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

right to act precipitately. Whatever
ing that would warrant us in communi-
eating with the authorities. 1t is duty
which feel owe to myself and to you
to ascertain the real nature of this mys-
terry on which we have stumbled. You
are a young man, and, moreover, Rus
sian, and therefore / do not ask you TO
expose yourself to peril in the matter.
AS the envoy of foreign power, my
person is inviolable, and can therefore
afford to risk an indiscretion. Remain
here, beg of you, while I go forward
and effect an entrance into the apart
ment from which that light proceeds.
Should ] not return by the end of If
teen minutes, ! authorize you to go to
NJ. Velovitch and inform him of the af-
fair
THE lad was at first disposed to to
clude him from the perils of the entor-
prise. But by dint of an appeal to the
authority Of his beloved mother / r,ic.
ceeded at length in winning his con-
sent to the plan 1 had suggested. He
then consulted his watch so as to meas
ure the lapse of fifteen minutes, and
advanced with noiseless steps down the
gallery.
1.-THE light which l had observed
streamed out under an ancient and mas
sive door set in deep stone arch at
the eastern end of the passage. My
first impulse was TO knock at this door,
but rs I got close to it another idea
suggested itself TO me. 1t was evidently
through this door that the parsonage
behcld by Boris had made his approach
the night before, and it was just possible
that he might have omitted to lock he
door on his return. l laid my fingers
OH the oalten handle, and turned with
Infinite delicacy and slowness. As
soon as it ceased to revolve under the
pressure of my hand, / gave gentle
push to the door. To my delight it
yielded. gave another push, equally
slight, and the door responded with
horrible grating sound. Fputher con-
cealment was useless; l boldly flung
the door open and stepped through.
"Thc first glance was sufficient to
tell me that / had merely gained an
ante-chamber, forming a sort of gen
eral approach to the VARIES. rooms OF
which the suite was composed. This
ante-room was deserted, but ihcre'
diately on the right lay room oil
which the door was partly open, and
from which proceeded the light that
had filtered out into the gallery. Has
tiy closing the outer door behind me
l made two steps into this inner room.
"Never shall l forget the thrill, tin,
absolute stupor OF amazemcnt which
overcame ME at what | beheld. There
half risen from the chair on which hC
had doubtless been seated when aroused
by the crealiing of the door, I saw TIL
very figure which Boris had described
to me, the tall form, the dark robes
and, above all, The pale and terrifying
countenance of the monarch who's
death had cast half Europe into mourn
ing"
The ambassador seemed to think tni
a suitable moment for returning to th
consideration of the game, in which i
was again his turn to move.
Lct me Deg OF you 10 commune,
exclaimed, unable TO restrain my i'm
patience. 81 will resign"
"'By no MEANS returned his exec
lency. with indulgence, you have go
several moves to make before l check
mate you. But 1 will, if you prefer Il
conclude my adventure before 1 dc
. vote myself to your overthrow.
UyEbot axcln,not;o, 7 ,,ttora1 x.ybnr,
first caught sight of this startling AZ
partition do not recollect. But whe
the parsonage before me thrust hi