The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-11-07
1T WAS UNDOUBTEDLY PRINCE sTANIsLAs DE MEDEA

No, could not bring myself to be-
lieve this quite. 1t was so much more
likely that he had fallen a prey to some
artful villains who by some means or
other had recognized him in Biskra,
penetrated his incognito and turned
their knowledge to serve their own ne
farious ends.
This implied foul play of the worst
kind. They might even have made
away with him in this far-off semi
barbarous land; at least they could
hold him sequestrated somewhere, a
close prisoner, until they had achieved
| their purpose-the eXtortion of hush
money for a social offense that only eX-
listed in their own evil minds.
/ saw now that it was my bounden
duty to apply to the authorities. The
police at Biskra were semi-military in
character, and under the orders of the
cOmmandant, a colonel of Spahis, Bar
on d'Hautrine by name, whose ac-
quaintance [ had already made.
He was a striking parsonage in his
way; tall, of commanding presence, a
soldier before everything, a 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 a 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 a warm and genuine liking
based on pleasant days spent and pla as
ant friendships made when military
| attache to the French embassy in Lon
don.
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 conf
dence sooner, my dear comrade. We
are late: we have lost valuable time. If
| this young prince has-whose father I
knew in Vienna. and his mother, she
was a Princess de Gauffremont-if
Prince Stanislas has really been here
and if he has fallen among thieves in
the way you suggest, I fear the thing
has zone TOO far He is probably beyond
our help"
KILLED? Murdered?" l asked blunt
ly.
He shrugged his shoulders.
1T is poor confession. to make. but
out here, in these wilds, such things
have been. Strange things. The
strangest is, perhaps this story
Frankly. monsieur, l hardly credit it
1t fails at the very beginning. We do
not even know that Prince Stanielas
has ever been in Biskra. 1 question that
even"
would you have l5nown?"
'As q matter of course I think he
would have come to me; I think he
would have allowed me to show him
! some attention. In any case. the hotel
regiSters-you know our French sYs-
TEN would certainly have told me-
No Prince de Medea has been recorded
among the arrivals at Biskra, believe
me: I should have heard"
Put if he was incognito for reasons
of his own?"
1--WE will have the registers. Let us
see if there is anyone like him on the
lists. But you tell me you have your
self inquired at the hotels. I fear this
viii lead US no further"
The lists We're brought, but, as the
baron prophesied, they told us nothing
NO he said, 81 see only one spot Of
firm ground anywhere, a point from
which possibly we may travel in the
right direction"
1.-THE notary public?'
Exactly, NJ. La Ramie is a real.
tangible fact-the only notary public
in Bisllra | know him personally a lit
tie, by reputation still better, as an
honorable, straightforward fupctionary
who would hardly lend himself to any
thing underhand. French notaries, as
rule. bear a deservedly high charac-
ter We had better see NJ. La Ramie
He can. at least. tell you the truth
about the confession. A record Of the
copy. made and attested. will be kept
in his Office, if it ever was made, which
1 doubt"
We walked down without delay to the
place de la Sahara, and were shown in
at once. All doors opened before the
commandant of the garrison
M. La Ramie, an aged man, who was
in slippers and wore black skull cap,
was most courteous and obliging, pre-
pared to give us any information in his
power But he knew nothing of con-
fession made by Prince Stanislas de
Medea. Nothing of the sort had been
brought to his etude; he had never
heard of De Fivas or Mirabel.
Then I laid the copy before him, ask
ing if that was not his office seal, his
signature.
''The seal. yes. The signature, no.
The first has been stolen, 1 know by
whom; the second ed-undoubtedly
forged, by the same coquin. voleur,
escroc, sacripant, faineant." The staid