Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 58, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 March 1904 — The Secret Dispatch [ARTICLE]

The Secret Dispatch

By JAMES GRANT

CHAPTER Vl.—(Continned.) “Certainly the last place where* for fcer own sake, I would place a dispatch •f "tlie widow of Peter Ill.,” responded the other haughtily; but Balgonie felt his heart beat quicker as she spoke. Her rolce was sweet and low and had a wonderful chord in it. Balgonie did not see much of his host, who was generally occupied among his people, to whom he was alternately a source of reverence and of terror. It is not surprising that Charlie BalCOnie preferred the society of two beautiful young girls to that of a testy old man. To enhance their natural attractions and winning manners, they were always dressed in the most fashionable French mode, and wore the rich stuffs which came from Moscow and even from China. Though both cousins were remarkable lor their beauty—one blonde, the other dark—he had never for a moment wavered between them; for he had been, from the first moment he beheld her, irresistibly attracted by the brilliant and blackeyed Natalie. Besides, he knew well that Mariolizza was betrothed to his friend and brother officer, Basil Mierowlta.

It was scarcely possible that the result of his visit could be otherwise than It had proved; for Natalie was no commonplace beauty, but one who had subdued the hearts of many more men than Charlie Balgonie—men who. now at Moscow and St. Petersburg, were counting the days of her exile from the Court es Catharine. He blessed the exile and choice of circumstances, nil Sb sudden and unfore«een, which had cast him iu tier path. He .loved her with all the passionate adoration so beautiful and winning a woman could inspire in a young and ardent heart; nor was it long before Natalie became aware of this, and was affected by the same emotion. The declaration of his love, and Natalie’s acceptance of it, came about just as ethers have done; and for three days after Balgonie forgot all about the troublesome empress, her pressing dispa/-h end the terrors of Lieutenant General Weymarn. At last he began to wake from his dream, to find the stern necessity of departing; and, indeed,, the snub-nosed Podatchkiue, who was always hovering about, seemed as a perpetual reminder es the duty lie was neglecting. The lovers were solemnly betrothed in secret—• Mariolizza was their only oonfidnnt—and present they could but arrange to wait entil they could mutually confide iu Basil Mierowitz,' whom Natalie, ere long, expected to see. To write to each other, save by special messenger, was deemed at present unwise; but Balgonie would visit her as he returned again to Novgorod. So the last evening they were to spend together came; and they were seated, wreathed in each other’s arms, with Natali’s cheek resting on Balgonie's shoulder, in an embowered rustic seat, not far from the very place where he had so boldly crossed the swollen river on that eventful night.

Charlie's heart was full of sadness and bewilderment: lie could but mutter and whisper of his love and their hopes, and again and again kiss Natalie on the cheeks and on the lips, while her tears flowed fast: for she had all the eooiug tenderness of a ring-dove now, and could only murmur from time to time: “Oh; Carl, Carl —my own Carl!’’ and. Ike other young ladies similarly circumstanced on the eve of separation, believed herself to.be the most miserable being in the world. But, amid all this, she suddenly started and grew pale, on seeing a figure approach. “See, Carl, see!" she exclaimed; “that horrible woman must be ominous of evil at aucli a time. Why lias she been permitted to approach?” Balgonie saw. at a little distance, only a Russian gypsy girl, possessed evidently •f considerable personal attractions. She stood timidly, and irresolute whether to advance or retire; and bowed her head with great humility, while crossing her fine but dusky hands and arms uponrfShr breast. \ N “Oh!” resumed Natalie, with something of a shudder, “.’tis Olga l’aulowua; don’t let her speak to us in our parting lour, Carl, lest we be compelled to hear her Bing, and that may perhaps bode avil. The steward, I understand, lias thrice by dog and whip driven away this gypsy girl, who lias come to the house again and agpin, ostensibly to seek alms, ! bat doubtless only to steal, or work mischief by her running; for though our Russia u gypsies are not allowed to pitch their tents on any land without the express consent of the owner, this girl's brother, Nicholas Pnulovitch, a halfblood, has permanently settled ou our aatate, somewhere in the forests; though he in despised and loathed by the peasantry, whom, doubtless, he loathes and hatea most cordially in turn. 1 do wish rite would go away without being ordered »o do so." Little did Natalie know that those 111- ' requited visits of the poor gypsy girl had direct reference to the life dud safety of him whose hands clasped jhers sq tenderly aud confidingly. “Ah!” snid Nntalie, with increasing annoyance; “she is ntxmt to sing, but her voice will soon summon the steward."

o>*» now began to King with grout *w*»tDW» a Husaian Koug, the last lines *t which ended in a Mliriek, with which • try from Natalie mingled; for the cruel steward had been stealing through the thicket unperceived, and now bestowed • hear/ lush across the tender shoulders at the cowering and shrieking girl; but are he could repeat it, Knlgonie sprang forward, arrested the descending whip, ■aril then placing in tffe li and of the singer m flrw coins* bade her hasten away, on »hc departed, with tears of pain ami gratitude, after pressing his finger* te her lips; and, in her terror and confaeiaa, tearing her task undoith—her sratwiwg of coming treachery untold“Oh, Carl!" said Natalie, laying hsr hawd again on Balgonie’a breast, “dearart Carl, 1 am so glad she has gou* with

out weaving some mischievous spell; for, smile as you may, I can't help fearing those people! I am a true Russian, and dread the evil eye!” Richer by a look of dark and silky hair and a diamond ring, but leaving his heart behind him, in one swift hour after this little episode, Balgonie had departed to meet, and, for greater security, to travel in consort with, a caravan of a hundred and fifty boors, who were conveying sugar from Moscow to St. Petersburg. He was guided again by the sly Podatehkiue, who bad resolved to take especial good care tliat the said caravan should be avoided. Some hours after Balgonie’s departure, and when Natalie in the solitude of her owln room was abandoned to tears and unavailing regrets, . n trusted messenger from her brother arrived witii a brief note, written so enigmatically that none save herself could have understood or deciphered it; but the spirit of it was briefly this: “All is arranged for freeing the prisoner of S. by a strategem. A dispatch that may counteract, if not baffle, our plans, and fatally compromise us all, has been sent by old Weymarn to St. Petersburg. I know not who the bearer is; but be assured of this, he will pever reach it alive. We have set Podatchkine on his track, and he, worthy Livonian, for two hundred rubles, would skin his own father alive.” After reading this pleasant epistle, little wonder is it that Natalie was found by Mariolizza, as the twilight deepened, half senseless upon her bed, cold, in tears, and utterly miserable.

CHAPTER VII. A lover has occasionally been likened to a fool, ns being a man possessed by one idea. This was certainly somewhat of poor Charlie Balgonie’s state of mind. He saw only the dark eyes, the half drooped lips, and the farewell glance of Natalie; so full of hidden and tender meaning; and while thinking of her and of her last words and -promises, -their mutual hopes of the future, based almost entirely upon Basil, he fell an easy prey to the plans and schemes of tlie wily Corporal Podatchkine, who saw only his anticipated two hundred silver rubles; and who, knowing the country as well as if it iiad been every acre, rood and verst his-own property, led him on aud on he knew not where; but, at all events, two hours after they should have met the caravan, they found themselves, to all appearances, lost in a dense forest -of dark pine trees. Failing the caravan, having now proceeded. as he believed, some twenty miles or so,-Balgonie had ■ thoughts of passing the night at the house of a friend of Mierowitz, a country gentleman of whom he had been told by Mariolizza, who laughingly assured him that this personage was “a fine Russian gentleman of the old school, who beat liis wife regularly every Thursday and Saturday with a whip of thongs,” and was seldom sober. In short, though he knew it not, 'Balgonie had been for the last two hours riding merely in a wide circle, and, by the careful guidance of Podatchkine, was now not many miles from the hut of the gypsy woodman, Nicholas I’aulovitch; and, consequently, lie was much nearer tlie Castle of Louga than he had the least idea of.

“Well, Miehail,” said he, in reply to some remark in which the corporal urged that they should proceed, “we hav4 missed the sugar caravan, and caunipt discover the residence of the gentleman I spoke of, so I am rather provoked at you.” “Oh, excellency, who can withstand destiny?” whined the fellow, using an old Russian proverb. Shortly afterward the wood opened a little, a red light appeared, aud they approached the cottage of Nicholas I’atilo*’itch, the half-breed. “ ’Tis the cottage of a man I know. Here, excellency, we enn pass the night,” said Podatehkine, leaping from his horse ant^ dutifully taking Bnlgonie's bridle, as if to anticipate any proposition of pro"heoding any further. “There is a shed behind where I shall stable our horses; Nicholas, I know, will make us welcome to his lodge." In a few minutes more, Balgonie,found himself seated in the cottage, the aspect of which struck him ns being peculiarly comfortless, dingy nnd squalid, ns he viewed it by the light of a pine torch, which stood in n rusty iron holder on the rough deni table, whereon lay a pack of frayed nnd dog-eared cards. In addition to Podatehkine nnd the host. Nicholas Pnulovitch, who stood respectfully at n little distance from Balgonie, nnd wns appraising the exact value of his costume, nrms and ornaments, even to Nntnlie’s diamond ring, there wns present another ill-visngcd fellow. with n powerful figure, square shoulders nnd giant heard, like every Russian of the lower order; eyes that were small nnd piercing, likt> those of a mouse; n long, fierce nose and jngged teeth, hair shorn off close above the eyebrows nnd brushed all down straight from the crown of his head, which in form resembled a cone or a pineapple. This barbarian, who was dressed chiefly in a coat of sheepskin, nnd had a small, hut sharp, hatchet nnd dagger in his girdle, was n Stepuiuk, from a <bstrict where nothing like a town wns ever seen or known, but * whose aid aud strength Pnulovitch thought might be useful and necessary in the work lie nnd Podatehkine had cut out for themselves in \ the night.

CHAPTER VIII. Ralgonie was rather weary after his long and desultory ride by rough and tinfrequented roads, chiefly devious forest paths; he felt thirsty, and looked at a pitcher which stood op the table. “Will his excellency drink?’’ asked Nicholas I’aitlovitch. in his hoarse and husky voice. “I have fortunately one bottle of Khine cordial,’’ said the woodman, with n rapid and furtive glance at his comrades; “his excellency will doubtless honor us by taking it with his supper, at

least with such fare as t N -* forest produces, as stewed rabbit or so.” “I thank you, good fellow. Where is this cottage situated?” 1 “Situated,” replied Nicholas, with a quick and uneasy glance at the corporal, ’ fearing there might be some discrepancy in their information. “Yes, in what part of the country?” said Podatchkine, "for we naturally wish to know.” “Near Velie.” “Then I am somewhere about tWenty miles from the Louga?” “Yes, excellency, precisely,” replied the rascal. “Hence, if my horse is fresh, I may reach Schlusselburg to-morrow?” “Scarcely, as it lies fully fifty miles beyond Velie,” said Nicholas. "Is the distance so great?” exclaimed Balgonie, little knowing that it was even more, and all unsuspicious of how these'] wretches were deluding him. “But, excellency, we may prove more able guides than Fichnil Podatchkine,” said the Gypsy woodman; “for we —that is the Stepnaik and I —must proceed to St. Petersburg to-morrow, on a little piece of business we shall have to perform together.” “Poor idiots!” thought .Podatchkine, “if you take his body to St. Petersburg, you will both be accused of murder and knouted, as sure ns my name is Michail;

so I shall save my fifty silver roubles.” A sound, as of footsteps, nnd of something like a drinking vessel falling on the floor of an upper apartment, made the woodman start up with astonishment,and alarm. He hurriedly applied a ladder to the trap which gave admission to this place, and ascended into it; but returned almost immediately to say, “there was no one there.” The evident surprise and alarm of the three men at this trivial occurrence was the first cause of exciting Balgonie’s suspicion. He and Podatchkine were both arme<L and eveu were those men outlaws, would scarcely, he believed, dare to assault an officer on military duty; besides, the very name of Schlusselburg, whither he was proceeding, carried a wholesome terror with it; so dismissing his casual suspicions, Charlie unbuckled liis sword, and seated himself at the table, on which a cold supper of stewed rabbits and coarse rye bread was laid for the four who were present. A platter was placed for a fifth person whom Nicholas remarked to Podatchkine in a growling tone was still abroad in the forest, or had not returned from some place which was named in a whisper.

With an affectation of extreme respect and courtesy, none of the tiirce worthies would seat themselves at the table until Balgonie specially invited and urged them in succession to do so. Tire bottle of Rhine cordial was produced from the apartment above and opened. Two horns, one of which had a handsome silver rim. were placed for the captain and corporal. The former was rather surprised to find such a drinking vessel ns this silver mounted cup in a place- so squalid, and lie was about to lift and examine it when Nicholas Paulovitch, with almost nervous haste, filled it. and also that of the corporal. To the surprise of Balgonie, the latter exhibited some undisguised alarm on seeing it placed before him; it was an attention under all the circumstances he neither wished nor expected; and so he declined td drink. “Nay, fear not, friend Miehail.” said the woodman, “ ’tis the best of cordial. The cup with the silver mountnings is, of course, for his excellency the Hospodeen,” he added, with a quiet but grim significance which the wily Cossack quite understood, so he drained the horn without further objection. Soon after Bnlgdnie expressed a desire for repose, as he wished to depart by daybreak. “This way, excellency,” said Nicholas, with alacrity, lifting the pine torch and ushering him up the stair, a mere common ladder, and through the trap door into the little apartment above, where his couch, composed merely of skins of the bear and sheep, awaited him, and where he could see the dark forest and the occasional stars through a small window that gave light nnd air to the place, which was so limited in size that it somewhat resembled a little cabin in a ship. Lett in the-miserable den to his own reflections and to darkness, Charlie Balgonie placed his sword conveniently at hand, and cast himself upon the pile of skins that were to form his bed, and thought he had often fared worse in the bivouacs of Silesia and Bavaria. (To be continued.)