Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-12-22

ann II you WISH"
Il will, presently. There was foot
man, suppOsew
Yes. Nicholas Kousnetski."
return?" "
Ellis Highness returned between 3
and In the morning. Jules Ramaud
his valet, was i'll in bed, and he begged
me to attend the Prince that night in.
stead of him. saw the Prince come
in"
Did you speak to him?"
~ did, sir. I asked His Highncss II
he would have anything. He shook his
head, but a little later went to the buff
fet in the dining room, and helped him.
self to glass Of something-I think II
was brandy. He generally took a
glass of spirits the last thing before
going to bed"
"And thenY
''rhen the Prince threw off his cloak
and went up stairs to his bed room"
You saw him enter his room?"
81 did, sir-that is to say, l did rot
absolutely see him enter the door; but
l saw him go up stairs, and followed
him up. ! heard his footsteps before
me the whole way, and I heard the
Loor shut and locked behind him"
You are sure that he locked the
loor""
81 am certain of that, sir. 1t was his
Highness' custom always to lock his
bed room door ut night"
as there any other door to the room
besides the one the Prince went in
by"
There is no other door,
You heard no suspicious sounds
during the night?'
None whatever"
"Who called the Prince in the morn
ing?'
Il did, as Jules was still suffering
greatly. raped several times, but
there was no answer. Then tried to
open the door, but it was locked
"Locked?"
Eyes, sir. And then, after knocking
several times, very loudly, sent for
the police and a carpenter. l knew
there was no use sending for lock-
smith. for the Prince had had a special
lock by firm Of famous makers put
on his room door the last time he was
in st. Petersburg, and l knew that no
picklock would open the door. The po-
lice were in the house almost at once,
but we had to wait half an hour for
the carpenter. When he came, he
burst open the door, and the police en-
tered the room first. I followed close
behind them. 1 expected to see the
dead body of my master on the bed, or
lying on the floor. But the room was
quite empty. He was not there"
And the Window"
''The window-they are double, you
know-was bolted, both the outer and
the inner ones. Besides, they are near
ly twenty feet from the ground"
II should like to see the room," said
l: and Ivanovitch took me up stairs.
1t was large apartment, luXuriously
furnished. The key was in the lock of
the door. which had been repaired. l
examined the key; it was of peculiar
form and very strong.
'Where was the key found?" I in
Qui. d.
''Ivanovitch lowered his voice as he
answered.: That's the strangest part
Of the whole business, sir The key
was found there" and he pointed to a.
spot on the floor near the foot of the
bed, about two yards from the door.
Found therew 1 exclaimed; "the
thing is impossible! When the Prince
had left the room and locked the door
behird him, how could he come back
to drop the key there without unlock
ing the door?"
'Ivanovitch slowly shook his head.
81 declare to you, sir" he said, ut
really seemed as if my unfortunate
master had been carried off by Sa-
tan. for" The honest man seemed to
suddenly that this solution
of the mystery was not complimentary
to the Prince. He stopped himself, and
l saw him furtively making the sign of
the cross with his thumb.
"Who found the key there?' I asked.
zone of the gendarmes."
II see how it was done!' exclaimed.
"After the Prince left the room, in the
middle of the night, he locked the door
behind him, and then sent the key fly
ing under the door. 1t would slide
along the polished floor as far as this
easily-though what reason the Prince
can have had for acting in such way
is more than I can conceive. I will
see if can't make the key slide as far
myself
Suiting the action to the word, I
went out of the bed room, leaving the
steward inside, closed the door and,
down to the floor, tried to pass
the key under the door. To my amaze
ment. it would not 60 under the door
ut all! 1t was too thick. tried it at
every point, but the thing was clearly
1 stood with the key in my hand.
stupefied with establishment. For the
1 could almost believe that
some supernatural agency had been at
work.
Pulling myself together, opened the
door and called out to Ivanovitch: ut
seems that my explanation was wrong.
1t is impossible to push the key under
the door," l went down stairs, leaving
Kim to follow me.
'"rhere must have been second key
to that door," said, when we had set
tied ourselves in our former places.
II think that is hardly possible, SIR"
said Ivanovitch, shaking his gray
head. "and [ will tell you why. Some