up immediately. "The Princess Romanovna," said he In Russian. "The Princess Romanovna, in the street The isvoschik jumped down with alacrity extraordinary for a Russian. The Princess Romanovna?" he inquired, looking shrewdly at Hardy. Yes, said Hardy, "in the street " . Get in," said the Russian, "and I will drive you there Immediately. I know where it Is. There was something strange In the mans manner, so strange, in fact, that it set the American wondering. He acted as though he had been sent for his fare, or had been expecting him. But Hardy did not long dwell on this Idea, for he was, after all, on his way to the princess. He would soon be In her presence again, and the thought so agitated him, so set his heart to beating, that all other matters were driven from his mind. As these thoughts were running through Hardy's mind, it occurred to him from time to time that it took a tong time to reach the palace of the princess. He knew about where it was located, though he had not visited the spot. It should have taken him 15 minutes to drive there from the hotel. He consulted his watch and found that he had been half an hour on the road. Cabmen, he muttered, are the same the world over. The fellow Is driving me about for a while In order to increase the size of the bill." He was on the point of opening the door and shouting to the isvoschik, when the latter drew up before a large, square house on a quiet, poorly lighted street. Hardy threw open the door and jumped out. liandkerchief, removed his coat and hung it upon a nail. He then took his seat, by invitation, at Bielinskis right. Brethren, said the latter, rising, of the Society of the Enemies of He spoke very distinctly, Russia! but not loud. The most absolute siFirst we must delence prevailed. cide what to do with this man who has introduced himself Into our midst, crets of the and has learned the order. Though I do not personally believe him to be' a spy, though I am confident he was brought here by accident, yet he is not of us, and he is a friend of the haughty and aristocrat whose name forms the password of the evening. He was on his way to her residence when he was brought here. During this time Hardy remained standing, with his opera hat beneath his elbow and his ulster thrown over his ai.n. His eyes were fixed on the little ball in Hulins handkerchief, which, shining In the gas light, held "We Welcome You Among Enemies of Russia." the nihilists opened the door and adsaid one. Enough to fill the inside of a mitted the cabman with a slender, childs ball is quite sufficient to wreck dark man who wore I am Felix Hulin, announced the the czar's palace M Curse him! Interjected the other. new arrival in perfect French, and Amen! It can therefore be thrown that man, pointing to Hardy, is an to a great distance, and wherever it Impostor! strikes, it explodes. There Is no CHAPTER XXX. missing fire. Several members of the Order witnessed a trial of it In the - For the Good of the Order. Ural mountains, in a lonely spot, and The American, in immaculate evenA most were the results satisfactory. small quantity, hurled at the base of a ing dress, his crush hat beneath his coat thrown cliff, tore the whole face of the moun- elbow and bis at stood with his his over arm, bay actain loose. One of the brethren cidentally dropped a sphere of It, and back against the wall, silently eyeing vanished the nihilists. The blood rushed back he simply disappeared of from the face the earth. One of to his heart, and his cheek paled a his arms was found two miles from trifle, but the' glance that he fixed on the place, lying beside a mountain those wondering faces, in which hate and fear were beginning to dawn, road. That would be good medicine fbr showed no flinching. The cabman, in tall boots of patent leather, and shinthe czar, chuckled a third voice. silk hat, stood at the door, with Yes, and for tyrants In general ing it, bis whip in With this new and mysterious ex- his broad back againstthick-set, d a was He hand. his plosive, the Order has an agency by with muzhik, little, red which It can become a terror to the a red face and a profuse red ruling classes, by which It can de- eyes, His glance shifted uneasily beard. moralize society, and make way for Hardy. the new order of things, the divine from Hulin to stood the little FrenchBy his side brotherhood of man. In six months his head who sank between his man, from now there will not be a man shoulders like a turtle, and, stretching will who dare Russia in qet living himself up above his fellow creatures an accusing left arm toward Hardy, or take his seat on the tyrant throne shrieked : I am Felix Hulin, I say, mon dien! we shall select of Russia. the great inventor, the great benefacwho throw will the first, the brother tor of the human race. Behold, here sphere." But Is it not fortunate," asked the is the proof! If I dash this little second speaker, that a member of sphere on the floor, poof! b r p r! the Enemies of Russia should have The whole house will fall apart like made this important discovery? The a castle of cards, the roof will leap the air, in one little second, by brother, Felix Hulin, Is here a slen- into we shall all be In eternity. GenCHAPTER XXIX. The gar, der, dark man with cabman that we sent brought him and tlemen, are you convinced? Sooner In the Nihilists Den. he is now in the reception room. Ah, than have my word doubted, I shall So bere we are at last! he said; but be has the air of a deep student! give you the proofs. Ten thousand 'wait for me. The house as he Let us go in and make him welcome." devils! I am Felix Hulin, I say, no man shall doubt me! glanced up at it did not Impress him Hardy, still fumbling with his tie, He plunged his right hand Into his as a palace, hut he reflected that caught sight of his own face in the some of the older and more exclusive mirror, and was startled by Its ex- pocket and drew forth a sphere, about of the Muscovite nobility lived in pression. It was the face of a man the size of a baseball, which he held resi- caught In a trap and who has only a In the hollow of hts palm. antiquated and unpretentious 1 am Dr. Hulin," he added ; behold dences. The isvoschik ran up the moment to escape before he is disthe pill which I have prepared for steps by his side and rang the bell. covered. An eld woman opened the door. He was In a nihilists' den and had tyrants and spies!" About 20 of the brethren had stolen Ah, she said to the cabman, so overheard a plot to kill the czar. If it you have brought him!" should be discovered that he was an Into the hall and were pressing for"Da! da! replied the Jehu, and Impostor, he had little doubt a3 to ward toward Hardy; stolen, indeed, what his fate would be. He seized for these men all moved silently, as trudged down the steps. It was evident to Hardy that he was his coal and bat and started toward though accustomed to secret and danexpected at the house of the princess, the door. Three men entered, two gerous meetings. But at the dreaded that even the servants had been told well dressed and the other evidently word spy a murmur arose. "A spy! A spy! Kill him, tear him to keep on the lookout for him. Hardy a laborer of some sort Brother Hulin, said the tall man to pieces! had been shown nto a small reception But the man who had welcomed we welcome room, where a coal fire was burning in imperfect French, In the grate. A couple of easy chairs you among the Enemies of Russia. Hardy In French stepped in front of and a leather-coverelounge, some- We know all about your marvelous them and raised his hand. Sh! Brethren, he commanded, what worn, formed the only furniture, discovery, and we consider you the "are you all mad? Would you have rather meager, it seemed to him, for greatest inventor of the age. the palace of a princess. He removed Hardy shook hands with them all the police down on us? The spy is In our power, If, indeed, he Is a spy, and bis coat and sat down before the fire. with much cordiality. As the old woman had been expecting I was," he said, also In French, we shall know how to deal with him, him, it was safe to assume that she hoping to make a little address to how to seal bis lips. As for you, Brother Felix, do not drop your pill, had gone to Inform Romanovna of his the brethren arrival. He .arose, and with fingers Very well, said the tall man, but in the Virgins name, Put it in your that trembled slightly, arranged his don't be long, for there are many of pocket Preserve It for tyrants and white tie in a mirror over the mantle. the Order here who are anxious to the foes of mankind. There! We shall breathe freer now. Ivan As he was thus engaged, he could meet you. to what Is the history of hear two men talking, probably In the Hardy stepped toward the door with the cabman a light heart hut just as he reached this man? How did you happen to Ifll, just outside the door. "It is 'be most wonderful explosive for the knob, the bell rang, and one of bring him here? ever Invented, fur-line- d broad-shouldere- To-nig- d t" with enthusiasm, and his eyes glowed with the light of the dreamer and the Murmurs of approval ran Utopian. through the audience. You know, he continued, how wa propose to accomplish this great end. Government is merely a combination of the strong and the favored of the earth to oppress the weak. Laws are simply canons for the regulation of oppression. All these things are unnatural and artificial and are built on a substructure of superstition. We propose to render government impossible by making the governing profession so dangerous that no man win dare undertake it But the question now before us is this: Here is a man in our midst who is not of us. He is a sympathizer with and a friend of our oppressors. He came to us, supposing that he was going to the house of the Princess Romanovna, and overheard our plans.' He has discovered our place of meeting. Will It be saft to turn him loose, after exacting a promise from him that he will not betray us, if such a promise can be obtained, or is it your mind that he be removed, as Brother Kourbskl suggests, for the good of the Order ?fyh' voting on this question you will liar in mind that the life of any onJqn-dividua- l Is of small moment when weighed In the balance against the Brother general good of humanity. Smirnoff will pass among you, handing each one of you a white and black marble, a supply of which I have here, and Brother Kourbski will collect your ballots in a hat. A black ballot will signify removal, a white ballot life and some other expedient. Brother Smirnoff! That member arose and stepped briskly to the side of the chairman who took a number of marbles from a drawer and poured them into a hat. Kourbski followed him about with anThere le But One Way He Mutt Die." other hat, into which the members manovna, on whom I was about to his gaze with a strange fascination, dropped their votes. In the ghastly call, r told the cabman to drive me like the baleful eye of a snake. silence that reigned, Hardy could hear to her residence, and he brought me What is his nationality? asked his heart beat plainly, and the' marhere. I know nothing of your amiable one of the brethren. bles dropping, dropping, Into the hat, He says that he is an American, rattled like paving stones falling from Brotherhood, nor do I wish to learn Here he took out his replied Bielinskl. a height. As Kourbskl stepped to the anything. The Americans," said the question- table and poured the marbles on It, watch and consulted it coolly. As we have no possible business together, I er, are a powerful nation. If we the American arose, and mechanically will now bid you good night, and pro- should detain this man, who Is him twitching at his pince-negazed with ceed on my way. If I do not hasten self evidently an aristocrat, and has open mouth. A black stream poured I shall be too late for my call. friends, they would raise heaven and from the hat. But why does he not speak Rus- earth to find him, and there would be anThe ballots are all black! He spoke to me much publicity sian? asked Ivan. and discussion a nounced the chairman. I shall apIn good Russian. thing that we wish to avoid now. The point Brothers Kourbskl, Stankletch Do you understand Russian? asked same thing would result If he should and Golovlev as a committee of three Bielinskl. on ways and means. Gentlemen, yoa permanently disappear. Here he sat down, and silence will retire into the adjoining room. I speak It Imperfectly, replied I have been In the country reigned for a full minute. Hardy. Kindly reach your decision as soon aa There is much truth, at length possible, for this, as I have said, la only a short time. You speak it well enough to under- said Bielinskl, in what Brother Smir- only an Incidental matter, and wa stand, exclaimed Bielinskl, or you noff says. Hag any other brother any have much of Importance before us. would not have made so shrewd an suggestion to make? The three members retired, closing A young Russian arose, a florid- the door softly behind them. effort to get away. I am not sure now Tha that you are not a spy. At any rate, faced, youth, with blue dream was becoming reality. Hardy, It will be a long time before you will eyes and a sweet expression.. His who was still standing, glanced about voice was soft and he smiled as he like a trapped animal, his eyes hunt see the Princess Romanovna. . Hardy noticed that the last two talked. ing some desperate means of escape. He must not disappear, said the There wras the window. He might words were spoken with an emphasis of hate, which reminded him of the speaker, as Brother Smirnoff says, dash at that and leap at the panes. Christian voices at Stryetensk, spit- neither can we keep him. He would The crash and the outcry which ha ting out Moschke! Moschke! The be an elephant on our hands. Neither would make might attract the attenThe Jew! Jew! Truly this Holy would it be safe to turn him loose tion of some passer-by- . But, alas, tha Russia Is a breeding-grounfor many with our secret in his brain and on majority of the company were sitting his tongue. It seems to me, with all between him and the window, and violent hates. They all moved silently down to due reverence to my elders and the shutters, which he could discera the extreme end of the hall and passed here he smiled and waved his hand through the thick curtains, were, no through a door into a large square that there is but one way. He must doubt, heavy and well secured. Hla room, furnished wifh chairs and die and his body must be found under overcoat dropped to the floor and a divans and a round table, upon which such circumstances that the police scarcely audible bump attracted hla were a number of books and maga- will be led to believe he has met his attention. He picked up the garment, zines. Crossing this, they entered the fate through accident This will come and slipped his hand into the pocket, council chamber, a long, narrow apart- under the head, not of an execution, where It touched the cold handle ol ment, with benches running around It, but of a necessary removal for the x revolver. He remembered that a merchant had given him the weapon and a long table in the center, with good of the order. What method would you propose, in the morning as a sample of a large chairs placed for about 20 people. The Enemies of Russia seated them- Brother Kourbskl? inquired Btelin-sk- l. stock of German Imitations that could be sold at a much lower price than selves on the benches and at the table. There are several methods that the American original. The merchant Bielinskl, who was evidently the chairman, took his place at the head naturally suggest themselves, replied had said that It was a good weapon, of the table. Felix Hulin, after taking Kourbskl, expansively. Hardys eyes despite the cheapness, and had rethe terrible sphere from his pocket left the mesmeric spot and sought the quested him to try It. But It was not loaded. and laying it carefully on the table on speakers face. a tiny couch formed of his crumpled I "For Instance, he might he chloro (TO BB COMTINKfiDJ z, clean-shave- d ' n |