Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-02

and slowness. AS soon as it ceased to re-
voive under the pressure Of my hand gave
| eentIe push to the door. To my delight
yielded. l gave another push, equally
| slight, and the door responded with a hor-
| rifle grating sound. Further concealment
| was useless; boldly flung the door open and
| stepped through.
The first glance was sufficient to tell
| me tnat mad merely gained an ante-cham-
per- forming sort of general approach to
the various rooms of which the suite was
composed. This ante-room was deserted,
put Immediately on the right lay a room
OF winch the door was partly open, and
| from which proceeded the light that had
| inferred out into the gallery. Hastily clos
| ing the outer door behind me, 1 made two
| steps into this inner room.
| Never shall l forget the thrill, the alb
| solute stupor of amazement which over
| came me at what 1 behed. There half
| risen from the chair on which he had
doubtless been seated when aroused by the
| creaking of the door, I saw the very fig
ure which Boris had described to me- the
tall form, the dark robes, and above ALL
the pale and terrifying countenance Of
| Europe into mourning
| Inc ambassador seemed to think this a
suitable me ment for returning to the con-
| again his turn to move
| Lei me beg OF you to continue" I ex-
canned, unable to restrain my Impotence.
| Il will resign.
| by no MEANS returned his excellency,
| with indulgence, you have got several
| moves to make before 1 checkmate you.
| But L will, If you prefer it, conclude my
| adventure before l devote myself to your
| overthrow.
| What exclamation 1 uttered when I
iirst caught sight of this startling appari-
| ton l do not recollect. But when the per-
| sonage before me thrust his hand into
| his pocket and drew out a revolver it
| was impossible for me to doubt that l was
deallng with a man of flesh and blood.
| Like lightning 1 produced my own weapon,
| which l leveled at his breast, at the same
| time eXclaiming:
| Hold l am the envoy of France! In
the name of the ear, who are you?
| He lowered his revolver, took a steady
| look at my features, which he no doubt he
gan to recognize, and replied in unouTnful
tones:
~ am Alexander III
AT the same time he sank down again
| into his chair, while my pistol dropped
from my hand. and 1 had TO cling to a
table for support.
Sire" was all I could gasp out But
-but-pardon this intrusion. L imagined
Dead? Yes, I know it, he responded,
| still i'll the same melancholy voice But
| SIT down. Since you are here, and chance
| or fate has put you into possession Of my
| secret, you had better know all. Sit down
| NJ. lie Baron. l am no longer an emperor
| = obeyed, still struggling with my as
constituent.
First of all, tell me by what means
you have penetrated to my hiding place, in
| winch imagined myself secure from all
HiaIihLiu, Salu the eX-cZar.
| In as few words as possible I related to
MS majesty the incidents which 1 have
been telling you. He listened with deep
attention.
"'Ah. well, baron, remember Won of
old,' he remarked, with faint smile when
L had finished. You always had the repu-
| tatlon for worming out more secrets than
| any other man in Europe and l ought TO
| have foresaen that 1t would be necessary
| to take you into my confidence 1t is for
| tunate that you have come alone, and that
| your deXterity.'
| II bowed deeply at these compliments.
| His majesty continued:
The only return / can make to you for
a nCellty OF which | assure myself before
hand is to explain to you my reasons for
| what must seem TO you an extraordinary
| state of things The fate of my father,
| Alexander IL, slain by a bomb in the
| streets of St. Petersburg, is, of course ia
/ miliar TO YOU But it is not easy for you
| to realize the effect produced by that fear
| ful event on my mind. The perils of a
| battlefield may be faced by brave man,
| inspired by the enthusiasm which battle
| calls forth. But the perpetual secret peril
| which dogs one day after day and year
after year. and never slackenS for a single
moment-that is a very different thing /
| am not ashamed to confess to you, baron,
! that from the moment 1 assembled the
bloody throne Of Russia my life was one
| long. haunting agony. Never once did 1
| have one hour of perfect freedom from
| care. And ! could do nothing. 1 was help
leSs-d martyr Doun0 10 the stake OF my
aUtocracy. They prated to ME of reforms
You are man who knows Russia as few
| men know it, and you tell me whether
| the first step in the direction of reform
| would not have drawn down on my head
the vengeance of men beside whom the nj
| hiltsts are bungling apprentices
Il could only bow my acquiescence in this
sorrowful truth.
For years. proceeded Alexander
| had secretly set my heart on abdcating.
| l only waited till my son Nicholas was of
| an age to face the dangers and difficulties
| of the task of governing Russia. But by
| the time that the hour of release drew near
| l had learned that abdication would earn
| me no respite from the hatred with which
l was pursued. l had acquired the knowl-
| edge that there were those who had sworn
| that, on the throne or off it, l should not
be allowed to die natural death. To give
| up my imperial state would simply be sur
| rendering my safeguards against the en-
| nifty of those who sought my life. 1t was
! these considerations which ultimately
| ton which 1 lament, but to which 1 owe
the first peaceful days l have spent for
| twelve years.
81 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 unsupported retreat, where
| l might pass the remainder Of my days,
| shielded from the vengeance of my relent-
| less pursuers. In order to carry out this
| design it 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 body servant on
| whom was cast the duty of arranging for
my future privacy, and attending me in
! it. He is at this moment away procuring
| supplies OF food.
| 1.-The deception was carried out with
| success which was doubtless due to the very
boldness of the design. The world, stupefed
| in its narrow routine, is never willing to be-
| lieve in the existence of anything unfamiliar
| to its everyday 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 feel
| sure, easily discover some means of allay-
| ing any suspicious he may have formed
| since
These words of his majesty's reminded
! me that Boris was impatiently awaiting my
temperance l glanced at my watch
| Twelve minutes had already passed
- i must leave you now, SIRE l exclaimed
| rising hastily, or my comrade will be seek
| ing for me. Rest assured that l shall not
| prove unworthy of the trust YOU have
| deigned to repose in me. But venture to
! advise your majesty to discontinue your
visits to your sons apartments for the pres
ent. Should you desire to lay your com
nands upon me at any time, shall be found
French