Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-05-14

peril which dogs one day after day and
year after year. and never slackens fol-
a single moment-that is very diff,
ferent thing. l am not ashamed to con,
fess to you, baron, that from the moment
I assembled the bloody throne Of Rus
STA my life was one long, haunting
agony. Never once did have one hour
Of perfect freedom from care. And ]
could do nothing. I was helpless-a
martyr bound to the stake of my au-
tocracy. They prated to me of re-
forms. You are a man who knows Rus
STA as few men know it, and you can
tell me whether the FIRST step in the di-
rection of reform would not have drawn
down on my head the vengeance of men
beside whom the nihilists are bungling
apprentices
81 could only bow my acquiescence in
this sorrowful truth.
60 For years proceeded Alexander, Il
had secretly set my heart on abdicating.
| only waited till my son Nicholas was Of
an age to face the dangers and Difficult"
ties of the task of governing Russia.
But by the time that the hour Of release
ton would earn me no respite from the
hatred with which / was pursued. L
had acquired the knowledge that there
were those who had sworn that, on the
throne or off it, should not be allowed
TO die q natural death To give up my
Imperial state would simply be surren-
lering my safeguards against the en-
nifty of those who sought my life. IL
was these considerations which ulti-
mately forced me to entertain the idea
of a deception which l lament, but to
which 1 owe the first peaceful days |
have spent for twelve years.
"I resolved, as you have gathered by
this time, to go solemnly through the
forms of death and burial, and thus
acquire the right to retire to some un.
suspected retreat, where / might pass I
the remainder of my days, shielded from
the vengeance of my relentless pur-
sucrs. In order to carry out this de-
| sign it was necessary that should take
| five persons into my confidence, my
wife, my son, two physicians of whose
personal loyalty and friendship l had
had many proofs, and an old trusted
|
of arranging for my future privacy, and
attending on me in it. He is at this mo-
incnt away procuring supplies Of food.
""The deception was carried out with
success which was doubtless due TO
the very bodness of the design. This
world, stupefied in its narrow routine,
is never willing to believe in the exist
ence of anything unfamiliar to its every
day experience. Your young friend, the
page, of whom you have spoken, was
more ready to credit that he had seen
spirit than that Alexander III. could
still be in the flesh. Your ingenuity
will, I feel sure, easily discover some
means of allaying any suspicious he
may have formed since
"These words of his majesty's re-
minded me that Boris was impatently
awaiting my temperance. l glanced
Mt my watch. Twelve minutes had al
ready passed.
"I must leave you now, sire ex-
claimed, rising hastily, or my COM
rade will be seeking for me. Rest as
sured that shall not prove unworthy
of the trust you have deigned to reposc
y
majesty to discontinue your visits to
your sons apartments for the present.
Should you desire to lay your com.
mands upon me at any time, shall DO
found at the French embassy
with these words took respect
full but hurried leave of the ex-czar, who
babe me cordial farewell.
~ rejoined Boris just as he was about
to set off and give the alarm, and was
successful in putting stop to any ques-
tons on his part by few judiciors
words.
az am forbidden to tell you what
have discovered, but I may tell you il,
confidence that you must have mis-
taken the son for the father
"The young prince accepted this eS-
PLANTATION readily enough, and its eff
feet was confirmed the next day by the
issue of an order disseminating the
guard in the gallery altogether. AS
have told you, all trace of the incident
quickly disappeared from the society of
ST. Petersburg. At the end of few
weeks the unlucky page received the
honor of lieutenant's commission in q
regiment which happened to form part
of the garrison of Vladivostock, on the
coast of the Pacific"
His excellency stopped, glanced az
the board and made the move which
: had been dreading for some time.
"Checkmate!"
THE END.