Photoplay (Jul - Dec 1916)

The Other Sister eminent authorities, he Learned that the Nihilists were more than ordinarily active, rhere had been several attempted assas sinations. In the latest of these the agent of the revolutionists, a certain Ivan l'.i\ loff, recently arrived from America, had been killed. '•Our greatest trouble," the prefect of police told Huntington as thej drove about the picturesque city, "is unearthing plots hatched in your America. ["his Pavloff arrived here accompanied by his daughter. We had ho reason to suspect him, and it was only through our constant vigilance that his plot was foiled." \iul almost at that very hour, in a secret meeting place. Olga Pavloff was being •-worn in as a fall member in the Nihilist . ni/ation. at her own request, in order that she might "avenge her father's martyrdom." Moreover, it was upon the very man who sat beside John Huntington, the prefect of police, that this vengeance was to be visited. The bombs were prepared, the plot laid. "His life or mine — 1 swear it!" Olga repeated solemnly, and accepted the grim obligations the order imposed. Huntington returned to his hotel, and decided that the atmosphere of Warsaw was not the lyric setting he desired for his reunion with Lisa. Tt was too much like holding a rendezvous in a dynamite factory. He decided to leave for Paris the next dav. and so telegraphed Mrs. Merrill. Still, as a student of government he found Warsaw interesting. His sympathies were broad. He believed that violence, however deplorable, is never an unprovoked phenomenon. Russian methods produced Nihilism: Nihilism caused the protective measures to be made more stringent and oppressive; this in turn only fed the desperation of the Nihilists. So it went 'round and 'round in circles of ever increasing hatred. He wondered what sort of people Nihilists were when they were not plotting. The prefect of police had pointed out to him several cafes where it was known the members assembled for diversion. I he) might lie worth \ Lsit l luntington decided, and tlu evening offered nothing better. So he set out. \" I I asuallj .1 lew of tile i ales he began to find his interest flagging. I he) were picturesque, it was true, but perhaps not more so than certain quaint cornet-, he had visited in New York. Men and women ate and drank, laughed .1 and that was about all. I le did nol reali; e thai he himself was more interesting t> people he was among than were the) to him. The word was passed about that this young American had been in conference with the prefect of police, and in certain inside circles it was known what fate had been marked down for that official. The news narrowed into the society's funnel until it reached the chief Nihilist himself, and he in turn conveyed it to < )lga Pavloff as hastily as possible. "This man is from America. You may recognize him." the chief said. C< > Olga strolled nonchalantly into the ^ cafe where John was sitting. He had lost interest in his surroundings, and was dreaming of tomorrow, and the road to Paris, and — Lisa. Olga. standing at one side of the room, gazed closely at him. "His life or mine, I swear/" and 1 Olga accepted the grim Nihilist obligation.