fivV. Fletcher Robinson
THE STORY OF
AMAROFF THE POLE
(Continued.)
A Jump, a scramble, and all three
of us were over the wall, dropping
t . . . . ....
uw raggea snruooery 01 laurel, we
groped and stumbled our way through
Um growth of bushes until we emerged
ta a grass plot Then I understood.
We were at the back, of Amaroffs
studio. On one side where we stood
was the outhouse, Its sloping roof
reaching up to the long windows un
der the eaves the upper lights, as
sculptors call them. And even as 1
looked there came through these win
dows a nicker of light, an eye that
winked In the darkness and was gone.
We crept softly forward until we
reached the shadow of the outhouse.
It was roofed with rough tiles, which
came to within seven , feet of the
ground. Fortunately, they did not
project out from the wall of the build
ing. ' "Ton must help us up, Jackson,"
Peace whispered) "and then go round
to the door, which I see t the back
there. If they make a bolt that way.
blow your whistle. If I whistle, start
hammering on the door as It you were
dozen men. Now then, take me on
your shoulders." '
He scrambled to the roof like a cat.
Lying flat be thrust out a hand. A
hoist from the Bergeant, and I landed
beside him. We waited a few mo
ments, and then commenced to work
oor way up the roof. From Its upper
angle I found that the greater part
of the Interior of the studio was with
in our observation.
The moonlight that drifted through
the opposing panes flooded the center
of the studio with soft light. In the
midst of which the bust In bronze
rose darkly upon its pedestal. A min
ute, and then the eye of light winked
out, flickered, explored the pools of
shadow, and Anally steadied on the
wall as three ' men moved from the
room beneath us, following one by
one. A second lantern came into play,
and before our eyes commenced a
search such as t could have hardly
credited, so swift, methodical and
thorough were its methods. The cush
ions were probed with long pins, the
cracks of bare boards, and the nails
that held them in position, were stud
led each In turn, the plastered walls
were sounded Inch by inch, the locks
VL UUDO OUU U'B"I "CO IIL&LU Willi
the ease of mechanical knowledge.
. We beard It before the men below,
the faint patter, patter on the road
outside of a runner In desperate haste.
The footsteps grew Bllent, and In the
pauso there must have come a sound,
audible to them though not to us, for
the lantern , slides were shut down
like the snapping of teeth, and the
men vanished Into the gloom. Only
the moonlight remained, bathing the
Nero In its gentle beams. I glanced
at Peace. His expression was one of
beatlflo enjoyment, but his whistle
was it his lips.
I could not see the entrance door,
o . that ,the struggle was well-nigh
ever before I knew it was begun. The
stranger fought hard, as J Judged
from the scuffling thuds, yet he raised
tu) cry of help. Then the eyes of the
lanterns glowed again and they led him
into the center of the studio with the
Clint of steel marking the1 handcuffs
on his wrists, it was Greatman the
fox that had run Into the den of the
wolves!
"And so, mon ami, you play a double
Same."
It was not until he spoke that I re
QUEBEC A CITY OF THE PAST
evelopment of , Canadian Dominion
Goes Forward, but She Has
Little Part In It
Quebec herself rather endures being
quaint than enjoys It, for In this day
of Canadian development she has
dreamed of the future after the fash
Ion of those Insistent towns further
to the west "It has not been pleas
ant for her," says Edward Hunger
ford In Harper's Weekly, "to drop
from second place in Canadian 'Com
mercial Importance to fourth or fifth.
She has had to sit back and see such
cities as Winnipeg, for instance. In-
ase from an Indian tradlng-plac
ol-
iwttori Peace
alized that I could hear what went
forward within. The big ventilators
above me were open, and Nlcolln for
it was he did not modulate bis voice.
'It is you that killed him." cried
the prisoner, raising his fettered
hands. "You that have betrayed me.
Murderer and liar that you are."
His frail body shook to the fury
that was on him; but the Russian
laughed In his black beard, stroking It
with his hands.
"I bad almost forgotten," he said.
It may be that you have some cause
of complaint against me. But now
that you are here, yon will doubtless
be kind enough to save us trouble.
Where, my good Ilroll, are the bombs
hidden V
"Do you think I shall tell your
"Remember, Amaroff Is dead. They
will not go to Paris now. Do not be
foolish. Show me the biding place.
and no harm shall cotne to you."
"No."-
"Then yon will return to Russia.
The Odessa forgery will carry you
there by English law but. remember.
It la for something more than forgery
that you will have to answer when
you arrive."
There was a silence, and then Nlco
lln spoke again two words.
"Sagallen Uland."
"I shall not go there," said the pris
oner, simply. "I shall not go there
Nlcolln the spy, Nlcolln the murderer
and liarl"
"Then you will achieve a miracle.
For, as the Czar rules, before a week
is out you will be on the sea, and
within a month stop him, stop him I"
He bad sprung from them with a
bound like that of a wild beast and
with his fettered hands had gripped
the shaft of the bust of Nero, swing
ing it high above his bead. For a part
of a second, as a film might seize the
photograph, I saw him stand In the
moonlight with that cruel face In
bronze rocking above bis own white
face In flesh sad blood below; yet, as
I remember It there was neither fear
to a metropolitan center two or three
times her size, while her own wharves
rot It la a matter of keen humilia
tion to the town every time a big
ocean liner goes sailing up the river
to Montreal her river. If you are to
give ear to the protests of her citi
zens whom you meet along the Ter
race of a late afternoon without halt
ing at her wharves, perhaps without
even a respectful salute to the town,
which has been known these many
year as the Gibraltar of North Amer
lea." I
Exceptions.
"Stone walls do not a prison make."
"Oh, yes, they do, If they're around
a JaU," p
mr anger tn his expression. And then,
as It were, the shutter clicked, for
Peace dealt me so violent a blow that
It sent me rolling down the roof into
the darkness. And as I tumbled bead
long from the ledge, the whole -.air
seemed to burst Into fragments about
me a mighty concussion that left me,
deafened, shaken, bewildered, amongst
the broken tiles and falling fragments
on the ground below.
I was In my most comfortable chair,
with old Jacob washing the cut on my
head, and the Inspector's nimble fin
gers twisting a bandage before I quite
realized that I had escaped that great
explosion. .Vaguely, as In a dream, 1
remembered that two men, presuma
bly Peace land the Serjeant, had
dragged me to my feet, bad knotted
a handkerchief round my head, bad
pushed me over the wall, and finally
lifted me into a passing cab all with
a mad baste as It It were we who had
been the criminals. Anyhow, I was at
home, which was of the first Impor
tance to me at the moment
"What blew up. Inspector?" I asked,
faintly.
"The dynamite bidden In the bust
but don't ask questions."
"Oh, I'm all right" I told him. "Do
explain things." . ,
"I'll call tomorrow, and "
"No, tell me now, or I shall not
sleep a wink.""
He looked at me a moment with
his head cocked on one side after his
.quaint fashion.
"Very well," he said at last "111
talk. If you'll promise to keep quiet"
I promised, and he began.
"It's quite a simple story. Nlcolln
had got word that an attempt was to
be made on the Czar, who is due In
Paris the day after tomorrow, and
that Amaroff was engineering the
whole affair; also the Russian was
making no headway, and be knew that
his position was at stake it be failed.
So he got desperate, and took the
game Into bis own hands. He forced
Greatman to fix a rendezvous, brought
up his men and strangled Amaroff In
the sanded parlor. It was a smart
thing to do, for no ono was likely to
suspect them, - especially as he gave
out that Amaroff was one- of his own
officers."
"But how did you locate the place
where the murder occurred?" I asked
feebly.
"It was raining last night do you
remember?"
"Yes." .
"When I first arrived at the mortu
ary, 1 went over Amaroffs clothing.
un the soles ol nis boots was a patch
of dry sand. Therefore he could not
have walked through the wet streets
to the spot wbere be was found
Also the sand must have been on the
floor where be last stood. On the back
of his coat was a slimy smear mixed
with the scales of mackerel. If my
first proposition was correct he must
have been carried from the place with
the sanded floor; and the suggestion
was that a fish barrow had been used,
a flea barrow such as you may see
the London ' costers pushing before
them in their street sales. It was not
likely that the men Implicated would
have risked carrying him further than
was necessary. That limited the radi
us of the search. Indeed, we located
the club In under three hours."
:. f'ot course It seems quite easy,"
told him. "But when did you first sus
pect. that Nlcolln was lying?"
"His search of the studio was sim
ply a blind," be said. "I soon caught
on to that Also In Amaroffs little
bedroom stood bis luggage ready
packed. He was Just off on a Journey
thai 'was jplaln. Nlcolln bad said
nothing about a Journey, which was In
Itself suspicious. I knew the Russia, i
was not the- bungler be pretendel to
be. and 1 admit-that I -was- puied. j
Then you came along and tola me or
the business with the ke. It was'
plain they were coming oack but
why? It was lo discover it that I left
three men to watch the studio while
I kept my appointment with Jackson
In Maiden square. From what I
learnt from him It was evident that
Greatman was a man who knew some
thing; so.I tried a bluS on blm. It's
quite simple. Isn't it?"
"Oh, yes." I said; "but bow did you
know Greatman was going to the
studio when be ran away?"
"'Rather an unnecessary question,
Mr. Phillips, Isn't it? Consider a min
ute. Amaroff was a Nihilist; he was
playing a big game which means dy
namite with folks of their persuasion.
He had been knocked out of the run-
ing. but the dynamite remained And
'here? In the studio where Nlcolln
was returning to search for It; where
Greatman also would go to recover
It If he desired to revenge himself on
Nlcolln by carrying out his friends'
plot himself. Mark you I do not be
lieve that originally he had any active
part in carrying out this assassination.
But when he heard bow Nlcolln had
him. he Fas anxious to get
fooled
square by risking all and smuggling
the bombs to Paris himself. More
over, Mr. Phillips, I wanted to locate
that dynrfmlte. It Is not well to have
bombs floating, about London, ready
to the hand? of well-bred lunatics.
Tbey breed International squabbles
in which we, the police, get Jumped
upon."
And they were bidden In the
bust?'
A very good place, too. With care-
ful packing, they would, have got to
Paris safe enough. The Nero was a
known work of art No one would
have suspected It for a moment Of
course I bad no idea that the dyna-
mite was stored In the bronze till
Greatman grabbed It, and I saw his
face. Then I punched you In the
chest and rolled after you myself."
You Baved my life, anyway," I
said gratefully.
Tut tut, Mr. Phillips, that's now-
ing. Another day you may do the
same for me."
If I get a chance," I told blm. "But
what will be done now?"
"Nothing." '
"Nothing?"
"I dragged you off to be away be-
fore the crowd arrived. There was no
point in your being found In tne neign -
borhood and asked . questions at the
Inquest on what remains of their bod-
les. I shall report to bcotiana ara. 0f tne(r OWDi ,
and Scotland Yard will talk to the, study tne cniai Beeii to bring out
Foreign Office, and the Foreign Office what is in him. Don't study your
will make polite representations to St. ! catechism or "system of education"
Petersburg, and everything will be and try t0 make your child measure
bushed up. After all, there's nobody j up to tbat
left to punish and nobody to pity, j There Is no genuine morality wlth
barring Greatman, who had the mak-! out freedom.
lngs of a .man in him. Amaroff was a j Anything done from fear is Immor
romantlc murderer, and Nlcolln a prao-1 Bi Even the "goodness" your child
tlcal one; but neither of them were ; puta on because he is afraid of you 1b
at all the sort of people to encourage.
So I should advise you to keep qu'it,
Mr. Phillips, and not talk of your ad
venture. Do you agree?"
"Certainly," I said; and we shook
hands on it
(CHRONICLES TO BE CONTINUED.)
WORLD OF HIS OWN CREATION
Great French Writer In His Absent
Mlndedness Lived Far Apart From
His Fellow Men.
A writer in the St James Gazette
tells us that Theophlle Gautler's absent-mindedness
amounted to actual
somnambulism. He so Identified him
self with bis mental pictures as to
lose all consciousness of time- and
place, and for the time be would actu
ally live In the scene that be had cre
ated. We are told that rarely, if ever,
has a man bad such a gift for getting
out of himself. He would enlarge on
his magnificent golden tea and break
fast service, when the most humdrum
china lined his shelves. And though
h.s servants were all treated in ths
most fatherly way,' Gautler would tell
you that be never permitted them to
utter a word In bis presence, that he
only employed negroes. "I give my
orders by signs. If they understand
my signs, well and good. If they don't,
I kick them into the Bospborus " And
there Is no doubt that he actually
heard the wave closing over the head
of a black Blave. He actually meant
what he' said. The street outside was
actually for him the Bosphorus.
The Retort Pertinent.
"Look at me!" exclaimed the leau
Ing lawyer warmly. "I never took
drop of medicine In my life, and I am
as strong as any two of your patients
put together." .
"Well, that's nothing." retorted the
physician. . "I never went to law In
my life, and I'm as rich as any two
dozen of your clients put together.1
Lost and Found.
The ferryman, whilst plying over a
water which was only slightly agi
tated, was asked by a timid lady In
his boat whether any persons were
ever lost In that river. "Oh, no," said
he, "we always finds 'em agin, the
next day." Life.
Examine what Is said, not hiss who
speaks. Abdu-Palab,
GRANT CHILD RIGHTS
LET HIM MOLD HIMSELF, IS AD
VICE GIVEN BY WRITER.
Putting It In Another Way, a Little
"Letting Alone" Is a Wise Course
for Parents to Pursue Mat
ter of Freedom.
Let your children alone.
Do not neglect them. There la a dif
ference between a wise letting alone
and a foolish neglect .
There have been probably as many
children spoiled by over-management
as by negligence.
Don't forget that the prime right
or
ohlbl I. Ik. .)!.. 1.1.
fact h . chW ta
. . ' . ' "..'. '"':' rr"
--- mo io iu uBveiup prayer uia
expression of that personality. How
can he do this If he Is continually
hedged and thwarted by you?
A child learns by three means by
experience, by example and by atmos
phere. It is doubtful If dldactlo teaching
I n?,.P?!8ch,'?,g1 ever dld much good to
anybody, child or grown-up. Only In
spirational preaching Is of any ac
count To let the child touch the stove and
get hurt a little Is far better than to
Bay "You mustn't touch It!"
Be chary of your commands. Every
useless order is a burden that Inter
feres with his growth and tends to
alienate him from you.
Let him run as free as you dare.
One lesson he learns from his own
, experience Is worth a dozen he get
from you.
How many little lives, are rendered
utterly wretched by the loving but lr.
fltatlng tyranny of parents. The lit-
tie ones are crossed at every turn.
i The mother is continually scolding.
the father breaking in at times with
sharp prohibitions.
The queer part of all this Is that
those parents think they are doing
their high duty by the child. They
propose to give their children some
"bringing up" and not let them "run
wild." So tbey cramp, thwart, oppose
the growing mind.
Children are Bharp. They soon ad
Just themselves to this, and get their
i Barents' measure. Then they turn to
become one or two things "good,"
1 that is, Ehrewd little hypocrites, prigs
an(j time-servers; or "bad," that is,
angrily insistent upon having a life
wicked.
Quit trying to mold your child.
Stand by and help him. Let him mold
himself. Be his friend. Let him feel
you understand him.
A lot of our "moral principle" is
mele Beif-concelt and vanity of opln-
Ism an ma tThlnlr wa a ra rinlncr find's
services when we impose our egotism
on others, particularly upon helpless
youth.
Study the child, live with him, enter
into his life and point of view, encour
age blm in what he wants to do; sym
pathize with him. Exchange.
Modern Toys.
Modern toys for children -are mar
vels of Ingenuity. The latest is a
model yacht, about three feet long,
which runs by electricity. It has a
motor and storage battery with a
speed of 188 feet per minute: The mo
tor is reversible, and It is steered
from the wheel on the bridge.' There
are search lights and running lights,
which are operated by a switch. ' Nat
urally there are no sallB, and only one
deck. , ,
When a Publlo Official Goes Wrong.
"When a public servant gets caught
doing something he ought not to, he
always seems to derive a lot of sat
isfaction from pretending that his
motives are misunderstood," says an
Ohio paper. That isn't what he says.
He says: "I have no deBlre to try my
case. In the newspapers."
900-Year-Old Church.
The nine hundredth annlversnry of
the opening for service of the Church
of Greensted, Essex, built of oak trees
split in half fifty-four years before the
Norman conquest, occurred recently.
A special celebration is proposed.
London Mall.
Pay Big Price for Water,
Water Is sold by the ton at Per
nambuco, Brazil. It Is piped from
springs eight miles out from the city,
and Is furnished to ships at eighty-one
oents a ton within the harbor.
His Line of Work.
"Sam, have you got a Job now?"
"Oh, yea, Bah." "What are you doing,
Sam?" "Why, I's gettln' my wife
washln', boss."