Picture-Play Weekly (Apr-Oct 1915)

24 PICTURE-PLAY WEEKLY olai — and Hope had been wrong, when she said that Mikhail and all who crept down to his basement hovel were not under surveillance by the police. The promise she had given Paul to permit him to take her back to the settlement house, Hope was forced to retract when they reached the street, by the remembrance which the sight of a wellbuilt, handsome young man in a sealskin overcoat of fashionable cut, who was waiting on the sidewalk, brought to her mind, of a previous promise she had made to accord that privilege to him. This was Serge Palma, a rich aristocrat, who had made Hope's acquaintance at about the same time as Paul. For all his wealth and high social position, he was a young" man wlio took life seriously. Stories of the unrest among the poor of the city under oppression had reached his ears. He had made an ex-cursion all alone one day, into the slums, to see "how the other half lives." And there he had met Hope, and fallen in love with her at sight. Her admiration for her was as honest as Paul's; if he could win her love in return, he wanted to make her his wife. So far, as was the case with the poor young doctor, he had not spoken his heart. But he was only awaiting a favorable opportunity to do so. Now, explaining the situation to Paul, Hope took her leave of him at the side of Palma. Looking after them. Paul's heart sank. In her departure just now with his wealthy rival for her affections, thus postponing the proposal he had decided to make to her during their walk, he seemed to read an omen — that his love was likewise always to have its fulfillment deferred. It was late in the afternoon of the next day when Ivan Mikhail's small daughter ran breathlessly in upon Hope at the settlement house. "The police!" wildly sobbed the little girl. "They have entered the house of my father, and taken all prisoner ! They will never be seen again — it means Siberia !" Hope drew the child to her. trying to soothe lier panic-stricken cries, and so draw a more coherent account of what had happened from her. "Tell me," she asked breathlessly, "and tell me slowly, in order that I may understand— who was taken ? Your father; yes, I know that. And all his friends. Who else was in the house when the police came?" "The young doctor," wept the child ; "he had come to see my sick mother — and they took him, too !" Hope rose from her knees at the child's side, her eyes turning heavenward. Her hand went to her heart, where, in secret, her Io\'e for Paul had grown as had his for her during the short montlis of their acquaintance. "I must save him ! " she murmured. "The police, I know, will make a farce of his trial; the mere fact that he was in the house where a nihilists' meeting was going on, will be enough for them. If only there was some wa\' — I have it ! Serge Palma is a friend of Count Xicolai, and I will ask him to use his influence in his behalf !" Snatching up her hat, Hope ran from the room. Fifteen minutes later, she was shown into the library of Serge Palma's home, on the \evski Prospekt, the city's most fashionable thoroughfare. Serge, when he had heard the story, and listened to lier appeal that he intercede for the young doctor whom he had learned to respect and like, rang for a servant, and ordered his droshky brought around to the door. "Of course, I'll help him!" he exclaimed heartily. "We'll go to Count Nicolai at once. He and I are old friends, though we have not seen much of each other of late years, and when I have assured him of what I know to be the truth, that Doctor Pavlof¥ is no more a nihilist than I am, he will release him without a moment's hesitation.'' .\ half hour later, they were shown into the presence of the chief of police. Count Xicolai, called "the cruelest man in Russia," greeted Serge warmly. But when he caught sight of his fair companion, his manner became almost fawning in his an.xiety to appear well in Hope's eyes. He gave a curt command to an orderly. -A. moment or two later, Paul was led in. Count Nicolai informed him that he was at liberty to go, and added a handsome apology for the slightest inconvenience he may have been caused by his detention. "She is divine!" the count whispered to himself, when the three had gone. "Serge is in love with her, I perceive. Well, he can't stand in my way! I must have her ! Perhaps she would accept an invitation to join me in a little supper this evening. I will go after her, and ask her." He saw Hope walking away alone up the street. In another moment he was at her side, and had taken her arm witli easy familiarity. "Michael !" .-\t the sound of his name. Count Nicolai wheeled upon the in Hope, having dedicated her life to the Russian pooi', was willing to make the sacrifice of marrying for money, in order to broaden the scope of her charities.