The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-04-29
THE GHOST or TEE
WINTER PbEA AGE
Aufhsr ofssersts oftiis Coartsof Barpps.
Copyright, 1913

Auihsr ofseerots oftlP Coarts % Bnrppe.
Copyright, ilss1
SYNOPSIS.
A former Ambassador Of France 70 Rus
Bia during game Of qhesl with the mar
at tho Russian court. Not long after the
death Of the ear, Alexander III, = ghost
had been sean n one Of the corridors OF
the Winter Palace; While the ambaaea-
the next day, the son ot the princela
Boris 4 page on duty ihithe palace, comes
IN and announces that 4 Is he who had
seen the ghost.
PARTm
.'You must know" the ambassador
continued, that the winter palace Is
one Of the most colossal buildings in
the world. Whole suites Of apartments
in Il are never used. ever, but, In order
to guard against all danger from the.
odious attempts OF the nihiilsts, GER
tain watch Is maintained even IN the
most deserted quarters OF the palace.
In these portions which are given up TO
the members Of the Imperial household
this duty Is performed by sentlnels,
selected from the imperial guard. but in
the neighborhOod Of the cars own
apartments the task OF Keeping guard
Is undertaken by the corps Of pages, OF
whom Bor1s was one. Fhe Imperial
suite, comprising eight principal rooms,
Is trayersed throughout Its length by a
corridor which opens At one end on TO
the first landing Of the grand stair
case, at which point two OF the pages
are always on duty, day and night At
the other end the CORR OF Is closed by
door which Is always kept locked. on
the further SIDE OF this do0H y q disused
gallery overlooking a garden In the rear
Of the palace and leading 90 suite OF
rooms which has not been used Tor
very many years. Nevertheless IN &C
cordance with the strict rule already
mentioned, an imperial page has always
been stationed in this gallery to prevent
the possibility OF access to the locked
door. II was at this spot that the young
prince had been on duty the preceding
night.
.'You will understand that the task Of
keeping guard at night in deserted
gallery was by no means pleasant one,
although no page was required TO be
there for more than three hours In the
twenty-four. Moreover, small room
opening cut OF the gallery had been
su5tably furnished for the lads to relax
themselves In during theE solitary
watch. In spite OF TINS, the outy ntlu
remained an unpopular one, so mueh'so
that the new car, on taking up his
quarters in the palace, had earned the
gratitude Of the pages corps by decree
ing that from the hour Of midnight to
six in-the morning the watch in the gal
lery should no longer be kept up.
son the night In question Boris had
repaired to the gallery to relieve his
comrade at nine o'clock. He had simply
to remain there till twelve, and then, as
soon as the clock struck, he was at lib
erty to retire to his own quarters
at wanted very few minutes to the
hour, and he was pacing the gallery, Inn
patiently waiting for his release, when
he happened to stop opposite one Of the
windows and look out Into the grounds.
II was 4. bright moonlight night, and
every tree and shrub IN the garden
stood out IN startling dIstinctness. He
Faxed idly, letting his eyes roam over
the expanse when all at once his at
tention was arrested by a sight calcu-
lated to disturb anyone living in the
alarmist atmosphere Sof the Russian
court, This was tall and closely -muf-
| ned figure stealing along In the bnpken
shsdoTs Of the trees and making its
way towards the nearest corner OF the
building.
at was inevitable that the startled
mage should at once connect this figure
Win the audacIous intrigues Of the
dreaded secret society whose plots con-
stitute a perpetual menace to the inn
nerisi throne. His impression that he
Hyas watching nihilist enlISsary was
confrned when he saw him confidently
annroarhIng a door in the wall Of the
naiace which was never used, and was
supposed to be securely fastened
aVaInst Ingress and egress. This door,
On Inc contrary, appeared TO yield to q
touch of the mysterious visitor, who
fiISappeared from sight beneath its
arch
"Greatly disturbed by what he had
seen. Boris kent his station In the gall
lery, considering what 1t was advisable
for him TO do. The clock struck the
hour for his release, but he paid no at
tention. absorbed in the thought OF how
Ia deal with the dangerous intruder"
4 should have thought 1t a simple
matter 10 give the alarm" 1 ventured
to rnrrmtIr.
EJIS eYcsIIOncy regarded me with q
IooIr In which pity and rebuke stroye
Sor the mystery.
.,NJv friend il IL evident that you do
,,ot know, Russia. To have given this
sIsrn, az which Won sneak might have
hsen az the iitrnest danger TO the prince.
TIE frst I,erS0n whom he approached
With fi,e news might have been a secret
nIhIIIst and have repaid such a conn
rnnrjcsffion with knife thrust. The
,i.S,is Sa,,r, q honeyeombed. Even II
NAANAr -