THE Crime of a Countess OR, The American Detective and the Russian Nihilist.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 171, 20 July 1889, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE Crime of a Countess OR, The American Detective and the Russian Nihilist.

By CARTER, Tn_ CE_.a_u'._iTED New 'Yoek Detect.ye, CHAPTER XLV. —(Continued. ) Wat realised by fche effect of his blow thafc he had no ordinary man to deal wibh, for a,py obher would have gone down before his fist like a stricken ox. 'Aha!' said Jacques, jeeringly, 'the little boy scratches, does he ?' ' Yes, he scratches,' answered Wab, nob taking bis ©yes off the man circling around him, looking for an opening where he could take him unawares. Wat saw in an instant that the man was a practised wrestler, and he determined to give him a tempting opening. He did so, and with a low cry of triumph, Jacques sprang at him with an agility altogether unusual in so bulky a man. Wat had no notion of wrestling, however, and with an agility greater than Jacques, he leaped aside and delivered a blow under the ruffian's ear. Nothing more was needed to bring that fracas to an end. Jacques went down like a huge lump of lead, and lay there senseless. Wat went around for something to tie fche two mon with, and seeing nothing better, tore up a dirty sheet thafc was on the bed, and made them both secure wifch bhat. Then he searched them, and finding nobbing of any value bo him, seated himself on the bed and waited for consciousness to return. Gaspard was the first to move, and Jacqu.es was nofc long in following his example, being, probably, more used to hard knocks. Gaspard made a feeble attempt, and Jacques a violent one, to get free, and then they both sullenly subsided. 'The little boy seams to know how to scratch,' said Wat, quietly. Gaspard essayed an ingratiating laugh at this, but Jacques only uttered an oath. 'Now, then, boys,' said W T at, ' we understand each other much better than we did.' Again Jacques tried to break his bonds, bub unavailingly. ' No .use bo struggle,' said Wat» pleasantly. ' If I had my hands out of here for five minutes 1' growled Jasques. ' Well, if you had, whab would you do ?' ' I'd do something.' ' Would you, though ? Well, there's nothing like giving a man a fair chance, Try ib again.then.' With these words, Wat, first removing a knifo and pistol from tho pocket of the man, unloosed his bonds. ' Now,' he wenb on, ' I will put your weapons on fche bed, and my own too, so bhab there will be no chance of unfair play, and we can do it all over again. Ready !' The coolness and carelessness of Wab did more than even his knock-down blow fco overawe the ruffian. Jacaues uttered endless oaths under his breath* and shifted awkwardly about the room, but made no move towards renewing the fight. ' Well,' said Wat, ' are you going to stand there all day thinking how to do me up, or are you trying to make me take the firsfc action ?' 4 Go on yourself. Blamed if I know what you're up to.' ' Very well,' said Wat, * if I musb I will.' And without a moment's hesitation he walked up to Jacques and taking a good neck bold before the other could stop him, whirled him over his head in a positively viciousjmanner. Down fche fellow came with all his-bulk wibh an awful thud on the floor. • Will thab do V demanded Wat, 'or do you want more?' Jacques, it is safe to say, was as much bewildered by Wat's extraordinary coolness as by the fall he had had. He got up, rubbed the dust off his dirfcy clothes mechanically, and then blurted out : ' What kind of a fellow are you, anyhow ?' «Ju3t a little scratching boy; a detective who doesn't understand his business, as our friend Gaspard there says.' ' Gaspard be blowed ! What kind of a plant is this anyhow ?' As this remark seemed to be addressed to the luckless Gaspard, he answered it sheepishly enough : '1 didn'b know he was such a terror !' • Well, you oughter known. I'm done with you, boss, and if you're willing I'll cry quits.' ' I'm not willing. I think you and I can do some work together.' « What kind of work ?' • The same kind you've jusfc been trying to do.' • How so ?' • You were hired to put me out of the ' Only for a while, unless you got crusty.' « And then youi were to shb my weazand, eh?' 'Just that.' ' You were prettywell paid for ib, weren't you ?' ' You're right, we were. «Who did the negotiating ?' i ' Gaspard.' ' Untie him, will you, and we will talk this thing over. I think I can show you how you can make a little money without any risk at all. Would you like that ?' ' Try us and see/ « Was it the man or the woman you talked with, Gaspard ?' ' A woman. I don't know any man in the affair.' ' Do you know her name ?' ' I s'pose I might as well give the whole thing away, Jacques ?' • (Jive it away . Yes.' ' Her name was the Countess Almazoff, a Russian princess.' • Do you know anything about tho man. than Horwitz you talked to me about V 'Not a thing.' ' Were you going to report to her about Ivis thing ?' 'Yes, this afternoon.' • Where ?' 'At her house.' • Have you been paid ?' 'Only half.' «You shall be paid all, and lots more, if you will work under ray direction. W 7 hat do you say, Jacques ?' 'Anything you like. I'm agreeable to it' '« Very well, then. Gaspard, you will please to meet me here at say two o clock this afternoon.' ' And don't move out of here until after I have been here.' 'Why not?' 'Don't ask questions, eh, Jacques z If 1 pay I ought to have the say.' 'You're right.' ' But ib seems to—' began Gaspard, when Jacques broke in : 'Shut up, Gaspard! After the way you've mulled this here other thing, you'd better hold your jaw.' Gaspard, in tho language of Jacques, fchereuDon ' held his jaw.' And" Wat, bowing politely to Jaoques, went out, first asking Gaspard for tha key.

CHAPTER XLVI. TWO GASPAKDS. In order to avoid the risk of being accidentally seen by Sofia, Wat went from the presence of the two ruffians to his little room over the wine Bhop. There he made a few changes in his appearance, and then hurried to Vera. The moment he made himself known, she demanded : ' Any news of Ivan ?' •None yeb; but you may prepare yourself to see him in, say, thirty-six hours.' 'If you have no news, why do you say this ?' ' Because I can see the way everything is pointing. Now, will you be willing to stop worrying ?' ' I'll try.' ' Then remember my instructions about going out of your room.' I will.' ' Only it might be necessary for me to write to you, and in thafc case, no matter from whom the letter you may receive may come, be sure thab you look in the lower left-hand corner for this mark.' And Wat made a singular mark on a piece of paper, and gave it to Vera. ' I will remember.' ' Aud no matter whom the letter may be from, you will look for my mark, and if you do nob see ib, do nob go oub, even if the letter should be from Ivan. This is important.' ' I will obey you.' Wat now wenb out, ahd, after taking a leisurely meal, made" several purchases, with which he went fco his appointment with Gaspard. Gaspard was waiting for him, and Jacques seemed positively pleased to see him as soon as Wat made it known that ib was he. ' You know how to wear a disguise, don't you ?' he 6aid. ' Pretty well, and, with Gaspard's help, I'll show you how it is done.' ' Anything I can do,' said Gaspard, effusively. ' You can do a great deal. First, be good enough to put that new suit of clothes on.' Wab untied one of the packages and displayed a full suit of good clothes. Gaspard wa3 nothing loth, for, like all his kind, he was a deal of a fop. As soon as his clothes were changed, he was moved to make his hands and face a little cleaner ; but this Wat vetoed at once. ' Not yet, Gaspard. Wait a momenb before you disguise yourself by taking your habitual dirt off.' Gaspard stared at him, and then obediently sat down, while Jacques watched Wat's actions wibh greab curiosity. And well he might, for Wat had begun to bake off his own clothing and don thab of Gaspard. ' There! Now, Gaspard, please sit here, where I can geb a good look ab you.' Gaspard did as requested, and Wat took from his parcels, among other things, a moustache and goatee. These he trimmed to look like Gaspard's, and then, by affixing them to his face, he began to look very much like a twin brother of that seedy rascal. He now took his make-up box, and, with its help, had in a few minutes made himself an exact counterpart. ' How is that, Jacques ?' ' Magnificent! If you did not speak, !• should nob know which was which.' ' Let me speak, then. There—how is that?' ' Perfect. And ib is you whom wo were going to do up like a child. Oh, but that is rich ! And, now, whab are you going bo do?' ' I am going to report my own death to that charming counbess.' CHAPTER XLVII. BARGAINING FOB A MURDER. ' Be easy, my friends,' said Wab, as he lefb the two rascals ; ' I will collect your money for you, and bring ib here.' ' Play fair,' said Gaspard, uneasily. 'Do you hear that fellow, Jacqnes ? He is afraid I am going to run away with the money.' ' Gaspard is a fool—always was,' answered Jacques, conbempbuously. ' I've pub many a dollar in your way, if I am a fool,' reborbed Gaspard. ' Ho, ho !' laughed Wab. •As if the little dog didn't always steal the meat for the big dog to eat.' ' Ha, ha ! Ho, ho !' roared Jacques. 'For the big dog to oat. Ho, ho ! That will do. I trust you, my little boy who scratches. Get the money. For fche big dog to eat. Oub. Ho, ho!' ' And while I am gone don't let this Gaspard go out bo show his new clothes to the ladies, will you, my big dog ?' ' Be easy ; the little dog shall not stir out of here.' And Wat knew he had made a conquest of the burly ruffian, so that he had no reason to fear the appearance of Gaspard would spoil his plot. Assuming Gaspard's swagger and his half-insolent, half-cowardly air, Wat left the room, accompanied by the hoarse laugh of the delighted Jacques. Resuming the same air when he reached the palace of the Countess of Almazoff, Wat asked for that lady wifch all the impudence of one who knows he will be received. And apparently orders fco that effect had been given fco the footman, for that person, with an air of supreme disgust, ushered Wat into the little parlour of the countess upstairs. No sooner had the footman lefb Wat alone, than Sofia came hastily into the room, and demanded, eagerly : 1 Have you been successful ?' * Successful ? Of course we have.' ' Did you search him V < 'Yes.' ' Well, did you find nothing ?' 'Only a knife and a pistol.' 4 What did you do with him ?' * Well, you see, he made Buch a struggle thafc we had no choice.' Wab drew his hand suggestively across ' his throat, and made a movement as if falling back dead. The countess shuddered, but a hard look came into her eyes immediately afterward, and sho said: ' Then I suppose you want your money ?' ' You're as pretty a guesser as you are a looker,' said Wat, throwing into his man- > ncr a great deal of insolent admiration. Sofia bit her lip, as if she had mede up her mind to stand such familiarity, and then asked, haughtily : 'Do you want to do another job for :. me?' ' For you and for money. I don't mean to be ungallanb, countess, bufc business is i business, you know. I'd like to do anything in the world for so much beauty, but fche truth is, me and—' «I expected fco pay you well.' «Yes, of course; bufc, you see, " a gentleman once, a gentleman always;" and I can't forget the time when I would have done anything for pure love of such a beauty as you.' Wab saw that his insolenb familiariby hurt the proud countess a vast deal more than the thought of her crimes did, and he could not resist the opportunity to torment' her. ' Are you sure,' asked she coldly, • that you got fche righb man ?' * As sure as I am bhafc I am looking afc the I prettiest face in Paris at this momenb.' ' You may leave my beauby alone. We will assume that I know all about ib.' ' And so you ought, for you can't help seeing whab your glass shows you every time you look at it, and I wager you look in it often enough—eh, countess ?' Sofia felt the _ degradation of such a wretch's familiarity, and saw that he was assuming that she was his companion in; crime. Sofia flashed a murderous look at him, and returned ta M§ subject nearest) fcer heart." " *' J

as '- m 'How do you know ifc was the right) 7; man?' 'He had a fresh, boyish face, he an- j swered to the name of Denton, and he had papers on his clothes with the name of Wat) ; Denton on them.' ' Where are those papers ? You said jusb now that you found nothing.' 'Here's the paper I meant,' answered | Wat, drawing from his pocket his pass- --"| por.. 'He had no other paper, and I didn't; suppose you'd care for this. Wanb to keep ib ?' ' No, take ib back. Do you want to do '; this new job for me ?' ' I said yes, didn'fc I ?' 'Here's the money I owe you for the other one.' i She went to a drawer and drew out a * package of money which she had evidently prepared for his coming. ' Shall I count ifc ?' asked Wat, wifch an engaging leer. ' I think it is unnecessary.' ' Oh, well, I guess I can trust beauty,' But, I say—don'b you think, dear countess, that we ought to have something extra for letting his wind out ?' ' How much ?' ' Well, say five hundred francs.' Without a word, Sofia left the room, and *, presently returned with the required sum in bank-notes. •So much wealth and beauty combined ~:.': are seldom seen,' said Wab, in a gallant tone. 7 ' The new affair will be less difficult than the other,' said Sofia. * Very well; bufc bhe difficulty is nothing. I've gob so I like you, countess —I'm not . afraid to say so. I know you won't take advantage oi ib—and I don't count the difficulty. What is it ?' 'I want a young lady abducted'and—« v , and ' ' t 'Ou b with it. Why don't you say killed'? • Don'fc be squeamish, countess.' ' I do want her killed !' Sofia looked all fche hatred she felfc as she • said this, and Wat shuddered fco think of the path of blood this woman, so outwardly lovely, was willing fco wade through in order ' to accomplish her ends. ' She shall go after the detective, coun- ' tess. Only it won't be as easy as you . imagine to get her oub of the way.' ' It ought to be easier than getting rid of a man.' ' But, you see, he went of his own accord to a place which was as safe as a church—; safe for us, I mean.' ' Decoy her to some place then.' ' Easier said than done; bufc tell me something about her, and I will try.' Wat had dropped his insolenb air, and was all earnestness now, as if he had but bhat one idea in his mind. ' Impressed by this, Sofia had no hesitation in proceeding: ' The woman is the Countess Radolinski; but you needn't fear any trouble on account! of her rank, for she she is here in Paris, ' without the knowledge of anybody but tha man whom you have killed.' ' Where is she ?' Sofia named the hotel Wat had taken Vera to, showing that she had been quick bo follow her rival's movements. ' Can you think of any scheme by which we could get her to a place we could name .' asked Wat. ' I might forge a letter from her lover, asking her to meet him.' ' A good idea. Do it.' ' The only difficulty is thafc she be suspicious, and might detect fche forgery.' ' You said fche defceefcive was her friend, di'dn't you ?' ' Yes.' { Then, why nob forge his hand ? Yotf can see it there in the body of the passport. You can see where he filled ib in himself.' ' True ; but I am nofc a good hand ah that kind of thing.' ' Get me paper and ink, and I will fcryI have tried copying other men|s writing before this. I don't doubt I can do it} . well enough to fool her. Do you suppose she is familiar with his writing ?' ' It is unlikely.' * Then, I will guarantee to deceive her." The only thing then is, will she come in answer to the note ?' ' You can only tell by writing.' She brought Wat the writing materials* and he sat down fco forge his own writing. He made a great many efforts, trying sheet after sheet, before he could get a sample that suited him. This he showed to Sofia, and she compared ib with the original. ' Perfect! It would deceive himself !' ' No,' answered Wat, dryly, ' I don't think he would ever know he had nob written ib himself. Now, what shall I write ?' The countess suggested, and Wat suggested, and, between them, they made the following note : *To he Countess Radolinski : * Dear Madam : I am on the track of Ivan.- <" If you will meet me at the little wine-shop.i three doors from the corner of the Rue d'Appel on the Rue l'Auhergiste, I will promise to take;' you to him this very night. I am watching--somebody, or would come after you. ' Hastily, your obedient servant,. ' Wat Denton,' ' There! That ought to bring her,' said Wat. ;• 1 'Isn't that a very public place?' asked. Sofia. ' I ■. 'No, indeed. Nobody will seehergoiuv there, and you may be sure nobody will < | ever see her go out.' \ ' But how will you dispose of—of—' ' ' The body ? There's no trouble aboub thafc. In the cellar. Bury her there. Such ' a nice, quiet place, too. She might scream 5 until she was black in the face, and nobody could hear her.' At bhis a sudden idea seemed to strike Sofia, ahd she asked with gleaming eyes : ' Would it be possible for me to see her without fear of detection, before you—before you killed her ?' ' Nothing easier. I will come here an tell you when I have her safe in her cage.' 3 ' Then go.' 'The price, if you please, my lovely 3 charmer ?' Sofia shrank from his insolent familarity, and answered : • 'Double whab you received for the ' other.' „ ' Any down ?' Sho went) out and returned with a large 1 roll of bills, which Wat thrust into his. " pocket, with a bow and an attempt to kiss . the countess's hand. ' She snatched her hand away, and flashed. * a glance afc him which would have made an end of him if lo&ks could kill. L " Wat only leered ab her, and wifch a still lower bow, with his hand on his heart, went 1 out. ' (To be Continued on Wednesday.) -_ _ -_-