A Rock in the Baltic

the bank for the purpose of changing several crisp white Bank of England notes into the currency of the country he was then visiting. The lady did not appear to notice either his courtesy o

of a man never in a hurry, when the girl appeared at the door, and advanced rapidly to the bank counter with its brass wire screen surrounding the arched aperture behind which stood the cashier. Although very plainly attired,

she was most reluctant to perform. From the moment she entered the door her large, dark eyes were fixed almost appealingly on the cashier, and they beheld nothing else. Drummond, mentally slow as he usually was, came to the quick conclusion that this was a supreme moment in her life, on which perhaps grea

oney for this check?" s

nt for some time in silence. The s

y, and ran his finger down a page. His dilatory action seemed to increase the young woman's panic. Her pallor increased, and she swayed slightly, as

f, "there's something wrong here. I wond

s play of the emotions. He returned nonchalantly

u have the m

per, a rosy flush chasing the whiteness from her fa

he cashier counted out some golden coins, and passe

eing eyes still taking no heed of the big Lieutenant, and passed rapidly out of the bank, The cashier

, and bolting for the door. This was an action which would have awakened the most negligent cashier had

ronts him at his post is a possible robber who at any moment may attempt, either by violence or chicanery, to filch the treasure he guards. The happening of any event outside the usual routine at once arouses a cashier's distrust, and this sudden flight of a stranger with money which did not belong to him quite justified the perturbation of the cashier. From that point onward, innocence of conduct or explanation so explicit as to satisfy any ordinary man, becomes evidence of more subtle guilt to the mind of a bank official. The ordinary citizen, seeing the Lieutenant finally overtake and accost the hurrying girl, raise his cap, then pour into her outstretched hand the gold he had taken, would have known at once that here was an every-day exercise of natural politeness. Not so the cashier. The farther he got from the bank, the more poignantly did he realize that these two in front, both strangers to him, had, by their combined action, lured him, pistol and all, away from his post during the dullest hour of the day. It was not the decamping with those few pieces of gold which now troubled him: it was fear of what might be going on behind him. He was positive that these two had acted in conjunction. The uniform worn by the man did not impose upon him. Any thief could easily come by a uniform, and, as his mind glanced rapidly backwards over the various points of

bank instantly, yo

e Lieutenant in

say so, for

re exciting yourself unnecessarily. May I beg you to put that pistol in your pocket? On the cruiser we always cover up the guns w

luff, and an attempt to give t

back also," he

was hardly possible to have made a more injudicious r

on shone from the f

ack to the bank,

your authority. I alone am the culprit. The young lady is quit

n the alert, leaned forward ready to intercept, seemed to make up her mind to bow to the inevitable

d very stupid of me. I am slightly acquainted with the bank

cate that she did not wish an escort. The bareheaded official found his anger unaccoun

tion should be a good judge of human nature. How any sane person, especially a young man, can

e cashier sho

nant laugh

r grateful to you for your stubbornness in forcing us to return. It's a quality I like, and you possess it in marvelous development, so I intend to

he cashier, in g

o if I don't wheedle an introduction out of him, it will show that a man at a dinner and a man in a bank are two different in

l had gone direct to the manager's room, and thither the young men followed her. The bank manager was standing at his desk, trying to preserve a severe financial cast of countenance, whic

o very seriously was relating a set of incidents which appealed to his sense of humor, so the coming of the Lieutenant enable

you sang for us last night: I'll never forget it. What do you call it?

ushed red as a gi

llow comes up for trial, previous convictions are never allowed to be mentioned till af

r, when he saw how the land lay, had quiet

ory, you will learn that this is a dangerous coast for your warships. It seems rather inhospitable that a guest of our town cannot pick all the gold he wants out of a bank, but a cashier has necessarily somewhat narrow views on the subject.

relief. "It was all my own fault in so carelessly leaving the money. Some time, when less

d interpreted correctly an impl

mit me to introduce to you my friend, Lieu

y to be gone, and as she turned to the door, the officer sprang forward and opened it for her. If the manager

the genial Morton, finding himself deserted, sat do

noticing this, became momentarily tongue-tied, but nevertheless persisted, with a certain awkward doggedness which was not going to allow so slight a hint that his further attendance was unnecessary, to baffle

mhurst, we have been

girl laugh, just a little, and t

, although I did so in the presence of his persistent subordinate. I have met the manager of the bank b

roduction against all comers. The head of a bank is a most important man

sideways at him, while a smile came to her lips as she saw the color again mount to his cheeks. She had never before met a man who blu

at it, and I-I am afraid you consider me even more persistent than the cash

e girl quickly. "As I said before, it

n to walk down the street with you, because if any one were looking at us from these windows, and saw us pursued by a bareheaded man with a revolver,

he girl

ny one saw us or not. We shall walk together, then, as far as the spot where the cashier overtook us, and this will give me an opportunity of explaining, if not of excusing,

you, Mis

etofore characterized her, "but, you see, the distance to the corner is short,

the young man so fervently that it was no

lative whom I never knew. It seemed so incredible, so strange-well, it seems incredible and strange yet-and I have been expecting to wake and find it all a dream.

"Just the reverse, remember. I came to confirm your dream

ed, her eyes fixe

enthusiastically. "I suppose yo

" she c

n into the actual, or find it vanish. When the commonplace cashier passed forth the coin, their jingle said to you, 'The supposed phantasy is rea

scant of kindness as of cash, and there was a deep sincerity in his voice which was as refreshing to her lonesome heart as it was new to her experience. This man was not so stupid as

a mind-read

into trouble, and making things uncomfortable for my friends. I regret to say I am rather under

t at the corner where they had been overtaken, they now stroll

uld be a good opportunity to test a new gun that had been put aboard when we left England. The sea was very calm, and the rock most temptsome. O

st. "You don't mean to say you are the officer that Russi

evil intent. Still, anything that sets the diplomatists at work is frowned upon, and the man w

pers at the time. Didn't t

e been more surprised than I when

a cannon t

-martial that I had added a valuable bit of information to our naval knowledge, but I don't suppose this contention exercised any influence on the minds of my judges. I also called

hing is satisfact

n who, through his stupidity, brings about an international complication. As concerns myself, I am rather under a cloud, as I told you. The court-martial acquitted me, but it did so with reluctance and a warning. I shall have to walk very straight for the next year or two, and be careful not to stub my toe, for the eyes of the Admiralty are u

ness of their acquaintance, as she had forgotten the flight of time, while on his part he

think that

ness by refusing to give you up. How, then, can you go there voluntarily? You would be acting

gs stand now, Russia has not insisted on her demand, but has sullenly accepted England's decision, still quite convinced that my act was not only an invasion of Russia's domain, but a deliberate insult; therefore the wors

in your persuasive pow

nt began to

ulent Russophobe, who has maliciously violated their territory, flinging a shell into their ground and an insult into their face. They are quite sincere in

shook h

uppose Russia arrested you, and said to Eng

nant laugh

f such a thing happened, there would be trouble. That is a point where we're touchy. A very cheap Englishman, wrongfully detained, may cause a most expen

m the act, a

h more to the purpose

than of hitting the moon. He knows much more about dancing than about foreign affairs. We've given him a month's leave, and he will slip across privately to St. Petersburg to apologize and explain. T

do what you think the go

n in the embassy at St. Petersburg, but I shan't go near him; neither shall I go to an hotel, but

n Government an excellent opportunity of spiriting

arted laugh of a youth to whom l

been exaggerated by sensational writers. The Russian Government would not countenance anything of the kind, and if the minor officials tried to pla

standstill, and gave express

g?" asked th

ked clear out i

all? I hadn

eople waiting fo

e, let t

ve been back

ned, and she

st, safely lodged in our friend Morton

ortune: there's only ten

waiting for you muster more than ten thousand apiece,

they are poorer than I, therefore I should have retu

we are in the suburbs again. Won't you change your mind and your direction; let us get bac

hook her head and

e, Lieutenant Drummond. Thi

pany you just a

sh to go the rest

she tried to withdraw, a

important is this: I shall see you the night of the 1

ou overlook me in the throng. There will be a gr

l be there. I assure you we are doing our best, with festooned electric lights, hanging draperies, and all that, for we want to make the occasion at least remotely wor

," said the girl, again with a s

of invitation, won't you let me kno

ut if I do, I promise to remem

h whom shall you come? I should like to know th

Captain Kempt, of the

s voice which he had not the diplomacy to conceal. His hold of

ain Kempt? I shall be on th

I have ever seen, and I know he

young man,

smiling. "Captain Kempt, U.S.N., retired. His you

nner last night, and sat beside our captain. What a splendid st

ur song. Good-by," and before the young man could c

to a very sober walk until she came to a three-storied so-called "cottage" overlooking the