The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-30
THE GHOST OF THE WINTER PALACE
BY ALLEN UPWARD.
Author of "secrets OF the Courts OF Europe"
Copyright, 1891

not know Russia. To nave gwen uIi,.
alarm of which you speak might have
been Of the utmost danger TO the prince.
The first person whom he approached
with the news might have been secret
nihilist and have repaid such u com
munication with a knife thrust. The
whole court is honeycombed. Even IL
Boris had succeeded in bringing about
the arrest of the person whose move
ments had reused his attention, this
might have turned out to be some high
functionary, perhaps general or a
chamberlain, who, after easily explain
ing away his mysterious proceedings,
would have privately exerted his influ-
ence TO have my young friend removed
TO Tobolsk or Tiflis. Believe me, in
Russia TO be too jealous courtier is
hardly less dangerous than to be nn
actual conspirator, as you will perhaps
realize when you have heard my story.
''While our prince was still hesitat-
ing, he suddenly became aware of an
unusual sound, coming from the far
end of the gallery, where it ended in
the disused apartments l have de-
scribed. The sound appeared to be
that of door slowly turning on its
hinges. In an instant Boris realized,
or thought he realized. the situation.
The parsonage of The garden had ar
rived in the vacant suite by means of
a secret stairway from the garden door,
and was now about to pass through
into the gallery, with the object, no
doubt, of making his way finally into
the imperial corridor.
There was not a moment TO lose.
Unarmed, as he stood there, Boris for
tunately recollected that in the little
chamber which l have spoken of as set
apart for the use of the pages, there
was pair of loaded pistols and a sword.
He darted in through the open door Of
the room, snatched up the sword and
one of the pistols, and had got back
nearly as far as the threshold, when
he was arrested, and his very limbs
were rooted to the ground by the sight
of the figure which passed noiselessly
along the corridor outside.
Imagine tall and somber appari-
tiOhs WIN iohB DiuNh IODtS sweeping
the floor, the head shrouded in deep
cowl, from whose Iccesses cleaned cut,
pallid and spectral In the light of the
room, the features Of the dead mon
arch, Alexander ILL.,
At this point his excellency pretend
ed to perceive for the first time the
change which had taken place in the
position of the chessmen.
y "Ah! You have moved your king"
he exclaimed, and promptly shifted his
attacking bishop so as to give me fresh
check. Then he returned to the narra-
tive.
"A moment passed. The first shock
of terror over, the awe-struclI page VEN
tured to the door of the chamber and
glanced out into the gallery. The
ghost had disappeared as suddenly
and as mysteriously as 1t had come"
"Were there no other rooms of the
gallery into which IL 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 ! have already described
as closing off the imperial corridor.
''Be sure that put the same question
myself when my young friend told me.
the story, His manner convinced Ire
that he was not lying, and that he really