THE SUNDAY FICTIQN MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 20, 1916.
G1M
SPY
r- 1 I
i
HA evening I left Vi
enna. The beautiful
city was glowing in
the crimson and gold
rays of a superb sun
set. Sparks as of fire
were reflected 5 from
the many windows of
the lordly mansions that, white and glis
tening ana emoosomea anuast stately
trees, formed a garland of modern and
luxurious beauty round the quaint and
hoary buildings of the old town.
' The river, here glittering in silver
lines, there reflecting the pale tender blue
of the evening sky, and then again at
moments becoming burning red,, as it
threw back the gleriea of the sunset upon
.Its gently moving waves, made a picture,
of rare and glorious beauty. Leaning
from the window I gazed in delighted ad
miration, alike on city and river, until
mo sjjvcu oi uw lit in ana me garnering
twilight hid the lovely vision from my
- sight. ,
After settling again in my corner I
looked round at my companions. I had
three, a young and an old lady, and a
. third, the maid, I concluded, bf the other
.ladies.
. In contrast with the bright sunshine at
- which I had been looking, the interior of
the carriage seemed dark and gloomy. It
was a sudden change from day to night.
The one lamp, in the roof burned badly,
and was of little use. The young lady,
however, had taken a book from her trav
eling bag and was straining her eyes by.
attempting to read.
I lighted my own little lamp and -arranged
it in such a fashion that she and I
By Andree Hope
Illustrated ly Dorothy Dulin.
P
HILIP FORSYTH, trusted employe of a large English business
JL house, Is given a secret mission into Russia, success in which, will
bring him a partnership in the firm. But on arriving home his over
worked constitution gives way and he is pot under the doctor's care.
His sister Anne, who lives -with him, goes to the head of the firm' and "
offers to take his place, and to prove her courage plunges a knife into
her hand.;. She is finally allowed to go, and is especially warned against
a man with a peculiar droop to the eyelids.
She goes to Paris, and then to Berlin. From there her course takes
her to Vienna, where she is perplexed by the apparent tampering with
her traveling bag, although it has never been away from her. However,"
nothing is missing, and she continues on her way into Russia. .
you can see him when you wish. I sup- basket that might' have held a small dog.
pose that happiness is not denied you?
"Certainly, I replied; "he is at home.
We live together in the earns house."
"And the doctors are kind to him?
she continued, looking7 into my face with
a curious, anxious gaze. They they do
not make him suffer?"
. "Make him suffer!" I returned in sur
prise; "no, of course not. Our doctor is
our best help and comfort," and the
thought of Dr. Elliott's kind and friendly -
care came back to me in a flood of grate
ful thought.
"Ah!" she murmured, sinking back in
her seat, with a sigh that seemed wrung
from her very heart, "you are a happy
people; you live in a happy land; you
My three companions were quite mo
tionless. The gentle breathing, the closed
eyelids of the girl showed how quietly she
was sleeping. From her slightly parted
Many of the travelers, I observed, were
very charitable, especially my young com
panion, who not only gave bread and
meat but viispered a word or two here
and there. Among these was a woman
near the door, thin and miserably clad,
but somewhat cleaner than the rest. She
held a sickly, half -starved infant In her
arms, and looked at me as Iwas about to
swallow come smoking soup with men
hungry. Imploring eyes that I could not
resist the Impulse. So, taking a plateful
of meat and bread from the table, I car
ried it to her, and Also placed a piece of
money in her hand. "For your sick
child," I said. " . -
I shall never forget the intense grati
tude of the look she gave me. In a bro
ken voice she murmured blessings on my
head; then, as I turned away, she seemed
to summon courage, looked nervously
around, and' In the same low voice, so
faint Indeed that I scarce caught the whis
pered words, muttered, "Beware the
soup!" .
Forewarned, forearmed as I had been,
it was impossible to. restrain a little start
at these ominous words. I had not ex-
Hps came a soft murmur as I turned my pected the threatened danger to have been
lamp cautiously toward her. The elder so near, to have come so soon.
women were closely enveloped in cloaks - .
and rugs, and each gave a sort of irri- I asked no questions'; such a warning
tated gruntgas the light for an instant , was enough. " The soup, & moment before
Hashed upon them. so hot and tempting, was no longer so to
It was nothing. Clearly fancy on my me. I left it on the table,7 and going to
part, -and I resumed my book. the buffet got some coffee and a roll.
. Toward morning, at that coldest and Coming direct from .the great' urn, and
dreariest hour of the twenty-four, fatigue poured into a cup I held myself, It could
was beginning to overpower me. not be tampered with. . n ; '
I ain sure I was not really asleep, but No one appeared to take any especial
I was drowsy, not quite myself, when I notice of my proceedings. My traveling
could profit by it without inconveniencing need have no unnatural fears for those was again roused by a sensation as If my companions were seated at sv table at
the other travelers, who were arranging
their effects and numerous possessions
with the care and attention that were
manifest preparations for a comfortable
sleep. .
... The elder lady was, I supposed, an in
valid. At any rate she had all the qneruV
- lousness- and fidgetiness of one. Many
- were the changes' she caused to be made
in the position of boxes, bags, shawls and
cushions; in fact, everything In the car-
you love, for though God may afflict you
man cannot torture you." .
-f
After this she was silent for a time.
Some secret trouble was evidently heavy
on her young heart, and I respected her
silence, and did not interrupt It.
Later she again roused herself and lis
tened with evident interest. to a few little
details I gave her about my brother, tears
coming to her eyes when I expatiated on
' riage had been moved and removed before his goodness and kindness to me, our af-
ehe could be settled to her mind.
She apologized courteously for the
trouble she caused, and especially for ac
cepting the place I felt compelled to offer
her; but I was really thankful when the
. tiresome fuss was over, and the young
lady and I could open our books in peace.
. After a time, however, either the pages
were uninteresting or the Jolting move-
- ment of the train made reading fatiguing,
for the books were laid aside, and we fell
Into conversation. '
.- The girl was quite young, probably un
der 20, and without possessing any strict
claims to -beauty, her face was singularly
attractive; at any rate it was so to me.
The expression was so gentle and tender.
When speaking, the sensitive lips parted
with a sweet and half-melancholy smile;
the eyes also when she raised- them has-
valise were slipping from beneath my
feet. Even the fancy it was so, if fancy
it was, made me fully, awake in an In
stant. "
No, the valise was as I had placed it,
but on raising my head and turning some
what quickly toward my companions I
caught, or again fancied I caught, the
glance of singularly bright eyes gazing
fixedly at me from amidst the bundle of
wraps "Tn the farthest corner of the car
riage, whether the place of mistress or
lection for each other, his Alness, and my maid I could not for the moment remem-
consequent anxiety.
The night wore on, however, and at
length fatigue overcame her and she fell
asleep. ... .- ' .
I altered the position of my lamp, so
that its light should not disturb her slum
bers. For myself, I had resolved that un
der no circumstances would I sleep in a
- train or elsewhere when I had com
panions. I had taken some "keeping
awake" medicine, and though tired I was
by no means drowsy.
While arranging the lamp I had, I sup
pose, pushed aside my bag and valise, for
on resuming my seat I found they had
slipped beneath it.
I replaced them In their original posi
tion and read continuously for some time.
The train still speeded on. We had
stopped occasionally . at stations, ' but
tily, had that mutely appealing look that neither my companions nor I had alighted.
may often be noticed in suffering dumb
animals. ' . " ... 'r
- Rat It her face had no actual nrAtan.
trkn tlfit-V flAr little .fenff Kana
were models of grace. - Never have I seen '
more artistic perfection of form and col-,
or, and when speaking eagerly she had a'
trick of clasping them with a sort of ear-'
neat strength that was both peculiar and
charming. I know not whether it were ;
r It must have been shortly after mid
night that I became conscious of a curi
ous sensation close to my feet, as if there
were something moving under the seat. I
fancied, indeed, that- - an fri'mal had
touched my foot. -
.:' Perhaps a small dog had been hidden
ber. Z hardly saw it, however, when the
conductor appeared at the door, and it
might: have been the gleam of his ap
proaching lantern, reflected from' the
looking; glass in the carriage, that had
suggested to my overaruspi clous mind the
malevolent eye that so unpleasantly
glared at me. 2 was confirmed in this
opinion when the maid, contained in the
said bundle, aroused by the conductor's
advent, shook herself free from her many
wraps' and showed in the full light of his
lantern her fat, good-natured face, of
which the round, Inexpressive gray , eyes
were evidently incapable of any such
glance as I had supposed.
,
At last we arrived at the station where
the. passengers descended to breakfast.
and enjoyed the comfort of a very limited moaning of the wind as It sighs Its way
toilette. ' " across the long rough grasses and weeds
The buffet was well supplied -with with which the marshlike land is.eovered.'
steaming soup, tea and coffee, hot bread, The strange, long continued, unvarying
dried fish,. caviar, slices of ham, tongue, sameness, the sorrowful blankness result-
some distance from mine, and when I
looked again a the gentle sweetness of
the girl's face, noticed the perfect calm
of the mother and the good-tempered, in
deed stupid, simplicity so evident in the
countenance of the maid, it was imposal-""
ble to associate any. of them either with
the fancied touches during the night or
with the present attempt upon my soup.
' "' When we resumed our place ; in the
train the maid again went to sleep, but
the ladies began to talk, and with the
courteous ease of foreigners, at once in-'
eluded me in the conversation.
The elder lady also offered me fruit
and cakes, but true to my purpose of de
clining ail food save that which I had
myself provided, and remembering . also
the warning, I had had, I declined her
courteous pressing. I remarked also with
some surprise that the younger lady of
fered me nothing, and indeed seemed
pleased at my refusals. -r . :
On, on we went, ever over the same
dull, dreary plains. No change in the vast
gray-green landscape, no change in ' the
vast expanse of gray-blue sky save where
the clouds,' ' heavy with their weight - of
rain, rise slowly- and darkly on the distant
horizon. . ...
No sound breaks theweary quiet save
the heavy thud of the engine and the
ing from the utter absence of human and
almost animal life, produce at last a sin
gular and painful depression.
This Immense solitude first destroys
besides many excellent dishes of meat,
very appetizing preparations for hungry
travelers.
Within the station, therefore, were
there in a basket, and had escaped from warmth, comfort, and many modern lux- pleasure, then it destroys even hope.
tts confinement. !,": I. ; ; 1 uries, but beyond its threshold - the ; Ever, ever the same,' hour after -hour.
My fellow travelers" were - sleeping '.squalor, misery and dirt of the village and Evening, however, brought relief. We
really so; I can only repeat that it fasci- soundly. I did . not like to disturb them, its inhabitants were indescribable in their arrived at the town of B , my halting
nated me. Above all she possessed that though in truth the touch had been r cf r. '- - : place for some, hours, perhaps for the
Indescribable air of distinction that comes '- liarly disagreeable to m. t It seemed almost, wicked to be eating night. - .
alone from good manners andgood edu- I. said to myself, "It must be a- dog;, it and drinking at ease while such starved, . I should rejoice to remain' the night if
cation. ' deddedly, must be dog." but though I gr
;At first she was shy and timid, but an said this to myself 1 was quite aware apart, glaring at us with' wolflike, hungry clean and comfortable, and I am soma.
that my first distinct impression had been eyes, and cased in av dirt that scarcely an what in need of rest. Descending at the
that the touch was that of a band, r" ,. animal would endure upon its body. station, I bid the ladies farewell and leave
r . I tood . up. I slightly shifted '. the bag P Probably many of these wretched even- them to depart for the country house to
and valise on which ray teet rested. , J. teres were; Tsabttuat beggars, who das- which they bound,
stooped and felt under the seat of the car- tered near the station when a train ar- There are many dirty towns in ythe
riage. .There was nothing, not even a rived in hopes of occasional windfalls. eastern portion of Europe, but for su-
accidental remark from me that X
anxious about a dear brother who was JH
seemed to thaw all her reserve, , and she
eagerly asked me a few questions respect
ing his illness.
; At last she said with a deep sigh: "But