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About The gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925 | View Entire Issue (May 13, 1915)
15 HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION SERIAL. The Secret of the Night By Gaston Leroux THRILLING MYSTERY STORY OP HISSIAV INTRIGl'E BY NOTED FRENCH AUTHOR. HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAP TEKS. Young Joseph RoulMabllle, osten sibly a reporter for a Parisian news paper but In fact a detective of re nown, la railed to Russia by the Csar to save the life of General Trebasaol (Feodor Keodorovltch), who haa been condemned to death by the Nlillllsts, He Is received by the Oenernl'g ever ' faithful and ever-watchful wife, Madame Trebassof (Matrena Petro vinar. He meeut Natacha, the Gen eral's daughter by a previous marriage. FIOM Ills present position Houlet ablllo could see all the corners of the drawing-room, the veranda, the garden and the entrance lodge at the gate. In the veranda the man In the maroon frock-coat trimmed with false astrak han seemed still to be asleep on the sofa; In one sf the corners of the drawing - room another Individual, silent and motionless as a statue, dressed exactly the same, In a maroon frock-coat with false astrakhan, stood with his hands behind his back seem ingly struck with general paralysis at the sight of a flaring sunset which illumined as with a torch the golden spires of Saints Peter and Paul, And in the garden and before the lodge three others dressed In maroon roved like souls in pain over the lawn or back and forth at the entrance. Rou letabille motioned to Madame Matrena, stepped back into the sitting-room and closed the door, "Police?" he asked. Matrena Petrovna nodded her head and put her finger to her mouth in a naive way, as "One would caution a child to silence. Rouletabille smiled. "How many are there?" "Ten, relieved every six hours." "That makes forty unknown men around your house each day." "Not unknown," she replied. "Police." "Yet, In spite f them, you have had the affair of the bouquet in the gen eral's chamber." "No, there were only three then. It Ib since the affair of the bouquet that there have been ten." "It hardly matters. It Is since these ten that you have had . . ." "What?" he demanded anxiously. "You know well the flooring." "8h-h-h." , . . She glanced at the door, watching the policeman statuesque before the setting sun. "No one knows that not even my husband." ' .. it "So M. Kouprlane told me. Then It is you who have arranged for these ten police-agents?" "Certainly." . "Well we will commence now by sending' all these police awav.'' Matrena Petrovna grasped his hand, "Sly you don't think of doing such -yes? We mVt know where the blow Is coming from. Vou have four dif fereT groups of people around here the police the domestics, your friends, your amlly. Get rid of the police first They must not be permitted to cross your threshold. They have not S able to protect you You have mithina- to regret. And if, after- tney Sre gone something new 'turns up we can leave M. Koupriane to conduct he fnjuirie. without his being preoccupied "BuVyoTnoVknow the admirable nollce of Kouprlane. These brave men have KWen proof of their devotion." s?nf P "bSi they will not wish to go. "Bo any of them speak French?" "?es. their sergeant, who is out there In the salon." n MadYm?TrrtM.of walked into the Mauame , T, man appeared. KetaWlKSSd him a paper, which otunwlirrB'a,ther your men together you win or(jered Rouleta- tm.,U ToJ wi return to the police bille. You w ui Kouprlane SThav commanded this and that and said to the young man: "At your service. "w.TrVefe moment, urged tVwL9d.aBhurnedA She appeared SWaSTST? failed in their service. I have ap tfl-wh... truth the villa so as to watch as closely as possible." She reddened. "It Is true. But they have gone, nevertheless. They had to obey you. What can that paper be you have shown them?" Rouletabille drew out again the billet covered with seals and signs and caballstics that he did not understand. Madame Trebassof translated It aloud: "Order to all officials in surveillance of the Villa Trebassof to obey the bearer absolutely.. Signed: Kouprlane." "Is It possible!" murmured Matrena Petrovna. "But Kouprlane would never have given you this paper if he had imagined that you would use it to dismiss his agents." "Evidently. I have not asked him his advice, madame, you may be sure. But I will see him tomorrow and he will understand." "Meanwhile, who Is going to watch over him?" cried she. Rouletabille took her hands again. He saw her suffering, a prey to anguish, almost prostrating. He pitied her. He wished to give her immediate confi dence. "We will," he said. She saw his young, clear eyes, sa deep, so intelligent, the well-formed young head, the willing face, all his young ardency for her, and it reas sured her. Rouletabille waited for what she might say. She said noth Ing. She took him in. her arms and embraced him. II. Nataihsu In the dining-room it was Thaddeus Tchnlchnikoff's turn to tell hunting stories. He wag the greatest timber merchant in Lithuania. He owned im mense forests and he loved Feodor Feo dorovltch as a brother, for they had played together all through their child hood, and once he had saved him from a bear that was just about to crush his skull as one might knock off a hat. tleneral Trebassof's father was Gov ernor of Courlande at that time by the grace of God and the Little Father. Thaddeus, who was just thirteen years old, killed the bear with a single stroke of his boar-spear, and Just in time. Close ties were knit between the two families by this occurrence, and though Thaddeus wan neither noble-born nor a soldier, Feodor considered him hli brother and felt toward him as such. Now Thaddeus had become the greatest timber merchant of the western prov inces, with his own forests and also with his massive body, his fat, oily face, his bull-neck -and his ample paunch. He quitted everything at once all his affairs, his family as soon as he learned of the first attack, to come and remain by the side of his dear comrade, Feodor.- He had, done this after each attack, without forget ting one. He was a faithful friend. But he fretted because they might not go bear-hunting as in their youth. Where, he would ask, are there any bears remaining In Courlande, or trees for that matter, what you could call trees, growing since the days of the grand-dukes of Lltuanla, giant trees that threw their shade right .up to the very edge of the towns? Where were such things nowadays? Thaddeus was very amusing, for it was he, cer tainly, who had cut them away tran quilly enough and watched them van ish In locomotive smoke. It was what was called Progress. Ah, hunting lost its national character assuredly with tiny new-growth trees which had not had time to grow. And, besides, one nowadays had not time for hunting. All the big game was so far away. Lucky enough If one seized the time to bring down a brace of woodcock early In the morning. At this point in Thad deus' conversation there was a bsbble In this story, according to Russian habit Genera) Trebassof Is called alternately by that name or the family name Feodor Feodorovltch, and Madame Trebassof by that rnme or her fnmlly name, Matrena J'e'rnvrn. Translator's Vote, of talk among the convivial gentlemen, for they had all the time in the world at their disposal and could not see why he should be so concerned about snatching a little while at morning or evening, or at midday for that matter. Champagne was flowing like a river when Rouletabille was brought in by Matrena Petrovna. The general, whose eyes had been on the door for some time, cried at once, as though re sponding to a cue: "Ah, my dear Rouletabille!. I have been looking for you. Our friends Wrote me you were coming to St. Petersburg." Rouletabille hurried over to him and they shook hands like friends who meet after a long separation. The reporter wag presented to the company as a close young friend from Paris whom they had enjoyed so much during their last visit to the City of Light. Every body inquired for the latest word of Paris as of a dear acquaintance. " "How ig -everybody at Maxim's?" urged the excellent Athanase George vltch. Thaddeus, too, had been once in Parla and he returned with an enthusiastic liking for the French demoiselles. "Vos gogottes, monsieur," he said, appealing very amiable and leaning on each word, with a gutteral emphasis such as is common in the western prov ince, "ah, vos gogottes!" Matrena Petrovna tried to silence him, but Thaddeus insisted on his right to appreciate the fair sex away from home. He had i turgid, sentimental wife, always weeping and cramming her religious notions down his throat. Of course someone asked Rouletabille what he thought of Russia, but he had no more than opened his mouth to reply than Athanase Georgevltch. closed it by Interrupting: "Permettez! Permettezl You others, of the young generation, what do you know of It? You need to have lived a long time and In all its districts to appreciate Russia at Its true value. Russia, my young sir, is as yet a closed book to you." "Naturally," Rouletabille answered, smiling. "Well, well, here's your health! What I would point out to you first of all is that it Is a good buyer of champagne, eh?" and he gave a huge grin. "But the hardest drinker I ever knew was born on the banks of the Seine. Did you know him, Feodor Feodorovltch? Poor Charles Dufour, who died two years ago at a fete of the officers! of the Guard. He wagered at the end of the banquet that he could drink a glassful of champagne to the health of each man there. There were Bixty when you came to count them. He commenced the round of the table and the affair went splendidly up to the fifty-eighth man. But at the fifty ninth think of the misfortune! the champagne ran out! That poor, that charming, that, excellent Charleg took up a glass of vln dore which was In the glass of this fifty-ninth, wished him long life, drained the glass at one draught, had Just time to murmur, 'Tokay, 1807,' and fell back dead! Ah, he knew the brands, my word! and he proved It to his last breath! Peace to his ashes! They asked what he died of. I knew he died because of the Inappro priate blend of flavors. There should be discipline In all things and not pro miscuous mixing. One more glass of champagne and lie would have been drinking with us this evening. Your health, Matrena Petrovna. Champagne, Feodor Feodorovltch! Vive la France, monsieur! Natacha, my child, you must sing something. Boris will accompany you on the guzla. Your father will enjoy it." All eyes were turned toward Natacha as she rose. Rouletabille was struck by her serene beauty. That was the first enthralling impression, an Impression so strong it astonisrfed him, the perfect serenity, the supreme calm, the tranquil har monv of her noble features. Natacha wee twenty. Heavy brown hair circled about her forehead and was looped about her ears, which were half con cealed. Her profile was clear-cut; her mouth wag strong and revealed be tween red, firm lips the even pearlinesg of her teeth. She was of medium height. In walking she had the free, li(fht step of the high-born maidens who, In primal times, pressed the flow, ers as they passed without crushing them. But all her true grace seemed to be accentuates In her eyes, which were deep and of a dark blue. The impres sion she made upon a beholder was very complex. And it would have been difficult to say whether the calm which pervaded every manifestation of her beauty wag the result of conscious con trol or the most perfect ease. She took down the guzla and handed it to Boris, who struck some plaintive preliminary chords. "What shall I sing?" she inquired, raising her father's hand from the back of the aofa, where he rested, and kiss ing it with filial tenderness. "Improvise," said the general. "Im provise in French, for the sake of our gueBt" "Oh, yes," cried Boris; "Improvise as you did the other evening." He immediately struck a minor chord. Natacha looked fondly at her father as she sang: When the moment comes that parts us at the close of day, when the Angel of Sleep covers you with azure wings; Oh, may your eyes rest from so many teara, and your oppressed heart have calm: In each moment that we have together. Father dear, let our souls feel harmony sweet and mystical; And when your thoughts may have flown to other worlds, oh, may- my Image, at least, nestle within your sleeping eyes, Natacha's voice was sweet, arid the charm of It subtly pervasive. The words as she uttered them seemed to have all the quality of a prayer and there were teara In all eyes, excepting those of Michael Korsakoff, the second orderly, whom Rouletabille appraised as a man with a rough heart ljot much open to Bentlment. "Feodor Feodorovltch." eald thii offi cer, when the young girl's voice had faded away into the blending with the last note of the guzla. "Feodor Feodor ovltch is a man "and a glorious soldier who is able to sleep In peace, because he hag labored for his country and for his Czar." "Yes, yes. Labored well! A glorious soldier!" repeated Athanase George vltch and Ivan Petrovitch, "Well may he sleep peacefully." "Natacha sang like an angel," said Boris, the first orderly, in a tremulous voice. "Like an angel, Boris Nlkolalevltch. But why did she speak of his heart oppressed? I don't see that General Trebassof has a heart oppressed, for my . part" Michael Korsakoff spoke roughly as he drained his glass. "No, that's bo, Isn't It?" agreed the others. "A young girl may wish her father a pleasant Bleep, surely!" said Matrena Petrovna, with a certain good sense. "Natacha has affected us all, has she not, Feodor?" "Yes, she made me weep," declared the general. "But let us have cham pagne to cheer us up. Our young friend here will think we are chicken hearted." "Never think that," said Rouleta bille. "Mademoiselle has touched me deeply as well. She Is an artist, really a great artist. And a poet." "He is from Paris; he knows," said the others. " And all drank. Then they talked about music, with great display of knowledge concerning things operatic. 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