The record-union., 1896-04-26

be an impostor, and that it would be
better for me to hear his story before
told mine. 1 therefore begged him to
proceed.
TT is not a pleasant story" said he,
that have to tell you. AS you know,
1 am of the new party in Russia. Since
boyhood 1 have worked planned and
suffered for my country, and in conse-
quence / have been hated by those in
power. Until some years ago, however;
1 was allowed to pursue my own course
in comparative freedom. Now and then
the police warned me that l was APP
preaching too near the line in my writ
ings; but as / happened to belong to one
of the best families. and was rich and
powerful, 1 was practically allowed to
go my own way. AT last, however, I
found that neither my noble name nor
my riches were to help me. Information
reached me that 1. was to be arrested
and severely dealt with. Fortunately
had been somewhat prepared. My wife
was in Paris; my two sons were at
school in Germany. I had secured to
| them a moderate sum in case anything
happened to me. 1 had never dreamed
that all / had would be confscated.
| Such. however, was to be the case, ac-
cording to my informant's news. which
had come from the highest source.
was to be stripped of land and goods
and reduced to beggary.
| Il hurriedly consulted with Alexis
Vitrefsky, an old student friend Of
mine, as to what should be done He
was then unknown to the authorities.
| and was about to start for a tour in
| England We went to an English
| banker in St. Petersburg. and by his
| advice l turned all my negotiable secur-
tiles into English notes. The good
! banker gave me fifty English notes of a
thousand pounds each for my papers.
Those 1 handed to Alexis. He was to
carry them to England and preserve
them until 1 could join him. l was
watched, but I hoped to escape.
Alexis was puzzled how to carry the
notes. If he had them about his per-
son he might be searched, and awkward
questions as to his right to them put to
! him. People bound on a three months
| European tour do not usually carry
fifty thousand pounds worth of English
notes with them. Alexis however,
| quickly solved the difficulty. 1t was
his practice to carry with him wherever
! he went the portrait of his dead sister,
whom he regarded with feelings of alb
|
had engaged in the new movement, and
she had suffered. Alexis brought his
cherished portrait handsomely mount
ed in gold, to my house. We placed the
notes behind the canvas, and stitched
a strong piece of coarse cloth across
the frame so that none could see where
| the notes lay hid. Knowing that vi
trefsky was my true friend, and that
he would take care of the portrait, L
| felt my little fortune to be safe.
alexis left for England, and within
a few days of his departure L was ar
| rested. spent some weary years in
the fortress of SITS. Peter and Paul; sub
| sequently [ was sent to the mines. But
| before l left the fortress 1 had news of
| Alexis. BY means of those trusted mes
| sengers who are to be met with even
among the Government officials he con-
| trived to send me cipher letter, telling
ME that he was living in London, and
| giving this house as his address. When
| ever [ was free / was to come here to
receive the sum L had intrusted to him.
| Il have now told you all. 1 am free.
and / have come here only to find that
Alexis is murdered and the portrait
| gone"
I was so convinced that the Prince
|
longer hesitated about handing the por-
trait over to him. Before doing so,
however, 1 asked him one more question.
Pardon me- 1 said, but what of
your wife and boys?"
| He shook his head.
My wife died during my imprison-
ment," he answered. MY boys are
living here in London. Poor ladsi they
! had met with Indifferent treatment in
| Germany, and 1 fear that they will find
| life hard now that / have no means of
helping them
| Then your estates were confiscated?"
| Everything l had was confiscated.
When l finally escaped 1 was absolutely
| pennilesS.''
| 1 went to my safe and took the por-
| trait from the drawer in which / had
placed it on my return from Hull. With
out saying a word, 1 handed it to the
| Prince, who received it with an expr
| sion of the utmost astonishment.
"See if your money is still there"
| said L.
81 have no doubt of it, he answered,
| as he cut away the stitches from the
| canvas back But how did the pic
| ture come into your possession? You
| told me it had been stolen"
| L told MIN now L ndG IOQnu the pOr-
! trait in the shop at Hull. and had recog-
nized it again. While 1 talked, he
| turned back the canvas and discovered
| the banknotes securely wrapped in
folds of paper, exactly as he had de-
| scribed. His delight at finding himself
| once more wealthy was wonderful to
| witness. Poor Alexisi'' he said, sud-
| denly remembering the friend to whom
| he had trusted his sole resources. Il
| have my own theory as to his death.
| i have heard that he became closely
connected with one of the more deter
| mined secret societies, and had the ILL
| fortune to break with certain of it's
| most powerful members. These people
never forget. Alexis was probably
| tracked down to the very last"
But the portrait?' I said. "Why
should the murderers steal that?"
| The Prince shrugged his shoulders
"Ah," said he; probably while Alexis
was conversing with you in here and
| showing you the portrait and it's valu-
| able frame, the two men told off to kill
| him were watching you. OF course
they stole the portrait for the sake of
| the frame"
The explanation seemed a likely one.
I remembered that there had been
nothing to prevent Vitrefsky's assas-
| sins from following him up the stairs
that night, or from listening at the open
| door while he conversed with the me.
D,.iY, tod hi !,