Newspaper Page Text
THE MYSTERY
OF GRASLOV
-“■ L —'"== By Ashley Towne
Copyright, 1301, hy Chariot 11. Elheringt/m
CHAPTER XV.
NESLEROV KNOWS HIS PERIL.
ABOUT the time Governor Nesle
rov was rousing himself from
a deep slumber which had not
refreshed him after the ball,
Jansky, superintendent of police, was
groaning and muttering in his own ef
forts to wake up. lie knew be was
awake, but the effect of the
was still upon him. Itzig, howSrer,
having succumbed to a lesser quantity
than was taken by Jansky, was sooner
awake and had been relieved by the
day guard and gone to his own quar
ters. The first question Neslerov asked
was for Princess Olga, When lie learn
ed that she was still sleeping, he went
to see Jansky.
“What is the matter with you?” he
asked. “You seem to be ill.”
“1 do feel rather ill,” said Jansky. “1
don’t know when I felt like this.”
"You were drunk; that’s all. You
were drunk when 1 left you. Did you
drink any more?”
“Yes; in making the round of inspec
tion I discovered Itzig asleep and a
bottle of wine half gone. 1 drank the
rest.”
“Itzig asleep! At his post! And this
danger near us?”
“Pooh! Tin* girl suspects nothing. A
girl of her age. even though she be a
princess, could not dissemble so well. I
tell you Oltr.i sir-poets nothing.”
“Then why is she here?"
“Well, ale is eccentric, ns you know,
and it is quite possible that she would
like to lie i lie wife of the governor of
Tomsk ”
Neslerov laughed.
“Nhe would like to kill him. rather.”
“Even so. she does not suspect.”
“But this thing of Itzig being asleep
at his post we must examine into it.”
“The poor devil wanted his share in
the festivities. 1 suppose. We must not
deal too severely with him. lie cer
tainly did not steal the wine. Some
one must have given it to him.”
“Who? I must find that out. Bat,
since he has been asleep, you had bet
ter examine the prisoners.”
“They are there all right. llow could
they be otherwise."
“But you know what It means to me
If they escape.”
“Escape! I will stake my head they
cannot escape. Why. to pass out from
the dungeons they must open the Iron
gate and the door of the guardroom.
Bee, here is the key to the guardroom
door.”
“Still,” said Neslerov hesitatingly, “1
wish you would make an examination.”
“Oh. if your excellency wishes it, I
will do so gladly. But I promise you
they are there.”
Jansky was still stupid from the
drugged wiue, but he knew what lie
was doing. He went to the guardroom
and unlocked the door leading to the
dungeons. In the passage he obtained
a lantern and passed through the Iron
gate. He went down the stairs and
through the passages, which he knew
well, to the dungeon. He entered and
stood horror stricken at the empty
chains hanging on the wall. With
fear in his heart he crept back to the
stairs, glancing nervously around him.
for he knew the strength of the Ameri
can. Neslerov, to whom he went, look
ed in surprise at the ashen face.
“Curses upon us all!” said Jansky
hoarsely. “They are gone!”
Jansky looked sheepishly at the gov
ernor. and Neslerov looked at Jansky
like an angry wolf.
“Gone! Both prisoners gone!” cried
the governor. “Is this true?”
“Unfortunately—the thing I thought
Impossible is a fact.”
Neslerov’s face was white.
“I thought—you told me —they were
both iD chains!” he said, his voice
strained and tense.
“I did, and it was true. With my
own hands I chained them. The
American was in the dungeon at the
first landing and Paulpoff was down
in the lower cellar. With my own
hands I chained them, and I hold the
key to the door. The key to the chains
still hangs where I placed it. This is
a miracle. The men must be devils In
human form.”
“The American is something like a
devil,” said Neslerov grimly, “but I
doubt if he has supernatural powers.
If those chains have been loosened,
Jansky, some human agent has done
It, and there is a traitor in the pal
ace.”
“Whom does your excellency sus
pect?”
“My cousin Olga.”
“That girl! She would no more dare
go down in those dungeons than she
would enter a den of wild beasts. And
how could she learn that they were
■down there?”
“It Is not quite a secret. Some of
the servants saw them brought in.”
“Since the princess came the servants
have had enough to do without talking
about two prisoners of whom they
know' nothing. Anyway, how could
Olga, who has spent but little time In
Russia aDd none near Graslov or Perm,
ever hear of the Paulpoffs?”
“I know not. But certain it Is there
is a traitor here. This escape, if escape
it is, will cost us dear.”
“If escape it is! It may not be an es
cape after all! The chains are old and
rusty. Perhaps they have given way,
and the prisoners may be wandering
around the passages. I will send for
Itzig.”
"Neslerov was terribly disturbed. He
paced to and fro in the police office, aud
his face did not regain its color. He
was playing for a high stake —the high
est stake —playing for his life —and the
game seemed lost.
Jansky sent for Itzig, and he came be
fore them.
“You went to sleep last night!” thun
dered Jansky, whose theory was that
to obtain the truth from a culprit you
must terrify him at the start.
“I swear I did not, your excellency!”
replied Itzig, shivering in terror.
“You lie! 1 went in the guardroom,
and you were asleep. 1 found there a
portion of a bottle of wine. Who gave
you that?”
“1! A bottle of wine! 1 never tasted
wine in my life. Brandy and vodka,
plenty, but wine—l am too poor.”
“Oh, you did not buy this wine. Some
one at the fete gave it to you. Who
was it?”
“I know not! I swear I know not
who put the wine in my room!”
“You are lyiug. A tray was also
there, with dishes. You had your feast
and got drunk. Who brought the stuff
to you?”
“I swear no one. If there was a
feast, it was some one else’s.”
“How could any one else eat there
and you not know it?”
Itzig saw he was lost.
“I may have—perhaps I slept a mo
ment.”
“A moment! You slept hours, and
the prisoners you were guarding have
escaped.”
“Impossible!” gasped Itzig, almost
sinking through the floor.
“Enough of this!” said Neslerov.
“Itzig is here, and if he has permitted
the men to escape he can be punished
any time. We are wasting precious
moments. Let us get down to the dun
geons and find them.”
Jausky took a pistol, and so did Ne
slerov. They went to the guardroom.
Jausky took the lantern and opened
the door and iron gate. He led the
way, Neslerov and Itzig following.
“See? He has gone,” said Jansky,
pointing to the chains.
“Are you certain this is the room?”
“Certain? As I am alive.”
“Then for the other, and keep a
watch. They are not armed, but re
member Paulpoff’s strength, and the
other Is no pygmy.”
Again Jansky led the way. He did
not tell Neslerov he had not been to
visit Vladimir. In his agitation at
finding the American gone he had as
sumed, of course, that if one could es
cape both could. Reaching an obscure
corner, toward which Denton had not
chanced to go in his search, they found
another stairway leading downward.
This short flight brought them to a
horrible place —more horrible than the
one where Denton had been chained.
This was a dungeon made cold and
damp by the water that stood two
inches deep on the floor, and in which
blind reptiles that had never seen any
brighter place crawled around in the
Slimy ooze. Long strings of rotten
moss hung from the walls. Here, In
this noisome and terrible place, was
Vladimir, chained in the same manner
as Denton had been.
“1 thought you said he had gone too!”
exclaimed Neslerov, a flood of hope
and courage showdug in his voice.
"I thought so. In my excitement I
believed both had gone, but if one is
here the other must be. We will
search the dungeons.”
They did not speak to Vladimir, who
was suffering awful tortures, but turn
ed and ascended to the upper floor.
Here, winding and turning among the
passages, they crept stealthily—three
armed men searching for one man who
was unarmed, yet fearing that the one
might leap upon them and slay them as
they walked. But they did not find
the American and returned crestfallen
to the office of the superintendent of
police.
“That man did not set himself free,”
said Neslerov. “Some one who knows
my secret has done this. Olga is here.
Who else but Olga could do the thing?”
“Did the Princess Olga come to you
during the ball?” Jansky suddenly ask
ed ltzig. “Was it the princess who
gave you that wine?”
The pallor of the man's face gave
Jansky his answer.
“Heavens!” he exclaimed. “The wine
must have been drugged! It was Olga
who set hint free!”
“Then we must act with extreme cau
tion, for if she knows this much she
will ruin me. For a short time we must
act as if we did not know the Ameri
can had escaped. But you and Unsge
thop must find him—find him—before
he gets out of Tomsk. Then, with him
again in our grasp, I will deal with
Olga, Fool, to put her strength against
mine, and in Tomsk!”
“What about Vladimir?” asked Jan
sky.
“Leave him alone. Let him starve!
He can do no harm.”
Jansky went quickly to work. Uns
gethop, upon whom he depended most,
had gone to another place in the dis
charge of his duty. Jansky made sev
eral fruitless journeys during the day,
but no trace of the American could he
find.
Olga, when, late in the day, she join
ed the governor, noticed the studied
calm and the steely glitter of his eye.
She knew he had discovered the escape
of Denton, but the resolute girl did not
fear him. She merely nerved herself
to finish the work she had set herself
to do. She had frequent errands that
took her near the office of the superin
tendent of police, and she kept her ears
alert to catch the slightest whisper.
It was evening when she went for the
seventh time, and loud voices came
from the superintendent’s office. So ex-
L
Winding and turning among the pas
sages, they crept stealthily.
cited were the speakers that they did
not realize that their voices reached
into the hall.
“I tell you it is so!” said the voice of
Unsgethop, who had returned and who
seemed to be angry. “How was I to
know that a man could escape from the
dungeons? I heard It—that the Ameri
can had passed through Dorky on his
way to Tivoloffsky. I supposed Nesle
rov had changed his plans.”
“Is he going to Tivoloffsky? Old
Paulpoff is still there!” said the gov
ernor.
“But explain this thing,” said Unsge
thop. “How could a man who was
chained to the wall in that dungeon get
out?”
“By the help of a traitor, and I will
know that traitor and slay him!” said
Neslerov. “Some one drugged some
wine, and Jansky, like a fool, drank it.
Also Itzig, who guards the door. Dur
ing the time they were asleep the Amer
ican was set free. The other, Paulpoff,
is still there. Your work Is to capture
that American and bring h<ra here.”
“If he knows, he may have told some
one,” suggested Unsgethop.
“This Is no time to talk! Whether he
has told or not, he must be brought
back! If lam to be destroyed, I will
destroy ray enemies firstl Go! Bring
him back to die!”
Olga quickly disappeared up the
stairs.
CHAPTER XVI.
MAMMA PAULPOFF AVENGED.
IT was midnight in Tomsk, and the
palace of the governor was still.
Jansky and Unsgethop had ridden
aw r ay to overtake Denton at Tivo
loffsky, ltzig w r as at his post in the
guardhouse and the new lieutenant of
the palace guard paced his measures
through the deserted corridors.
But Neslerov was not asleep. Fever
ish and impatient, he sat in his room,
awaiting the return of his police with
the American, wTiose liberty was a
menace to the life of Neslerov. He
drank deeply from time to time from a
bottle that stood on his table. If he
spoke, he did it with a loud voice, but
no one was near. His thoughts were
spoken thus, as with a man half mad
with fear.
“Heavens!” he said as he drank
again. “If he reaches Perm, and the
truth is known, I shall —what will be
come of me?”
He started as a light footstep sound
ed on the hard floor, and his haggard
face grew T paler as Princess Olga en
tered.
“Why are you awake?” he asked
harshly. He was too excited to think
of phrases.
“I could not sleep, and I knew you
were not In bed,” she answered. “I
came to talk.”
He stared at her. In his eyes she
was as beautiful even as Frances Gor
don, but his danger made him think
her a tigress seeking to devour him.
Yet he dared not show it.
“Why are you alone?’ asked Olga.
“You usually have Jansky, the super
intendent of police, with you?”
“Jansky is away. A noted prisoner
has escaped and the superintendent
has gone to retake him.”
“I heard a commotion. I supposed it
was something of that kind. Was it
a Russian?”
“Yes—a nihilist.”
“I hope they will capture him.”
“They will! They must!” said Ne-
Blerov fiercely.
Olga’s eyes were veiled—they did
not betray her thoughts.
“There is much concerning this sys
tem that is new to me, and it will take
long for me to learn it all. I am al
ready weary with the little I have
done.”
“Better leave it alone. It is a busi
ness for men, not princesses,” said Ne
sterov.
“The study has made me wakeful.
Bring me some wine.”
He opened a bottle.
“It has puzzled me why you do not
marry,” he said, trying to hide his
fear of her as he poured out a glass of
wine.
“Why should I?” she asked. “I have
not yet found among the nobles of
Russia the man I would marry.”
“What sort of man must he be to
please you. cousin?”
He was sparring for time. Any hour
might bring Jansky back with Denton.
Then he could play his part in safety.
But with Denton at liberty he dared
not act.
“Oh,” said Olga, “to please me a man
.must be honorable, strong and wise.
He must not be bound by custom, nor
yet must he scorn It There are ways—
in the world we live in there are wavs
—of being great without being eccentric
and without following the lead of oth
ers. A man whom I love must be pa
tient and must not use his strength
against the weak.”
A sarcastic smile crossed his lips.
“You must look outside of Russia."
he said.
“Perhaps.” she answered. “But you
have not pledged me. Must 1 drink
alone?”
His eyes snapped with the remem
brance that Jansky and Itzig had been
drugged. But sbe was so handsome, so
smiling, that no sign of evil Intent was
In her face.
"From your hand,” he answered, with
a show of gallantry.
She poured him a glass of wine, and
they drank. For a moment he waited,
as if half expecting to fall asleep. But
the wine had no ill effect, and they
chatted on. But Neslerov grew more
impatient as the night wore on. Why
did this girl persist in staying up and
talking to him? What was In her
mind? Was there another plot? He
paced to and fro in the room as, lie
spoke. When his back was turned, sbe
made a quick movement and dropped
something—not into the wine bottle,
but into the bottle of liquor from which
Neslerov drank.
“I think I will retire,” said the prin
cess. “It is late, and perhaps I can
sleep now.”
“I hope you will find rest,” he said.
She went out. Neslerov watched her
with a dark, saturnine face. What did
she mean? He poured out a liberal
dose of liquor. The wine was too weak
for him. He needed something to
steady his shaken nerves. He drank
it. In five minutes he was staring
blankly at himself in a glass.
“What is this—this feeling?” he
muttered. “That she devil! I am poi
soned! What trick Is this? Help!
Guard! Lieutenant of the guard!”
The young officer heard, and ran to
him.
“Your excellency called,” he said.
“Yes—quick—l am poisoned—l am
drowsy—bring Princess Olga—quick!”
The lieutenant, wild with apprehen
sion, rushed to Olga’s room.
“His excellency the governor wants
you!” he panted. “He is poisoned.”
“He is not poisoned,” answered Olga
calmly. “He is merely going to sleep.
I want you to stay away from him,
and I want you to keep quiet.”
The officer stared.
“What do you mean? He Is ill! The
governor called me and sent for you.”
“I am going to him, but you must
not.”
“But I must. It is my duty!”
“Whom do you obey?”
“Neslerov, governor of Tomsk.”
“Then from this moment you obey
me. Read this!”
She placed before him the same pa
per she had shown Dermsky, his fellow
officer. His eyes started from his head.
“The seal of the czar!” he cried, and
he, like Dermsky, fell to his knees. “I
obey—command me!” he exclaimed.
“Remain quiet. I did not come to
Tomsk for nothing. This night will
mean much to Russia. Work will be
done that will right a terrible wrong.
All you need do is to remain quiet and
do not attempt to Interfere.”
“I dare not!" he said. “You have the
seal of the czar! It commands all to
obey you! I obey!”
She left him, staring and wondering,
and went to Neslerov. The governor
was drooping. He opened his eyes as
she entered.
“You!” he hissed as he tried to regain
his strength. He would have killed
tier.
“Yes, I!” she answered quietly. “You
will sleep. It will not be long.”
“What will you do?” he asked, with
a curse.
“My work,” she answered. “I shall
release him —Vladimir.”
He made a tremendous effort to rise
and smite her, but fell with a groan to
the floor. Quickly Olga, taking a pistol
from her pocket, ran across the hall to
ltzig.
“You!” he cried as she entered. “You
brought me wine that w r as drugged,
and my prisoner escaped.”
“True,” said Olga. “And now the
other. You were with Jansky and the
governor when they visited him. You
know where lie is.”
“I know not,” grumbled ltzig.
“That is false. I heard them speak
of you to Unsgethop. Will you guide
me to his dungeon? Open the door!”
“I cannot. The key is with Jansky.
It is never out of his hands.”
“Oh, heaven!” cried Olga, “nave I
made this terrible mistake?”
“The key is Jansky's,” said ltzig.
“No one goes to the dungeon save by
his orders.”
“Break down the door.”
“Impossible! It is heavy oak. I
have no ax.”
She turned from him and fled to the
stairs.
“Lieutenant!”
The young officer, with visions of
mines and the knout and wondering
where this complication would end,
answered her.
“Come here,” she said. “I want this
door opened.”
He looked at the door and at ltzig.
“Jansky has the key, and he is gone,”
said ltzig.
“We must open it, if the princess
says so,” said the officer.
“What! You disloyal to Nesterov?”
The officer smiled and looked at Olga.
“We must take off the hinges,” he
said. “I will get the tools.”
He was gone but a moment, and
when he returned he attacked the
screws that held the great iron hinges.
“I will alarm the governor!” cried It
zig, leaping upon him.
“Stand back! Keep your hands off!”
ordered Olga, aiming her revolver at
him. "I have commanded, aDd I will
be obeyed T*
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