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

lures of the dead monarch, Alexander ILL.,
At this point his excellency pretended to
perceive for the first time the change which
had taken place in the position of the chess
men.
"Ah. You have moved your king" he
exclaimed and promptly shifted his attack
ing bishop so as to give me fresh check
Then he returned to the narrative.
"A moment passed. The first shock of
terror over, the aWestruck page ventured to
the door of the chamber and glanced out
into the gallery. The ghost had disappeared
as suddenly and as mysteriously it had
come"
Were there no other rooms off the gal
lery into which it might have passed."
demanded, not to appear too credulous.
There were none. The only other door
in this part of the gallery was that which
l have already described as closing off the
imperial corridor.
BE sure that put the same question my
self when my young friend told me the
story. His manner convinced me that he
was not lying, and that he really believed
himself to have seen the specter he de-
soribed
LAS you know I am not a believer in the
supernatural I sought to shake the boys
suPerstitious state of mind
What you saw was some Illusion. some
trick Of the imagination I said to him.
He shook his head mournfully.
I am as certain of what l saw as if it
were before me now,' he replied. My moth
er will tell you that 1 am not subject to
idle fanci:;s.'
The princess confirmed this statement
with a nod of her head
" I am sure that my son must have seen
something like what he describes she said
to me, although it is evident to me that it
must have been some living person, mas
querading as the ghost of the car. The
question is for what purpose such a dis
guse could have been assumed. and on this
point confess I feel uneasy. What do you
say. my friend"
II shook my head
I fear that the first suspicious Of Boris
were correct I replied, and that the enc
mics Of his majesty have resumed their in
fernal schemes. 1t appears that they have
obtained key to the garden door. and who
knows that they have not secured another
to the door Of the imperial apartments
that door from which the guard was to
have been removed last night for the first
time? Surely it is not by a mere coinci-
dence that this strange figure presents it.
self in the corridor Immediately after mid
right, that Is to say, at the hour when the
conspirators had every reason to expect
that the page on guard would have just
quilted his post?'
Both mother and son appeared struck
by thas view or the circumstances. But
Boris was by no means prepared to aban-
don his belief in the supernatural charac-
ter Of what he had seen.
I can understand that it is difficult for
my mother and you to share my opinion ;
he remarked, but cannot believe that any
conspirator could have succeeded in as
sunliTg so close resemblance to Alexan-
der III, with whose features 1 was so we'll
acquainted. Besides, if your theory were
correct, and he hal disappeared through
the imperial corridor why is it that Moth
Ing has happened, and that no one seems to
have seen or heard anything of the intru-
sion?'
TT was, Of course, difficult to answer this
objection, but 1 reiterated my determine
occurrence
1t may verv well be that this was
merely a first visit added; "a reconnois-
sance to discover the nature of the ground
or other, and the villain may easily have
kept himself out of sight for a few min
utes. Doubtless he returned imm ,diately
only you had then left the gallery But
ter to the proof. If 1 am right in nv sus-
picions, this creature, whoever he may be
Will infallibly return at the same hour an,
other night. Tonight. on account Of the
his most favorable oppori unity, as he NAV
confidently expect to find the imperial suite
deserted. I propose to you that we renair
70 this little room of yours together at the
you tonight comes off duty, and if this
mysterious parsonage again presents him
self will compel him to disclose his iden-
tity.'
Boris welcomed this idea. could see
that he was secretly ashamed of the ridi-
Guile which attached to him for his story
OF ghostseeing, and that he was anxious
to re-estabnsh his character The princess
was good enough to express her opinion of
my courage and devotion in terms which 1t
would not become me to repeat to you In
the end we arrived at an understanding
and departed to the palace together.
Throughout the progress of the ball
during which Grand Duchess Olga con-
descended to become my partner in waltz
I kept my eyes and ears open and OBJ
served that Boris adventure of the night
before was a general topic Of conversation.