Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-12-22
CHAPTER v.
whns J Learned In st. Petersburg.

what ! Learned In ST. Petersburg.
There was little wonder that / slept
non that night. II was not merely
that / felt that I had come TO the be-
! Journey, one that would probably af-
ford some new and strang eeSperi-
ences. Ny heart throbbed every time
that I recalled a look ! had seen on the
Princess IFene's face. Surely that look
would not have been given to every
one! Surely IL would not have been
given To anyone but me. Surely she
must know-surely she was thinking
then-that ii was for her sake that |
was anxious TO unrayel the mystery OF
the Princes disappearance.
As often as these thoughts would
cross my mind | would call myself
fool, dolt. conceited ass, and repeat 10
myself that | was only performing an
obvious duty-that / was running no
risk, and that the task / had under
taken, even If 1t should be successful,
deserved no special recognition. M ex-
traordinary gratitude. That might be
true enough; but IL was possible to
look at the matter from another point
OF view. Is there any wonder that /
was weak enough to indulge in dreams
as fair as they were fleeting?
Long before dawn next day | left the
castle. To my surprise and delight
Irene came down in time TO see me of.
She had, indeed, an excellent reason
for seeing me-one that ! had most UNI
accountably forgotten. She had sat up
the night before to write letters. which
FER motller had signed that morning
letters to the house steward of the
Princes house at st. Petersburg; TO
the Princes bankers, authorizing me
TO draw such sums as | might require:
and one to the chief Of police. inform
ing that / had undertaken the search
after the Prince in behalf of the fami-
ly, and begging him 10 give meSill the
| assistance he could.
These letters Princess Irene gave me
| with her own hand: and-unless L
grossly deceived myself-there shone
for an instant in those clear eyes the
look that had set my heart beating SO
| wildly the night before.
ON account OF the state of the roads.
1t took Inc three days TO reach the cap
ital. | found that the steward at Low
ma house-as the Princes town resi-
| dence was called-was a grave. elderly
man, narrow-minded and stupid, per-
haps, but palpably honest-the last
man In the world 10 mix himself ~
with conspirators. ! really felt relieved
when | scanned the old mans face,
and found it free from those signs OF
secretiveness and obsequionsness
which are TO be seen 30 often In TIE
faces Of Russian servants. I saw that
Ivan Ivanoyitch was "a man 10 be
trusted, and / told him so, frankly,
thereby winning his confidence.
As soon as I had eaten something, !
sent for Iyanoyitch, and making him
SIT down opposite me, | began to ques-
ton him as 10 the circumstances of the
Princes disappearance.
I'm the first place" said /, when did
the Prince arrive from Volotzka?'
ivan counted ON his fingers and and
answered, "On the 26th Of March"
And when did you see him lastT'
s'The last time | saw my poor mas
ter was on the night between the 18th
and Goth of March,
s.Then he has been gone about a
fortnIght?" ! exclaimed.
"a fortnight tomorrow night, SIR
"Why did you not writ eat once to
the princess?'
The old man shufiled In his seat. II
could not tell that His Highness had
not gone away somewhere of his own
accord he said; land If so, lie might
have been very angry with me. when
he returned, for interfering in his af-
fairs. l spoke to the police about il:
and | was told that the Princess could
do no good, that l should only be caus-
ing her anxiety by writing. and that
| they would inform Her Highness when
they thought 1t necessary"
The explanation was. In the circum-
| stances. reasonable enough, and i went
on with my questions.
''Now we come TO the evening OF the
29th,' | said. did the Prince dine at
home that EVENING""
.He did. sir"
"Aloneg"
'.Quite alone"
.Did he seem to be In his usual
health and spirits!'
Il think so. | did not notice any
thing remarkable about him.
.TIe did not appear to be anxious.
| troubled or worried?"
mo; not at ALL"
what did he do after dinnerg'
"He went to the library, smoked a
cigar, and looked over some newsDa
pers. Then he went to his dressing
room for n short time. and then ne
went to the ball at the French Ambas-
sador's."