Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1899-01-12
them name. They call it the Black
Eerror!'
''But this is dreadful! 1t is intolera


out to others, many Of them innocent.
Think how many wives in Russia
mourn their husbands, how many
| mothers their sons, snatched suddenly
| from their eyes and condemned by a
secret tribunal, or kept in prison with
out ever being brought to trial! Can
! anyone wonder that the relatives of
the victims of the Russian police sys-
TEN, should seek revenge?"
flush! 1 would not listen to such
| things from you"
shrugged my shoulders and re
manned silent.
"And can we do nothing-nothing to
| soften the hearts of these menu" asked
Irene after a long pause
| I hesitated before answering, and
then SAID slowly for thought it cruel,
having told her so much, to leave lel
| altogether without hope). "There is a
| certain chance-I cannot say mere, but
at all events there is a chance-that
| the Prince will be liberated before
long"
She gave a cry of joy, and with
clasped hands fixed her shining eyes
on mine as If they would read the very
thoughts in my mind.
"Who is the person in authority?
Who is is it that has the power to de-
eide my fathers fate? Not the man
who was here in winter hope?"
"No; believe the decision rests with
several persons. In any case, you cam
not possibly interfere; for, of course.
the leaders of the conspiracy. are in
hiding. No one, not even the members
Of their own society, know where they
are to be found.'
"And you?" The words were spok-
en- softly, TREMENDOUSLY, and with them
came all appealing glance, as much as
to say, 'ls there nothing you can do,
nothing you can suggest-you, who
have secret sources of information,
you. who have already learned so
much?"
Il think Of returning to England
at once. do not think that anything
could be gained by remaining here"
The Princess said nothing, but con-
tinued to look at me. l could not bear
the gentle reproach that was I'm her
gaze, and my eyes fell to the ground.
When I raised them and stole look at
her face, she was still steadfastIy gaz-
ing on me. There was sorrow, and Il
proud disdain to ask help where it was
not freely offered, and bitter disaD-
pointment in her look. I knew we'll
what she was thinking: eff you had
been the man 1 have taken you for,
you would not have deserted me in
this time of trouble
But was resolved that she should
not know my secret. 1 would not
speak Of what had it in my mind to
do, seeing that it was more than likely
that my conscience would not allow
me to do what was required of me.
$50 you will go away?" said Irene.
in Il voice SO low that it barely reached
my ears. "You will go away, and-for-
get u.s."
mo. l shall not forget you," ] an
swered, in Il tone that was scarcely
more audible than her own. There
was a. deep silence in the room. One
of the small, half-burnt logs tu1nbled
down into the fire and suddenly blaZed
UP. throwing strange, fantastic shad-
ows over floor and walls and ceiling.
81 have no brother, no uncle or cou-
sin, except one cousin, who is not our
FRIEND said the girl, turning half
aside as she spoke "There will lie no
one to do anything for us when you
are gone"
1t was a second or two before L
could steady my voice sufficiently to
reply. "If you had half-a-dozen broth
ers or cousins, they could do nothing
for you. You can only wait"
Another pause. The large elnber
was rapidly burning itself out. Irene
spoke again:
''If were to see-the Gar
ut could not possibly do any good.
He can only rely upon his police. and
they have done all they could, we may
be sure, already. And they have dis
covered nothing. More than that, they
cannot prevent the next official con-
demned by the Committee from being
spirited away as your father was.
There is, Of course, one thing the Car
could do-he could make peace with
the revolutionary party by giving Rus
sian freedom, a Constitution, a free
Parliament. But who is going to per-
suade him to do that?"
Irene sighed YEARLY.
''Oh, politics! You know the princi-
pies in which have been brought up.
10 me a Parliament would mean the.
beginning of a revolution. But can
not think of that at present. I can
only think of one thing-that my faith
er is in the hands Of his enemies, who
lave a power of life and death over
him. At the best, he must be suffering
confinement q personal degradation,
which will kill him if he is not SOON
set at liberty. 1 am sure he cannot
long survive what these wretchess will
make him suffer-
1 murmured something TO the effect
that her father was strong man, in
the prime of life, and that there was
no reason to apprehend his death; but
Irene did not listen to me-.
''He will pine away and die of the
confinement-or he will provoke his
gaolers to murder him. said Irene, in
a tone of conviction. .t:And YOU tell
me you wish to return to your own
country. Well. Mr.. Heath, go! No one
in the castle of Lovna will try to- hin,
der you!
With that she turned her back on
me and began to walk slowly away
from me, towards the other end of the
roono found 1x,nra 10 cav and