The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-01-17
A WELL-MATCHED PAIR.
How Prince Demtof and Lady
Constance Were Robbed.

OOuSLbuC0 "0I0 1SOOO0O.
The platform was crowded this sun
ny morning with excursionists ant
swell yachtsmen and ladies with gol
sticks.
Two people attracted lot of atten
tion by their palpable efforts ut con
cealment. He, although the day wa.
so hot, was enveloped in a long CLOAK
with q collar reaching past his ears
and his cotton-white hair and mus
tache showed up occasionally in strong
contrast to the deep brown of his face
as he turned to watch the porters at
tacking huge mound of his belong
ings.
Each box and bag was emblazoned
with an imperial coronet over a mono
gram, and they told one anothe,
guardedly and under promises of pro
found secrecy, 'that was Prince Pau
Demtoff. the owner of the new one
hundred rater now lying off South
ampton."
She, the lady, was tall and graceful
ly girl like. A neat hat, blue serge
Redfern frock; sunburnt straw hat,
with dark blue ribbon; tiny tanned
boots, a white shirt with turn-down
collar, and a flowing white tie COM
pleted her costume, saving thick gos-
samer veil that completely hid her
face, and but for the whiteness and
purity of her neck it would have
seemed she suffered from some facial
Disagreement. 1t was evidently de-
sire not to be recognized that led to
the adoption of the yashmak.
She was evidently expecting or
avoiding some friends. Her head
moved with bird-like quickness as
she scanned each new arrival on the
platform, and her slender hand, white
and jcwelless, twitched nervously
round the handle of the morocco mono
grained case she carried. Catching
her eye from n distance, he walked to-
ward her with the easy, firm assur-
ance that women like. She saw he
was coming to her and waited calmly
perhaps she breathed more quickly.
He raised his soft hat, and with d
courtly bow said in perfect English,
with the mere scent of accent: "Par-
don me, you are distressed. Have you
missed your maid? Can I be of any
service to you?"
Now that his hat was off he appeared
prematurely white-haired man of
forty-five or fifty, with firm face and
voice-a man evidently used to COM
mand.
THANK you, very much" came in a
soft. sibilant voice from beneath the
thick gossamer. II have not quite
lost my maid, but my portmanteau.
I am afraid it is under that pile of lug
gage, and"-with a little shrug-"I'm
afraid that pile Of luggage is yours"
':That is mine. madame. I will get
your bag at once. May ask where
you are going? To Southampton, and
1t is of the highest importance that
you should not miss this train? Par
don, do not trouble. / will see that
all is arranged"
A few words to the guard, rapid
passage of backsheesh and the missing
bag, with dainty monogram and
small crest, was placed carefully on
the rack of the frst-class carriage by
which the yelled lady was standing.
With the GOODNESS that seemed part
Of his nature, the Russian indicated to
porter small hamper, and had it
placed in the same compartment.
There must have been some collusion
and lavish tip, for though the train
was crowded, the guard, after the i'm
pereeptible manner of his kind, kept
that carriage empty until the train
started and they found themselves
alone, securely locked in.
A sudden start ran through her
slender frame. She paused and asked
quickly: 'Do you know when the next
train leaves Waterloo for Southamp.
ton?'
He was desolated OF course she
missed her maid, but he was afraid
n st for some hours.
Madame is glad? Madame is afraid
of being followed?"
Eyes, madame is glad. She does not
wish to be taken back and forced into
hateful marriage" blushing prettily.
Tho old, old story stern father.
elderly lover. titled, rich, but horrid.
No mother, sister, no brother. She was
flying from bondage to her aunt. Lady
Azuregore, in Guernsey.
Yes, she was Lady Constance Azure
gore. Had he really met her at the
duchess Of Arlington's dance? She
thought she knew his face. That was
why size trusted him so implicitly on
the platform. of course. But IL she
was veiled. Why was he 50 shrouded
in big cloak? Come, now," anxious.
ly, "a lady? An elopement?"
No. no, and again no! Nothing SO
joyous. He was Prince Paul Demtof,
and had fallen between two stools
had incurred the enmity Of the i'm
perial court through coquetting with
the nihilists. That meant the Alexief.