Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-17
HOW THE BR|GAD|ER PLAYED
FOR A KINGDOM,
BY. A. CONAN DOYLE.
Copyright 1885, by Bachelor johnson BacheIIerJ
Continued from Mondays Starr
SYNOPSIS.

Continued from Mondays Starr
SYNOPSIS.
(After the disastrous retreat of the army
OF Napoleon from Moscow, Brig. Gerard
was sent through the German territory
nominally friendly, but really ripe for re-
volt, to raise troops in France. On his
way he has observed with some dismay the
black looks of the hostile peasants, who in
ore place drank mysterious toast to the
letter I. A little later he is warned of his
peril by a~terror-stricken man hidden by
the roadside 1T means death to me If
am seen helping you" the man had said
DEATH From whom asked the briga-
der
From the Tugenbund. From Lutzow's
night-riders," replied the fellow. Soon
after the brigadier meets a French Cfttcer,
almost expiring from a CHASTITY wound
indeed. he dies before he has finished what
he sought to say, yet succeeds in trans
uniting a message from Napoleon's own
hand. to be delivered. at any hazard to the
Prince of Saxe-Felstein at Hof On this
mission Gerard proceeds, and manages to
avoid the riders. Detained, however, at a
small inn by an accident to his horse, he
Is startled by a woman's cry, and hastens
to her aid He finds her beset by ruffians,
but easily effects her rescue. She is
the Countess Palotta. so she says,
mistreated because of her friendship
for the French. She completely wins
his confidence, and by ruse sue
ceeds in robbing him of his precious papers.
Terribly disconnected, he nevertheless con-
lectures the nature of the message, and
gailopS on, resolved to deliver it by word
of mouth. But at Hof he is denied access
TO the prince. The princess. however,
meets him; and in her he recognizes the
proud beauty who had betrayed him.
Breaking past her, by sheer strength and
auiacity, he forces his way into the great
hall where the prince is sitting in the
presence of his fun council.
Il bear a message to the Prince of Sake
Felstein," he criesD
CHAPTER ".
The man beneath the dais raised his
head, and I saw that his face was thin
and wan, and that his back was bowed, as
though some huge burden was balanced be-
tween his shoulders
Your name, STRIP he asked.
col. Etienne Gerard of the third hus-
sars"
Every face in the gathering was turned
upon me, and l heard the rustic of the in
Vulnerable necks and saw countless eyes,
without meeting one friendly one among
them. The woman had swept past me, and
was whispering with many snakes of her
head and dartings of her hands into the
princes ear. For my part, 1 threw out my
chest and curled my mustache, glancing
around in my own debonair fashion at the
assembly.
Hey were men, all Cnem, professors
from the college, a sprinkling of their stu
dents, soldiers, gentlemen, artisans, all very
silent and serious. In one corner there sat
q group of men in black, with riding coats
drawn over their shoulders. They leaned
their heads to each other. whispering under
their breaths, and with every movement 1
caught the clank of their sabers or the clink
of their spurs.
THE emperor's private letter to me in
forms me that it is the Marquis Chateau St.
Arnaud, who is bearing his dispatches"
said the prince.
The marquis has been foully murdered"
i answered and buzz rose up from the
PEOPLE as 1 spoke. Many heads were turned,
l noticed, toward the dark men in the
cloaks.
Where are your papers?" said the
prince.
II have none"
A fierce clamor arose instantly round me-
He is a spy. He plays partr' they cried.
Hang him. roared a deep voice from the
corner and p dozen others drew up at the
shout. For my part l threw out my hand
kerchiefsand flicked the dust from the fur
of my pelisse. The prince held out his thin
white hand and the tumult died away.
Where, then, are your credentials, and
what is your message?" he asked.
MY uniform Is my credential. and my
message is for your private ear"
RE passed lis hand over his forehead
with the gesture of weak man who is at
his wits ends what to do. The princess
stood beside him with her hand upon the
throne, and again she whispered in his ear.
I'VE are here in council together, some
of my trusty subjects and myself" he said.
Il have no secrets from them, and whatever
message the emperor may send to me at
such time concerns their interests no less
than mine"
There was hum of applause at this, and
every eye was turned once more upon me.
My faith, it was an awkward position in
| found myself {
to address 800 hussars and another to speak
TO such an audience on such subject. But
! fixed my eyes upon the prince, and tried
10 say just what 1 should have said if we
had been alone, shouting 1t out too as
though had my regiment on parade. You
have often expressed friendship for the
emperor" l cried. 1T Is now at last that
this friendship is about to be tried If you
stand firm he will reward you only he
can reward. 1t is an easy thing for him
TO turn a prince into king, and province
into power. His eyes are fixed upon you,
and though you can do little to harm him
you can ruin yourself At this moment he
is crossing the Rhine with 100000 men,
Every fortress in the country is in his hands
lie Will be upon you in a week; and if you
have played him false, God help both you
and your people You think that he is weak
eneG because a few of US got the chilblains
last winter. Look therer | cried, pointing
to a great star which blazed through the
window above the princes head. THAT is
the emperors star. When it wanes he will
vane. but not before"
You would have been proud of me. my
friends If you could have seen and heard
me, for l clasned my saber as spoke. and
swung my dolman though my regiment
was Dicketed outside in the court yard.
They listened 10 me i'm silence, but the back
of the prince bowed more and more, as
though the burden which weighed upon it
was greater than his strength. He looked
around with haGEard eyes.
I'VE have heard a FrenChman speak for
France" he said. Let US have German
speak fol Germany.
The folks EIInceJ at each other ard whis-
percd to their nciChbors. My speech had
as 1 think, had its effect, and no man wish
ed to be the first to commit himself in the