Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-10-18

"This is Fort Needham," said /.
Manchester is the nearest place
some dozen miles distant"
so far! am hardly in walking
trim, fear, but must make shift to
push on"
Impossible. ! cannot permit it.
You need rest, food. My quarters are
close at hand. am the Commandant
of the fort"
"You are then an English officer! /
might have guessed it! You are all
! generous as you are brave / was with
Menschikoff in Sebastopol, and l learnt
to respect you them
IF you are yourself a soldier,
Prince, it is the more incumbent upon
me to be your host"
| With this l led the way into the fort.
| The admission of such a tatterdemal-
ion rather surprised the decorous SEN
try, but my servant, who was called
in to assist at the Princes toilet, soon
spread the real story throughout the
| barracks.
| A cath, my razorS, and a complete
rig-out of my clothes, made wonder
| full change in the Princes appearance.
He was evidently person of the high
est distinction--not exactly handsome,
his smoothly-shaven face was too sal
| low, and his cheek-bones too high, but
he had good features and dark pene-
trating eyes. He made the mistake
also of wearing his hair too short: it
was clipped so close that his head
looked like round shot.
"Your clothes fit me to the marvel,
mon cher M. Carruthers 1t would not
be indiscreet to ask your tailor's name?
He is an artist"
was fattered, and replied readily:
"Mr. Schneider will be glad to get
an order from you, Prince
He shall have it. His cut is SUI
perb.
Then we sat down to lunch. The
Prince, although aristocratic to the
tinger-tips, had the most plebeian APP
petite; within few minutes he had
cleared the table.
I" have not tasted food for twenty
four hours" ne said, alphabetically.
After lunch ! produced cigars. He
looked at the tobacco ravenously.
s. 1t is my passion. l did not think
| could have existed so long without
it."
He lay back in an armchair, and
smoked half-a-dozen cigars, one after
another, apparently with the most in
tense qualification. Meanwhile we
talked. The Prince was a most agree
able companion; his experience was
varied; he had travelled far and wide,
had seen many cities, and knew men
and manners. 1t was delightful to
listen to him. But he was far too
well-bred to monopolize the converse
ton. He also could listen, and did so
with courteous, unhagging interest as
| enlarged upon the subjects / had
most at heart; he even led me on to
talk quite familiarly and freely of my
regiment; my comrades; my life and
prospects everything, in short, which
interested me.
In this way, the hours passed, till
suddenly the Prince jumped up.
"You have been most good, NJ Car
ruthers. can never repay your kind
ness. But now, the day is advancing,
L must Co moving on.
PRAY do not think of it. You will
surely stay and dine? Tomorrow OF
next day will be time enough to travel;
by then you will be refreshed and re-
cruited in strength"
81 hardly dare take advantage of
your good nature. | know not what
to say. But your pleasant society
draws me toward you; | will stay.
Suffer me only to write few letters.
l must communicate with the Rus
sian Embassy; | should send to my
bankers, and to my London hotel for
| clothes and necessaries.
sat him down at once to my writ
ing-desk, piece of portable barrack
furniture, limited IN dimensions, very
much Uttered with old letters, books,
and stray papers; tradesmen's bills,
an army list, Bradshaw, officials re-
ports and returns, some in my own
handwriting and bearing my sigma
ture But from among these | cleared
sufficient space and left the Prince to
write his letters alone.
1t was quite an hour before ! re-
turned. He started rather as | re-en-
tered the room, but explained that his
recent narrow escape had shaken his
nerves. He had been busy; several
letters were lying on the table, their
addresses upperrnost. and for the life
of me, l could not help seeing that one
was to a Secretary of the Russian En-
bassy, another to some one at Claridge's
| Hotel, third to Messrs. Coutts; of
fourth | read only a part, 1t looked
liked Jenny Haw-, Seven
Di-." But the moment my some
what surprised and curious eyes had
read thus far, the Prince took up all
his correspondence, and rose to greet
me with a plpasant smile