RASPUTIN AND THE EMPRESS
Adapted by BIANCO E. JONES from the M.G.M. Picture.
Yesterday we left the Emprves just as the atrend shadow of a huge man cane through the door and crest toward the hem of her .kirt.
CHAPTER SEVEN
|
"Who brought him here?" the Enipress demanded.
THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH. THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 1933,
"You trust doctors?" he asked. "Won't you bellove God can do more than they can?"
nt
The boy's scream echood in the Taarina's mind. She winced the acute mental pain.
"Thero are
"If he could be spared that!" ehe said fervently.
110 *Ifn," niy "I did, Majesty!" Natasha an-daughter." Rasputin sald. "I can wered quickly. The doctors ad-heal him, All the pain that is mitted they were helpless. Ras-twisting his little body will leave putin has the power of God!" ·
"All the priests of Russia are praying for him," the Empress said simply.
The shortening shadow still stretched across the room from the At her words, Rasputin made the doorway, gigantle even as the man lgn of the erosa. He nodded who cast it come closer. The Em-alightly to the Tsarinn. press straightened in her chair."Let me pray with your son," he Through the doorway came a black-anid almost in a coaxing tone. bearded pensant, dressed in a la bourer's smock and boots only with House-grense, a black beard flowing luxuriantly over his chest. Her amazement that a man of this sort should come unannounced into the palace grew oven greater as she lifted her eyes to his. His eyes, black, glowing, held, hers with a magnetic, frightening, atare. She could not find her voice to ask him who he was and what his business could be. Still peering into her byes, the gigantic Mujik was the first to speak. In a commanding voice he asked:
"Where is the boy?"
The Empress looked from the peasant to Natasha. She regained her composure, and asked calmly:
"Who is this man?"
The girl turned to look into the magnetic eyes of the gigantic pen annt. A look of devout respect eyes. She came into her own answered in a low volce.
"Rasputin."
The Empress showed no recogni- Lion. The name meant nothing to her. Still addressing herself to Natasha she repeated.
"Who 7"
Rasputin smiled reassuringly. "I'm no priest, my daughter," he said to the Empress. "I'm a simple man who bellever God answers prayers."
Tho Empress smiled wanly. All the man wanted was to pray for her son. And for this he had come to the Palace to ask permission. She made a courteous gesture of dis- missal.
"We are grateful for everyono's prayers. Will you pray in the Ca- thedral, Father? They're all there."
The man's eyes scenied to bore into her. He never wavered in his stare as he slowly raised his hand to his heart.
him."
Another, a more plaintive cry, assailed their ears. The man's ar
guments were being driven home.
As if afraid to enter, the Empress | straw!'
remained outalde, staring at the Then he was appalled with the deor. Suddenly it burst open. realization of what he had dared Contalceves rolled up to disclose the to any. With sudden decision, he white of his shirt alcoves, and' al- ¦ faced the Empress deflantly. The most beside himself with rage, woman stared at him in silence, Remezov burst out. He stopped giving no clue as to her thoughts. short as he saw the Empress.1 She looked at the door as a nurse,
"Your Majesty!" Romezov ex- claimed in a vibrant voice. "Per- mit me to forget that you are my savoreign. You are a woman."
He pointed through the open door toward the bed.
"This is your child. “I am hio doctor. I am going to the Tear and demand that you be kept away from This madman is the Inst
"Bellove, my child, and to-morrow you will have him in your arma him. again. He will be happy, and strong, and alive. All this will have been A bad dream." Hel paused to let the full import of li words sink in. Thon, "Won't you believe?" he whispered persuasive- ly. "Come, say after me; 'My son will live!*
Fascinated, the Tsarinn repeated his wordat
"My son will live."
"Not like that" Rasputin's voice rose in sharp crescendo jubilantly. He raised his arms high. A note of ecstacy crept into his "My son will live!"" "My son will live?"
voice.
And then the Empress enught the man's fervour. Her eyes gleamed with a new hope.
However repulsive this man may have seemed to her at first, with his greasy clothes, and uncouth black "The cathedral of God Is here," beard, and penetrating black eyes, he said impressively. "It's the sim- was it not possible that he could ple prayer that reaches Him more help restore the little Tanrevitch to than all the chants and choirs in health. Must it always be a well- the world. Only, you must bec-groomed, well-fed, learned physic- love."
Jan-in-ordinary who would stand The Empress returned Rasputin's) and ponder and shake his head in insistent stare.
despair. The lift of the heir to "I do believe,"
the throne of all the Empress Rus- With a gentle smile Rasputin re-sians must not be disposed of with Natasha answered swiftly, pus-buked her.
i mere shake of the hond. And *ionately. iler entire beart and "No, or your hands wouldn't be this man before her was so sincert, soul went into her voice as she an- trembling.
Those tear stains so full of religious ecstacy! Surely swered earnestly:
wouldn't be there. Why, if you! be would be able to dispel some of believed as a little child, you would the gloom which hung over the say to me: My son in getting well entire Imperial Palace. because I asked God to make him no. And then God would know Rasputin atood silent, yet smll-that you trusted in, and raise! ing, as the girl turned to him. him up."
"Wasn't she, Father? And the As Rasputin looked toward the boy, the one who was run down by sick room, the murmur of a voice| Rasputin. Almost pushing him, the Cossacks"
penetrated to them. He, looked she anid : Slowly, the Empress forced her-questioningly at the Tsarina,
"Go in. I can't bear it niiy long- self to look into Rasputin's glowing
"Who's with your son?" he asked. | er!" eyes. Unconsciously, she fought to
"The doctor who brought him in- Rasputin smiled with triumph.' bring those words to her lips which to the warld.""
He stroked his long beard and re- would dismiss this pensant from the
peated again: Imperial Palace.
"Gregory Rasputin-a man of God. He can cure him, he's cured xo many. A woman named Naris- kin-she was dying———"t
There was sudden scream. The Empress, tears filling her eyes, He healed them," Natasha clenched her hands. The pensant was saying. "He can hea! Alexei."¡ was watching her narrowly.
“My sòn will live!" she exclaimed in measured toues.
Once more a cry from the sick room caused the Empress to stif- fen sharply. She stopped toward
"Rejoice! Your aon will live!" Swiftly, Rasputin glided into the shadows of the darkened sickroom.
amall, red cross gleaming from her head-covering of pure white, appeared. Rasputin, calmly domi nänt, was just behind her.
Romezov wheeled, furiously as the glant peasant anid almost jeering- ly:
"Send them away."
The Empress's face hid a. thou- sand different emotions. Upper- (Continued on Page 11.)
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