Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-05-19
GOOD LUCK.

These things befcl at the Hotel de la
| Grande Concorde at Nice They tend to
show on what a slender thread of chance
is sometimes suspended the mysterious bar
rier which to poor humanity makes "all the
difference"-even the difference between life
and death
The table d'hote breakfast in the great
sale was nearly over The guests had most
ly risen, some to saunter in the pleasant
grounds, Others to go to their rooms to make
preparations for expeditions farther afield,
all alike more or less bent on draining to
the dregs the cup of pleasure which in Nice
is always bubbingto the brim. But at the
end of the long table two groups, sitting
near each other and similarly composed.
yet having noconnection, still fingered over
the grapes and peaches
The tall, dark man deep in conversation
with Mrs. Vanhuysen, the pretty American
widow, was Prince Demetrius Spanboff a
Russian official high in favor with the car,
who, having worked hard for II months of
the year at swelling the chain gangs to 81
IBERIA, was spending the twelfth as holiday
in the sunny south At home in st. Peters
burg the prince was a silent enigma, carry
ing dread in his frown and his smile alike.
Here in the Riviera he was a chattering
schoolboy, dividing his time pretty equally
between the Casino at Monte Carlo and the
Offering of perfectly harmless homage to
the fair American.
1t was the last day of his holiday, and the
chance acquaintance which had been so
pleasant for the last few weeks was to come
to an end that afternoon with the princes
departure northward by the rapide. The
lady must have been persuading him to
prolOng his stay despite the call of duty,
for as she rose and swept gracefully toward
one Of the q IN French windows she said
in Il voice loud enough to reach the other
group;
Only week; it is such short time.
You have been so kind and good am sure
you could spare me that"
The prince rose also, and following with
his hand on his heart made answer:
Madame, you ask what is impossible
and what gives NE pain the most ex-
Quisite to refuse. Would that l could re-
main, but my time is up, and his majesty
has need of me-
II want you a good deal more than the
car does" said Mrs. Vanhuysen. Come
into the garden, prince. must see if | can t
upset your determination "
The moment she had stepped through the
window with Spandoff in attendance the
other pair of lingerers raised their eyes to
each other OF this couple the man was
also tall and distinguished, but he was very
fair, and his accent suggested a German or
igin. The lady's ancestry may have been
Austro-Polish but she lived in the present,
and for the present she was entirely cosmo-
politan. She was of singularly pale com.
pleXion and had large, quietly contempla-
tive eyes.
When Mrs. Vanhuysen was not present,
the men staying in the hotel voted her at
tractive, but the women shrugged their
shoulders. The man was known as Baron
Kolnitz the lady as Nine. Mosenthal, and
they were supposed To be brother and sis
ter. AS matter of fact they were not re-
lated, and their names were quite different,
but that has nothing to do with the story
They gazed long and earnestly. The man
was the first to break silence.
ut will upset all our plans if she does
prevail on him to stay" he said in the gut
teral accents of his race. "Who can say
what woman will do? She may put her
soul into the job, now at the last moment
and disorganize everything. Our mission
would then have to be attempted in this
crowded hotel if we are to give him his
quietus by the 18th"
The date matters little, fancy, so long
as he never secs st. Petersburg again" sad
Nine. Mcsenthal.
the baron shrugged his shoulders
You make no allowance for my feel
ings," he replied. Il have planned every
thing to a nicely; have spent 800 francs il
fqualing the rsuard of the rapide, Francoi,
Petre, to do our bidding; our own escape i.
arranged with certainty, and yet you ask
to view the overthrow Of our plans witt
complaisance."
ut will be time enough to grumble wher
cause arises" returned the lady. "Formy
self, do not anticipate any change in til,
programme. Would it not be well to re
capitulate the chief points in it, now thai
We have the opportunity" she added
glancing round The room, which was de
serted save tor the presence of the head
waiter busy at distant buffet and wei
out of earshot
Kolnitz satisfied himself with a steAlthl
glance in the same direction and proceedct
20 enumerate his points with the gusto C.
IN artist well pleased with his cwn design
THE train by which the prince is to tray
D." he whispered, LEAVES here at $3.50 thi
afternoon. We also travel by that train
but at first not together. We arrive earl,
at the station and take our tickets to Paris
but we do not know each other-you and
When the train comes in, proceed to an.
apartment | may select-full or empty, al
the same it does not matter which. Blu
on you at this stage everything depends
Till the moIaent Of departure you remain
in the waiting room. Then, as if distracte,
p at the thought of losing your train, you
! rush on TO the platform.
Francois Petre, the guard, alread.
squared with my 200 francs, is on the lool
out. He bundles you with many apologize
into the coupe reserved for our good friend
the prince. Spandoff will recognize you a
fellow guest at his hotel, and as you ar
pretty when-pardon me-Mme Vanhuy
SO So