The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-04-30
BY WILLIAM LIE QUEUx.
WILLIAM LIE QUEUX.

lance of the Russian police, I can have
put little hope of finding her," said
doubtfully.
Make the attempt, Deedes," the Earl
suggested. II will give you leave of alb
sence.'
II intend to do So, replied, and re-.
memberlng my wife, amid all her SPLEEN
dor, added, 1.-The elucidation of the
mystery is, as it has long since been,
the main object of my life. -
In conversation we sat a long time. The
caddlsh young man of whom I had been
so madly jealous had now grown quite
calm and communicative, apparently
ready to render me all assistance, yet to
my questions regarding my wife he was
as dumb as Others had been: Now, more
than ever, the Earl seemed anxious to
solve the strange problem. With that OBJ
Ject he obtained from the library SEC
tioE of the large ordnance map of the
Russian Empire and with it spread
before MS we discovered that Skerstymone
was little place remotely situated on
the bank Of the Niemen river. within
short distance of tho German frontier. 1
had long ago learned from Paul Verbliou-
doyitch that my friend, the well-known
adventures, had crossed the frontier at
Wlrballen, or Verjbolovo, as it is called
IN Russia; but after that knew nothing
OF her movements. bingham seemed an
xlous to lead me Indirectly towards the
Gruth: and after assuring me with a firm
hand-grasp that the secret that existed
between himself and my wife was of n
purely platonic nature, and that he had
throughout acted on her behalf, 1 ate a
hasty luncheon and again left the Hall
on the first stage of my long, tedious
journey across Europe. AS entered the
carriage the old Earl and his guest stood
out upon the gravelled drive and heartily
uni ch od Por,
them farewell, I was whirled away
through the great park that lay silent and
GREATNESS beneath the scorching sun.
At the bookstall at HorSham station
I bought an early edition of the ''GIobe, !"
and opening it in the train my eyes fell
upon the following announcement in its
Court and Personal column:
"A marriage is arranged and will short
ly take place between Mr.. Andrew Beck,
the Member for West Rutlandshire, who
is we'll known in connection with African
mines, and Miss Gertrude Willard, only
daughter of Sir Maynard Willard, Bart,
of Spennythorpe Park, Montgomery
shire. -
This was not exactly unexpected, for 1
had already heard vague rumorS that
news of Beck's engagement would shortly
be made public, therefore | tore out the
paragraph and placed it in my pocket
book with the reflection that my friend s
marriage might be more happy than
mine.
That evening about six O'Clock called
at Gresham House, the Russian Embassy,
and obtained the signature of the Am
bassador, Grodekoff, to my passport.
did not. however, see Verblioudovitch,
he being absent at Brighton, therefore I
left tho same evening for Flushing, and
after long and wearisome ride across
Germany duly arrived ats Verjboloyo, zone
of the principal gates of the great Rus
sian Empire. The formalities troubled
meIbut little, for had passed the frontier
on several occasions when stationed in
Petersburg. After getting my passport
stamped strolled up and down the plat
form gazing about over the fat uninter-
esting country, contemplatively smoking
a cigarette and watching the crowd of
tired, worried travellers experiencing the
ways of Russian officialdoTu for the first
time. Among them was an elderly Rus
sian lady who, travelling with her daugh-
tiers. three good-looking girls, ranging
from eighteen to twenty three, had ssomit-
ted to have her passport vised by a Rus
sian Consul outside the Empire. So
stringent were the regulations that al
though they were subjects of the Gear re-.
turning to their own country the officer
would not allow them to proceed, and all
four. were detainedswhiIe the passport was
sent back to the nearest Russian consul
in Germany to be treated
Ito be continued