Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-12-29

&
THE BLACK TERROR :
. $3.50 q
g q
. a Romance Of Russia. :
. by JOHN TX. LEYs. O
- q
CHAPTER y-fcontinued)
by JOHN *. LEYs

within hearing, "that my master has
received a threatening letter. At any
rate. he believed that the Nihiiists
were threatening his life, and to pro
fect himself. he had a strong lock OF
special manufacture put on the door,
and when he left, st. Petersburg he
took the key with him, so that II might
not be tempered with during his alb
sence. He must have brought it back
himself. SO | do not see how 1t is pos
sible that a second key can have been
made"
UNLESS the prince himself possessed
two keys-but that only drives us back
upon the incomprehensible mystery OF
the Prince acting as he seems to have
done
Next / questioned I~vanoyitch as 10
whether any Of the doors or windows
had been found uDfastened IN the
morning; but here | could not get any
such clear, definite information as
had obtained on other points. All the
inquiries / made-and | questioned ey-
cry servant In tie house-resulted IN
this-that 1t was scarcely possible that
the Prince should have left by the
main entrance without waking the
porter. who declared that he had not
been disturbed; but that it seemed pos
sible that he might have escaped from
the house by a side entrance, as the fe-
male servant who had been first TO
open 1t In the morning could not be
perfectly sure that she had unbolted
the door before opening 1t.
do YOU think IL possible, van
Witch" | asked, ''that His Highness can
be hiding somewhere about the house
itselfg'
ssyyhy should he wish to do that, sir!
But It is not possible. The police have
searched the whole place. from garret
to cellar, with lanterns, several times,
without finding a trace of anyone being
concealed"
The steward paused, and then said.
in a hesitating way:
s.Sometimes | think that His High
ness cannot have gone away Ut his
own accord. IL he wished TO go any
wht re in secret. what was TO hinder
his doing so? And why should ne ho'
send word either to the Princess OF -
the Coy eminent? Do you think, sir,
he can have fallen into the hands OF
the NihiilstsT'
"Heayen only knows ] exclaimed,
rising and pacing about the room. I'll
he has. he seems to have gone TO them
Of his own accord. But have you any
special reason for thinking that your
master may have been an object OF
hatred to the Nihilists, beyond what
YOU have told me alreadyy
sI fear, sir, he was not very popular
In lis government of yolotzkn One OF
the men he brought with him from No'
lotzka said he had a bad reputation loi
cruelty" \
aBuf. supposing the Nihilists are NJ
the bottom OF the business, how IN the
world did they persuade the Prince te
leave his own home and go 70 them y
the dead OF night? No matter "ha'
theory we adopt, the affair seems III
comprehensible. And now. viii yot
send the coachman, the footman AM
the valet to me? / wish to ask them ;
few questions"
alexander Homovitch and Nicholas
tho footman. are both here was tn
answer: shut Jules Ramaud, his High
ness valet. left some days since, to e
20 n new situation. AS l knew TIT
Prince was not in any way attached =
him. and cur keeping aim was Q use
less expense, / thought 1t as wen 10 ie
him go"
s11lat is unfortunate. Do you know
where he has gone!'
~ believe his new master was ohi,
ON a visit here, and that he lei
Fassia. But as Jules certainly did no
gee the Prince after his return iron
tbe'ball-"
..His evidence is OF less consequence
rrrue: but / should have liked to sa'
lin Now send the coachrran to me.
BOT he and the footman entirely cor
roborrated I~vanovitch. In fact, III
only fresh fact I elicited from them
and that seemed. 10 be quite unii1qort
ant-was that there had been sone'
SLIGHT confusion amtEg the carriage
waiting at the Embassy while TN
guests were leaving the bal- Romo
witch did not hear the first call fQrsth'
Prices carriage. cIShah 1Gt resrorSi
cd 10 II promptly, for when he wa
told that PEipce kSalepSkES, earring
had beer csiled, aud was making ny
wav slowly to the vestibule. the Prime,
himself met him. and STEPPED tue cal
rage by raising his handss Sw
Nothing OF imm rt.i &c st~rahsplrea
either from the other servants or fror
the servants employed at the FfencI
Embassy / spent the next few day
in tracing the movements of Prime
Kropenski during the time he VIA
passed in ST. Petersburg. ard. In, eaL
ing npon people who had seen hin
But these visits yielded me DO Informs
fion-not SO much as a useful hint. Al
the men with whom his hiehnesS hai
associated since his return 10 the cap
tai had been persons OF well knowl
character and of good position. Their
was not n man Of doubtful reputatio
among them. SO ! was compelled I
write to the Princess krepenski IN
tell her that my efforts to trace he
husband had been entirely fruitless.
The reply came from Irene. 81
thanked me for what | had done bu
begged me 10 remain in st. Pctersbur
until | had succeeded In obtaining Il
interview with NJ de Noileff, the cilis
OF the secret police.
I had called at tho office OF this run
\ fionary Elore than once. but he had a
ways profeSsed to be too busy 10 Sc
me, and had put me of With one OF ~
secretaries. or course, the will of IN
Princess Irene was law to me, ] y
solved to poster NJ de Noillen with Al