Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1899-01-05

or. made d strange thrill run through
all my veins, Was it-could IL be pos
sible that that peerless creature should
be my bride? / was forced 10 rise and
walk a few steps up and down the
room before | could regain my com
Tosure. II was then that noticed for
the first time that Raoul had quietly
slipped out of the apartment. His mis-
sion had been fulfilled, his part had
been played, when he brought Won
Jitschka and me together.
"Wbat | propose said the Nihilist,
when | had resumed my seat, is sim
ply this: That yon should, in the first
place, pay a visit to the Prince, who Is
In our custody. You would, Of course,
give your solemn promise not TO reveal
by so much az a hint the place or the
manner Of his confinement, and | must
ask you 10 submit quietly to all the
precautions my companions may think
IL necessary TO take to prevent your be-
traying us, though, personally, l am
convinced that you are entirely to be
trusted. Having seen the Prince, L
propose-or rather, / advise you, for
the question II one solely for your own
disfcretion-not TO build your hopes up
OF the Princes gratitude, but make a
bargain with him beforehand.
II think i have heard II said, Put
not your trust in princes and / think
the maxim Is worth remembering. /
advise that you should say TO the
Prince, i love your daughter. Swear
that IL she agrees to marry me, you
will consent to our union, and | viii
procure your liberty. IL you refuse,
you Will i've and die where you are
That, IL | am not much mistaken, will
bring the man TO his senses
The proposal was revolving TO me;
but ! took are TO conceal my senti-
ments about 1t, for | felt that / had
not yet got to the bottom OF Won
Mltsclika's scheme.
'Srpposing | were to do this" ! said,
II don't see how you woul dbe bene-
fitted. What Is II TO you whether | win
the Princess Irene or notY'
'Of course we should expect you TO
no something for Us as the price Of the
Princes ransom. There Is a service"
.Ah, | thought sor!"
Certainly. You forget tina II am
not alone In this business. ! am speak
ing solely N the mouthpiece Of the
Committee
"Weii-go on"
II cannot 20 further until II is known
whether the Prince will agree to this
arrangement l have suggested"
"You cannot give me an idea of the
nature OF the service you require Of
me!'
Certainly not. That Is part of Il
secret
II may tell you Mt oncc,' said +. after
n moments pause, ''that IL IL Is to com
NIT a murder, or anything of that
kind
1T is not anything OF that kind" in
terrnptet, Won Mitschka, a flush rising
to his thin face. IF we decreed that
any particular person should suffer
the capital sentence-and | thought
you understood that II Is no longer
part Of our policy to put even the
guilty to death-we could provide
scores Of willing hands to execute the
decree without troubling you"
why then, do you come to me?'
Because you are the only person In
the world, probably-at all events, the
Willy nan We hhVN VI io I'll ItlbttI
us this particular service"
"And It is not a crime? 1t is danger
Gus, | suppose?'
"You ask too many questions. 1t is
not n crime-or it is a crime, according
as you regard 1t. And II would be de-
ceiving you IL ! were TO say that 1t Is
not dangerous"
l took another turn up and down the
room.
'sSupposlng | were TO agree to your
proposal, what would be the first step
] must takeY'
'You would put yourself at the dis
! pusal of the committee for n certain
time-it might be as long as n couple OF
months. You would be, In the mean
time be brought face to face with
Prince Kropenski, and have an oppor-
tunlty of speaking to him alone. You
would tell him that you might possibly
procure his release on condition that
you took him for n son-in-law. If he
consents-and l fancy there is not
much doubt about that-we would dis
close 10 you the nature of the service
we demand of you, and you would, of
curse. have perfect liberty to say
whether you agreed to purchase the
Princes liberty at that price or not
"And l suppose, IL | chose 10 make
no bargain with the Prince, but trust
10 his sense of gratitude. or act with
out reference TO the future, l may do
SOP
I'VE have nothing to do with the ar
rangements YOU make with the Prince.
Only. J advise you to see him. as the
first step
That might be better" said I, for I
thought II would be something to be
able TO tell the Princess Irene that |
had see and spoken with her father,
W IL | should afterwards find it inn
possible to go on. ''Ycu will give me
some time TO make up my mindy'
Three days, IL you wish it,
Il do wish 1t. This Is not a matter
to be undertaken lightly. How can l
communicate with youf"
Won Mitschka answered at once,
showing that he had anticipated the
question.
(which DO yon occupy In the
Princes housey'
described Its situation to him, and
II seemed to me, from the ease with
which he followed me, that this sin
gulnr man was not without some
knowledge OF the house and the situa-
ton Of the various rooms.
"On the morning of the fourth day
from this," he said to me-, lat half-past
eight O'clock. pull down the blind az
the right-hand window In your bed