Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1899-01-12

put her thin, white hand in mine.
II am grieved to say l have not, )"
was my answer.
"And you have discovered nothing
yourself?' she asked, With wistful
look that made my heart bleed for her.
"Ah" | exclaimed, you must not
blame me. How could hope to sue
coed when the police, with all their
experience and knowledge Of st. Pc
tersburg, can do nothing. l waited to
see the chief Of the secret police, but
he had nothing to tell me-"
Il thought, perhaps, you might have
received a hint from one of the
Princes friends as to where he might
probably be found
replied that l had made point of
seeing and questioning every man
whom the Prince had called on, OF who
had visited him, since his return to ST.
had been able to give me as much as Il
hint that could be called useful
81 am sure you have done all you
could" murmured the Princess, and
she sat for a short time absorbed i'll
thought, her head leaning on her hand,
While her elbow rested on a table that
stood close to her chair. She was not
weeping, though her eyes bore witness
that she had shed many tears. Neith-
err Princess Irene nor | spoke, but l
stole a look at her, and she answered
me with one swift glance.
Il won't detain you longer, MI.
| Health" said the Princess I<rcpenski,
quietly, lifting her head. "Iou will
need rest and food. Any details you
may have to give us will keep until
another time''
I had no idea that the lady would
| wish to see me again that day; but in
less than an hour a timid knock came
| to the door of my sitting room, and
| when l opened it, to my surprise, the
mistress of the castle stood Oh the
threshold. 1t was the first time since
| my arrival at the castle that l had
been honored in such way.
l fastened to place chair for the
Princess, but she declined. at first, to
to stay for minute or two. She stood
leaning against the table that stood in
the center of my room. as if trying to
find words. At length she spoke:
II am afraid, MI. Heath. that we
must have seemed very ungrateful to
you. my daughter and 1. Certainly we
ought not to have forgotten to thank
you. as | do most sincerely. for your
great kindness-for all the trouble that
you have given yourself on our ac>
count. 1 can hardly understand how
came to be so forgetful: but my
mind was full of my husband. and be-
SideS-l could not speak freely in my
daughters presence. l could not say
all wished to say. But now that we
are alone. will tell you that. if you
wish to make my gratitude a thousand
times greater than it is, you will tell
me the whole truth"
How was I to resist those gentle.
pleading eyes, that fearful voice? And
yet l knew we'll it would be a cruel
kindness to speak the awful truth to
this weak, loving woman. Better she
should think her husband dead, than
know him to be in the power Of the
remorseless enemies his own evil deeds
had raised up against him! But how
could she guess that had not told her
the whole truth?
"The whole truth, Pincess?' 1 STAN
mered.
knowing it. We are alone. You may
speak freely"
But indeed. I did tell you-what
told you was the truth"
Yes, but not the whole truth. You
need not be afraid. The Prince, have
been told, did not live a regular life
Wien he was young man. There are
temptations in a great capital like ST.
Petersburg which a man. unaccus-
toned to control his passions, may find
it hard to resist. If you have heard
hints among my husbands friends that
he had formed any attachments"
''My dear Princess" l burst out. 81
assure you you are mistaken. II there
had been any ENHANCEMENT of the kind
you hint at. I could not fail to have
heard something of it. But there was
nothing-nothing of the kind. The
breath of scandal never uttered the
Princes name"
The poor lady was so much over
come by her feelings that she sank
into the chair had placed for her and
shed few tears: but could see that
they We're tears of joy rather than of
grief.
'If anything had happened to the
Prince, his body would have been
found long ago. she said, once more
raising her eyes to my face. But
they say it is certain that he must
have left his home Of his own accord.
Do you think the Gar can have in
trusted him with some secret mis-.
stomp
1 caught eagerly at the idea.
Nothing would be more likely!'~ /
eclaimed "This would explain the ret
icence of the chief of police You
know he refused to see me for a long
time, and when at last he consented to
see me, lie would tell me nothing"
But if he was going away on a Sc
cret mission. why did he not send me
a word, a hint, that I might know
what had become of him?"
perhaps the summons came sud
denly. and the Prince thought he
would only be away for few days.
He may have been detained unexpect-
eddy. Any day, any hour, news may
come that he has returned to st. Pc
tersburg."
The Princess sighed, and saw that,
| L q. - . = L nj 10