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Show m.e am sm - ' The Nysf cry of a Silent; Love Khevalkr WILLIAM II QUEUX ? (J AUTHOR of- "THC CLOSED DOOK," ETC- A ILLUSTRATIONS y C-DimODE5MftM COPrxmtfr BY THC SMtT- 5T PUBLISH? CO Jnjp.!y w w SYNOPSIS. 13 Cordon Orpcrp;, (lliilnu nlninrd with Unruly, Unru-ly, the yaeht I.ula's nivntT, nceicicnliiily &''i-s a torn photograph of a younr fcirl. 'I'hat li i 14 1 1 1 the consul's safe Is -rntibeil. Tlie polhe tliiil thnt Hiirnliy Is a fraud ami tlie l.ola"s name a false one. In I. on. Ion (reRi; Ih tr;iipod nearly to his death by a former 5erant, Olinto. Ylslt-lnt: Ylslt-lnt: In Dumfries O.rc-ns meets Muriel I.eltheourt. llornhy iippenrs jtnd Muriel lntrodu.es him us Martin Woodroffe. her father's friend. GreK;,' sees a eopv of the orn photograph on the I.ola and tlrids hat the yonns girl Is Muriel's friend. 'A oo.lroiTe disappc-ai-s. Oreic discovers he hody of a murdered woman in lt;in-nocli lt;in-nocli wood. The lio.lv disappears nnd In !ts plaee is found the body of Olinto. Muriel and Clrei seareh Kuimoch wood tOKether. and tin. I the body of Armlda, Olmio's wife. When the police go to the vod the hody has disappeared. In London Lon-don Gvvxz meets Olinto. alive nnd well. ".re ttaees the .voting K'l'l of the lorn fliotouraph. and finds that she Is Khna Heath, nieee of Baron Oliore. who has taken her to Alio. l'Mnland. and that she riolds a secret lUTiotlng Woodrnffe. (In ;'ls return In l!anno"h Givus finds th J.eilheourls tied from llvlton Chnter. who ind tailed (here. He goes to Alio, and 'ifter a (lit with the police chief. Is con-'lucted con-'lucted to KaJ.ina. where he hnds Klnia In prison. A surgical operation has made jber deaf and dumb. He escapes with her. Pursuers overtaklnc (hem. Fflnia escapes nto the forest and Orcgi; Is taken to Alio, where he is released and finds that the .laron Is using every effort to arrest t-.lma. He calls on Tiaron Chert; nnd accuses ac-cuses him of sileru-lns nnd Imprisoning 1' lma to prevent her from telling of his aveeict misdeeds. CHAPTER XIII Continued. A long silence had fallen between us. and it now occurred to me to take advantage of his hesitation. I said 1 in a firm voice, In French: j "I think, baron, our interview Is a? an end. Is It not? Therefore I wish you good-day." He turned upon me suddenly with an evil flash In his dark eyes, and a snarling imprecation in Russian upon tiis lips. Mis hand still held the order committing me to the fortress. "But before 1 leave you will destroy that document. It may fall Into other hands, you know," and I walked toward him with quick determination. "I shall do nothing of the kind!" he snapped. Without further word I snatched the paper from his thin, white finders and tore it up before his face. His countenance coun-tenance went livid. I do not think 1 rave ever seen a man's fare assuinp iZSJ ' . i :l((-tf. ; . , , i Without Further Words I Snatched the Paper From His Thin, White Fingers. filch an (xpreH.-lon of fiendish vin'llc-tlvfin-rs. It was iih though at that Instant hell had been let loose within liis In-art. lint I turned upon rny heel and went out. J had escapf'fl by means of my own (lil-limiary and firmness. The czar'H rc-prf. fMilal i vo tlie matt w ho ruled rli.-.f country feared me. and for thai reason did not hold rue prisoner Vet v.-lien I recalled that evil lool. of re-vi re-vi tie on my departure, I could not ;i-lp rcil.iin feolini'M of grave apprehension appre-hension tinning wilhin mo. I look the niidnl;;ht train back to Abo, aii'ivin;; at the holel next morn l:ig. Alter an hour's rest I si t out jinxion.dy I" P-earcli of Felix, the ilros-v ilros-v d"'v( r. I found him In his log t,,:i ! mi e In I lie l.ii'lno rpiarter, and v.lo ii In- a; lied me In 1 saw, from his face, that he had news lo Impart. "Well''" I Iti'iulred "And what of the lady? Has she been found?" "Ah! your excellency. It hi a pity you were not here yesterday." he aaid vIUi a sii'h. ' "Why? Tell me quickly. What baa lliaiipell' ll ?" , "I have been HS'ilsl Imr the pollen nil ipy. xceile;.cy, as I "r" ii 'hi, and I have seen h r." "Sei 11 her! Where?" I cried la .pill k ntixl' ly. -lli-re. I" Abo. Hhe arilved yester ,1 ,y inor'nlni: from Ta m inerfoni tiecom ,,',,,i.il by an Kt.iillsliinan. HI10 had changed her dress, nnd was all In black. They lunched together at the Restaurant du Nord opposite the lauding laud-ing stage, and an hour later left by steamer for Petersburg." "An Englishman!" I cried. "Did you not inform the chief of police, Bo-ranski Bo-ranski ?" "Yes, your excellency. But he' said that their passports being in order, it was better to allow the lady to proceed. pro-ceed. To delay her might mean her rearrest in Finland," he added. "Then their passports were vlseed here on embarking?" I exclaimed. "What was the name upon that of the Englishman ?" "I have it here written down, excellency. excel-lency. 1 cannot pronounce your difficult diffi-cult English names." And he produced pro-duced a scrap of dirty paper whereon was written In a Russian hand the name "Martin Woodroffe." CHAPTER XIV. Spoiling the Spoiler. I went to the railway station, and from the time-table gathered th.vt If I left Abo hv rail nt noon 1 eonld ha In Petersburg an hour before noon on the morrow, or about four hours before be-fore the arrival of the steamer by which the silent girl and her compan Ion were passengers. This I decided upon doing, but before leaving 1 paid a visit to my friend, Bornnski. who, to my surprise and delight, handed me my wallet with the czar's letter intact, saying that it had been found upon a German thief who had been arrested ar-rested at the harbor on the previous night. The fellow bad, no doubt, .Volen it from my pocket believing I carried my paper money in a flap. "The affair of the English lady Is a most extraordinary one," remarked the chief of police, toying with his pen as he sat at his big table. "Site seems lo have met this Englishman up at Tammerfors, or nt some place farther north, yet it is curious that her pass port should be in order even though Wie lied so precipitately from Kajann I There Is a mystery connect. l with her disappearance from the wood cut ter s nut inai i Toilless I cannot fathom." "Neither can I," I said. "I know the man who is with her, and cannot help fearing that he Is her bitterest enemy thnt he Is acting in concert with the baron." "Then why is he takins her to the capital beyond the Jurisdiction of the governor general?" "' am going straight to Petersburg to ascertain," I said. "I have only come to tluink you for your kindness in this matter. Truth to tell, I have been somewhat surprised that you should have Interested yourself on my I behalf." I added, looking straight ut the uniformed official. "It Is not on yours, but on hers," be answered, somewhat enigmatically "I know something of the affair, but It was my duty as a man lo help the poor girl to escape from that terrible 'lace. She has, I know, been unjustly itidemned for the attempted assassl j nation of the wife of a general eon- denined with a purpose, of course. f o h a thing Is not unusual In Fin I land." "Abominable!" 1 cried. "Ob.-rg Is a j veritable fiend " j lint the man only shrugged his shoulders, saying "Tlie Old. rs of his excellency the I governor general have to be obeyed, ! whatever they are. We often regret : but we dare not lefuse to carry (hem out. "Russian rule Is a disgrace to our modern civilization." I declared hotly. "I have every sympathy with those who are lighting for freedom." "All, you are not alone In that," be si(-lied, speaking In a low whisper, and glancing around. "His majesty would order reforms and ameliorate (he condition con-dition of his people. II only II were possible. But be, like his olllelals. powerless. Here we speak of tlie great uprising with baled hrealh. but we, alas! know that It must come one day--very soon - . and Finland w ill be first lo endeavor to break her bonds and the B.'iron Oberg first lo fall." For nearly an hour I Hat with him. surprised lo find how, allhoiigh bin ex terior was so harsh tun! uncouth, vet Ills heart really bled for (he poor, starving people he was so conslanl ly forced lo oppress. "1 have ruined Ihis lown of Abo." ho declared, quite frankly. "To my own knowledge five hundred innocent per-sons per-sons have gone to prison, and anolher two hundred have been exiled lo SI berla. Yet what I have done In only ! at direct ordeia from I lelnlngfoi a orders Hint are slern, pitiless mid tin-i tin-i Just. Men have been lorn fioin Ihelr fn i n 1 1 1 s and sent ta the mlneig women have been arrested for no orfi.ijMe and shipped off lo Snghiillcii, nnd moid children have been east Inlo prison on rhnrgcH of political conspiracy with their eldcrx-- In order to russify Hie I province! Only," lie added anxloiinlv, I "I trust you will never repeal whiil I ' toll you. You have linked me why I assisted Hie English mademolaellu to escape from Kajann, and I have ex plained the reason." We ate a hearty meal In company at the Sampalinna, a restaurant built like a Swiss chalet, and at noon I entered en-tered the train on the first stage of my slow, tedious Journey through the great, silent forests and along the shores of the lakes of southern Finland, Fin-land, by way of TavestoJius and VI-horg, VI-horg, to Petersburg. At four o'clock next day I was out upon the quay in that city, straining my eyes seaward for any sign of smoke, but could see nothing. It was after ten o'clock when a light shone afar off, and the movement of the police and porters on the quay told me that it was the vessel. Then after a further anxious quarter of an hour it came, amid great shouting and mutual Imprecations, slowly alongside the quay, and the passengers at last began to disembark in the pelting rain. Suddenly I caught sight of two figures fig-ures one a man in a big tweed traveling trav-eling coat and a golf cap. and the other the slight figure of a woman In a long, dark cloak and a woolen tam-o'-shanter. The electric rays fell upon them as they cam" up I'm wet gangway together, and there once again I saw the sweet face of the silent woman whom I had grown to love with such fervent desperation. The man behind her was the same who had entertained me on hoard the l.ola the man who was said to be the lover of 'the fugitive Muriel Leith-court. Leith-court. Without betraving my presence, I watched them pass through the pass port ollice and custom house, and then, overhearing the address which Martin Woodroffe gave the ishvost-chik, ishvost-chik, I stood aside, wet to the skin, and saw them drive away. At eleven o'clock on the following day I found mvself installed in the Hotel de Paris, a comfortable hostelry in the Little Morskaya. I was beneath the same roof as Elma. although she was in ignorance of my presence. Anxious to communicate commu-nicate with her without Woodioffe's knowledge, I was now awaiting my opportunity, op-portunity, lie had. It appeared, tajten for her a pleasant front room with sitting sit-ting room adjoining, on tlie first floor, while he himself occupied a room on the third floor. As far as I could gather from the French waiter whom I Judiciously tipped, he appeared to treat her with every consideration and kindness. "Has the Englisii man received any visitors?" 1 asked. "One man a Russian an official of police, I think." "If i.e receives anyone else, li t m know," I said. "And I want you lo give mademoiselle a letter from me itt secret." "Won, m'sieur." I turned to the little writing table and scribbled a few hasty lines to my love, announcing my presence, and asking her lo grant me an interview-in interview-in secret as soon as Woodroffe was absent. 1 also warned her of tin-search tin-search for l.er inst'eated by the baron, and ur;;ed her to send me a line In reply. The note was delivered into her hand, but although I waited In sus-(vense sus-(vense nearly all day she sent no reply. While Woodroffe was in the hotel I dared not show myself lest he should recognize me. therefore I was compelled com-pelled to sham indisposition and to eat my meals alone In my room. Fur several hours 1 .:l at my win-daw win-daw watching the life and movement down In the street below, my mind full of wonder and dark forebodings Was Martin Woodrofle playing her false? Just after half past six o i be k the waiter entered, and handing me a note on a salver, said: "Mademoiselle lias, I believe, only this tn. uncut ben able to wiite in secret." I tore It op"ii and road as follows: l ar friend I n tn !" mil rl-il I II :h( yu slid In Al. VV , 1 1 , ,!Tc has no o 'I - i 1 1 1 I i 1 1 1 al ch-lil . iV li ii I. on I h la I .-Id.- of ('. .11 v. I !,. i . for IS' lo me at s I". I e i 1 1" I se,. ,,u, and al ' IM C. I II 111 I II I 1 1 i-:i.i in: ti I My love wan In peril' II was Just as I had feared I thanked Providence that I had been sent lo help her and exlrlcale her from that awful fate lo which "The Slrangler of Finland bad consigned her At the hour she named, afler the waiter had lime to me and announced the Englishman's departure, 1 descended de-scended to h'-r silting room and n leied vvllhout rapping, for If 1 had rapped she could lint, alas! have heard '1 he apaiitin nt was sp.u Inns and conilorl.'ilile, thickly caipclcd, Willi heavy furniture and gilding, ."mm her low lounge chair a slim, wan figure sprang up quickly and came forward lo greel me, holding out both hi r hands and smiling happily. 1 look her hands in iniiie, and held them lighlly In silence for ra.iuo mo iiients, as I looked earnestly Inlo those wuirdorliilly brilliaul eyes of hers. She turned away laughing, a slight llns'i rising lo her cheeks In her confusion. '1 hen she led me lo a (hair, and nio-lieneil nio-lieneil me lo ho sealed. Ours was a silent mooting, but her gestures and the ex pri'snlon of her eycH were surely more eloquent Ihan mere wolds. I knew well what pleas-urn pleas-urn that re e-.counler caused her equal pleasure with I hat II gave to me. I'ntil that moment I had never really loved. I had admired and Milled will; women. Whal man has mill In. I I. I had admired Muriel I.ellhcouit, tut. never until now had I experienced In my heart Ihe real (lame of true, hunting hunt-ing affecllon. The iiweelnenn of her expression, Iho louder caress of those soil, tapering lunula. Iho drop, inj s tetlous look In those magnificent eyes, and the incomparable grace of all her movements, combined to render her the most perfect woman I had ever met perfect in all, alas! save speech and hearing, of which, with such dastard das-tard wantonness, she had been deprived. de-prived. She touched her red lips with the tip of her forefinger, opened her hands and shrugged her shoulders with a Sii gesture of regret. Then turning quickly to some paper on the table at her side she wrote something with a gold pencil and handed it to me. It read : "Surely Providence has sent you here! Mr. Woodroffe must have followed fol-lowed you from England. He Is my enemy. You must take me from here and hide me. They intend to send me Into exile. Have you ever been in Petersburg before? Do you know anyone any-one here?" Then when I had read, she handed me her pencil and below I wrote: "1 will do my best, dear friend. I have been once in Petersburg. But is it not best that we should escape at one? from Russia?" "Impossible at present," she wrote. "We should both be arrested at the frontier. It would be best to go into hiding here in Petersburg. I believed Woodroffe to be my friend, but I have found only this day that he is my enemy. en-emy. He knew that I was in Kajana, and was in Abo when he learned of my escape. He went with two other men In searcli of us, and discovered us that night when we sought shelter at the wood cutter's hut. Without making his presence known, he waited outside until you were asleep, and then he came and looked in at my window At first I was alarmed, but quickly I saw that he was a friend. He told me that the police were In the vicinity ! $0&$M P: : V- Ji .vb-;;.;..- 1 ' I i She Touched Her Red Lipj With the Tip of Her Forefinger. and Intended to raid tlie hut. therefor" I Mid with him. first down to Tatnnier-fors Tatnnier-fors and then to Abo, and on here. At thai time I did not see the dastardly trap he bad laid In order to pet tne out of the baion's clutches and wrina fi'.Mii me my secret. If I confess, he ii!. i hds lo give me up to the police who will send me to the mines" "Hoes your secret concern him?" I asked in wiping. "Yes." she wrote in response. "II would be equally in his interests a. well as those of Baron Oberg If I were sent to Sagh'ilien and my Idee tity cllacid I am a Russian subject as I have already told you. therefore with a ministerial order against me 1 am In deadliest peril." "Trust In me." I scribbled qi, iel.lv "I will act upon any lasi.csiioa von make. Have you any female friend in whom you coull trust to hide you until this danger ia pa-I '.'" "Theie is one Irieinl- a line friend Will yon take a note to her?" she wrote, lo which I Instantly nodded in the a llil mat 1 v c Then rising, she obtained some Ink anil pen and wrote a loiter, the con tents of which she did not show me before she sealed It. 1 watched her write Ihe siipesscrlp Hon upon the envelope: "Madame Olga Stassult v llch. liKsl ste. Scre.lnl Pros peel, ":tl, Vaslll OslrolT." I knew (hat (he district was on Ihe opposite side of Ihe city, close tn Hie Little Neva "Take a drosky at once, see her and nwail a reply. In Iho meantime I will prepare to be ready when vou return." she wrolo "If Olga is not al homo, ask lo see Hp. Red Pries! in Km ninn, ' Krasny pastor.' Return quick Iv, as I fear Woodi olio may come back If so, 1 am lost." I assured her I would not lose single inslanl, and live mlnules later 1 was tearing down the Morsliaya ri a drosky along the canal and across the Nicholas bridge to the address upon Ihe envelope. The house was, I found, somewhat smaller than lis neighbors, but not let out In fiats an the others. I'pon Ihe door was a largo brass plate hearing hear-ing the name, "Olga Slassiilovllch Modes." 1 pressed the electric button, and In answer a lull, clean shaven Russian servant opened (he door, "Madaino Is not homo," was his brief reply to my Inquiry. "Then I will see Iho Red Priest." I mild In a lower lotio. "1 cotno from Khun Heath." Thereupon, vvllhout further word, the man a.linlll.'d mo Into the long, dark hall and closed the door with an apology that the gai was not lighted. But, striking a match, he led me up the broad staircase and into a small, cosy, well-furnished room on the second floor, evidently the sitting sit-ting room of some studious persoc. Judging from the books and critical rcA iews lying about. For a few minutes I waited thero, until the door reopened, and there entered en-tered a man of medium height, with a shock of long, snow-white hair and almost patriarchal beard, whose dark eyes that age had dimmed Hashed out at me with a look of curious inquiry. and whose movements were those of a person not quite at his ease. "I have called on behalf of .Mademoiselle .Mademoi-selle Elma Heath, to give this letter to Madame Stassulevitch, or if she is absent to place It in the hands of the Red Priest," I explained in my best Russian. "Very well, sir," the old man responded re-sponded in quite good English. "I am the person you seek," and taking the letter he opened it and read it through I saw by the expression on his furrowed fur-rowed face that its contents caused him the utmost consternation. Ilia countenance, already pale, blanched to the lips, while in bis eyes there shot a fire of quick apprehension. The thin, almost transparent hand holding the letter trembled visibly. "You know mademoiselle eh?" he ai'ked in a hoarse, strained voice a3 he turned to me. "You will help ber to escape?" "I will risk my own life in order to save herd," I declared. "And your devotion to her is prompted prompt-ed by what?" he Inquired suspiciously. I was silent for a moment. Then I confessed the truth. "My affection." "Ah!" he sighed deeply. "Poor voune lady! She, who has enemies on every hand, sad' needs a friend. But can we trust you have you no fear?" "Of what?" "Of being Implicated in the coming revolution in Russia? Remember, I am the Red Priest. Have you never heard of me? My name is Otto Kam pf." Otto Kampf! (TO BE CONTINUED.) |
