The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-11-07

| This, to my mind, knocked the bot
tom out Of the whole story. II a gam
bling scandal had occurred in the club,
| it would surely have been dealt with by
members, not outsiders; certainly not by
such outsiders, shadowy, obscure person
ages, of whom, after five days inquiry,
/ ! could hear nothing in Biskra. But
| there was still stronger reason to doubt
the story. Now that | was a member l
was in a position to ask, cautiously,
about the case.
| No one had heard of it at all. 1t was
pure invention: there had been no cheat
| ing, no Prince Stanislas in the club.
| This conclusion relieved me of all anx-
| iety with respect to the negotiations.
The blackmailers were not to be greatly
! dreaded; their threats might be dis
regarded, and the money must assured
ly not be paid.
But 1 found myself in the presence of
a much more serious question. 1t was
perfectly clear to me that something
had happened to the young prince. No
plot of this kind could have been set on
/ foot without his being actively or pas
siyely concerned in it. He was a party
to it, whether as victim or tool or prime
mover For moment | wondered
whether it was the last. Had this young
scapegrace sought thus to mulct ia
Their not too liberal with his supplies
No, could not bring myself to believe
this quite. 1t was SO much more likely
that he had fallen prey to some art
full villains who by some means or other
had recognized him in Biskra, penetrated
his uncognito, and turned their knowl-
edge to serve thir own nefarious ends.
This implied foul-play of the worst
kind. They might even have made
away with him in this far-off semi-bar-
barous land; at least they could hold
him sequestrated somewhere, a close
prisoner, until they had achieved their
purpose--the extortion of hush money
for social offense that only existed in
their own evil minds.
l saw now that it was my bounden
duty to apply to the authorities. The
police at Bskra were semi-military in
character, and under the orders of the
commandant, colonel of Spahis, Baron
d'Hautrine by name, whose acquaint
ance / had already made.
He was striking parsonage in his
way; tall, of commanding presence, d
soldier before everything, military
dandy in the best sense, always spick
and span, in the whitest Of shirt cuffs
the smartest and most perfectly fitting
uniform; he was also a man Of The
world. Consigned now by the chances
of q military service to this remote, but
important post, he kept himself abreast
of all that went on in Paris, indeed in
Europe. For the English he expressed
warm and genuine liking, based on
pleasant days spent and pleasant friend
ships made when military attache to the
French Embassy in London.
Now he received me with great cor.
diality; but when he had heard my
whole story, he shook his head with
grave disapproval and said: "You should
have taken me into your confidence
sooner, my dear comrade. We are late;
we have lost valuable time. If this
young prince has-whose father knew
in Vienna. and his mother. she was a
Princess de Gauffremont-if Prince
Stanislas has really oeen here, and if he
has fallen among thieves in the way you
suggest, / fear the thing has gone too
far. He is probably beyond our help"
"KilIed? MurderedY' I asked bluntly
. He shrugged his shoulders.
s'It Is a poor confession to make, but
out here, in these wilds, such things
, have been. Strange things. The strang.
est is, perhaps, this story. Frankly,
monsieur, l hardly credit it. 1t fails al
the very beginning. We do not even
know that Prince Stanislas has ever
been In Biskra. l question that, even.'
"WOuld you have lnownY
J 'As a matter Of course / think he
would have cone to me; / think he
would have allowed me to show him
some attention. In any case, the hotel
registers-you know our French sys.