Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-07-11
Horrot-s'ruek as.d greatly sgitatet. she

Horrofestr,trk az.d greatly agitatet. she
hasteGed back 10 the chateau.
iFairfax pace again was siiSEc6sfnl. He
had not planned for nothing. Ere bidding
adieu to the steward of the '.Namovnan he
had placed in that reliable servants hand
an envelope, (which you win post from
Havre,'' he added. 1t bore the postmark
of that port, as Lydia observed1
Uncertain whether or not she We're the
victim of IA cruel, practical joke, the poor
girl, III an agony of suspense, kept urging
her coachnan TO speed the horses TO their
utmost. Although accompanied by her
maid, usually great confdante, she 1850
lutely kept the news to herself, notwith-
standing the anxious questions of that kind
hearted body, Hho perceived that her young
mistress was unusually distressed.
I4y,iia's lips were firmly compressed, her
check was very pale, and determination ap-
peared in every lineament of her face;
while that blue eye, hitherto so tender and
melting, now gilttered with a baleful glare
of suppressed anger and distress.
The carriage actually arrived at the
chateau in somewhat less than two hours
The storm was fast coming on, and the
belated lovers, Dimitri and Catharinc, sud
denly aroused to the fact of its rapid ap-
preach. had also been making exertions to
breaking They reached the gates Just
ahead Of Lydia.
The latter, subduing her agitation, in or
dinary tones inquired of Catherine where
her mistress was. The maid, in surprise
and sudden a'arm, replied that she supposed
tho Princess had been at the chateau for
some time. Lydia involuntarily exclaimed:
.'Thank Godt / trust it is so,H and began
to feel somewhat relieved. Her perturbation
might, after all, be caused by some frightful
blunder Sh! must keep the entire affair
secret until further developments, Re
covering her selfcontrol she quietly asked
Catharine to Inform the Princess of her ar
rival.
After what seemed to her anxiety an age,
she beheld Catherine returning with
scared, white face.
sOh, my lady, she is not here, and Dim
itri says Medji is nowhere to be found,
either Where, 0 where can she be. And
| this dreadful storm coming on, too. What
shall dos Perhaps, my lady, she went TO
see you. l know she was greatly disap-
pointed when she read your note"
When Catherine made this announce
ment, Lylia's heart sank within her and
she felt obliged to yield to the horrible GER
tainty that the impudent missive had told
the truth.
Something must be done. and that quickly,
too.
ssCal Madame k said she.
The madame entered, greatly alarmed.
Already drops of rain were beginning to
| fall-precursors of the now rapidly ap-
preaching storm, ready to burst overhead
in all its fury The winds sang dolefuny
| through the trees. Flashes of lightning
| played warniLgly in the distance, and spite
| upon the ear.
| Together, The two women perused the
note that Lydia had brought from Dol. It
read as follows:
| 'sBy the time Madame X. will read this
| the Princess Natalie will be far distant from
| Chateau D'Or-too far to even think OF
rescuing her. Every precaution has been,
and will be, taken to prevent the slightest
| injury or insult to her. No ransom will be
| asked or accepted for her release. She will
| return certainly in six months time from
| the date of her abduction, and in all proba-
| bi1ity much sooner. In the intervening
| period she will receive the most courteous
| and considerate of treatment. Her favorite
| authors and musical composers will be at
| her hand. maid will observe her every
| wish Medji will accompany her. From
| week to week one or two notes will be
mailed to her parents, stating the condition
| of her health and mind exactly as they are.
Should more speedy means Of communica-
ton be found necessary, the telegraph viii
| be resorted to- Should her family desire to
communicate with her, let their communica-
| ton be mailed to each one of the following g
journals: The Paris Figaro, the London
| Times and the New York Herald. Use the
following cipher:
beginning with the letter G as II, Il as
70, / as 13, and SO on, return to a, which, OF
| course, will be 81; finish at F, whose number
| will thus be So: c. g.: 81, 16, 16-27, IS, is,
1s'-sAll we'll
cit will be utterly useless to even attempt
| to learn the Princess whereabouts.
ssThe foregoing promises will be kept solely
| on condition that no effort is made either tt
rescue heror to discover any thing whatever
| with regard to her.
.sAs regards immediate communication, il
that be necessary, telegraph a cipher-dis
| patch to the same papers, with the request
to insert the cipher-message in their mex
| sSueS.h
Both ladies were Mortified and astonisheG
at the enorrnity and daring of this deeply
laid plan. They could scarcely believe tht
evidence of their senses that such bold af
fair had actually taken place in district 81
populous and carefully guarded 1t seemed
impossible, and yet the proof of it lay in Nat
! ale's absence and the two notes.