Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1899-04-06

before l knew il | VAS fast asleep
The snow came with the morning.
and it SOon became evident that
/ Irene's expectation was 10 be fulfilled.
There was nothing TO be lost by q
short delay. and the Prince decided
that | might remain where was nth
the weather moderated and u roaus
were more ft for travelling.
Three-four days went by, and the
weather had become bright and clear.
The nights frost had made the roads
: hard. and there was nothing to delay
! our departure. All this time | had
heard nothing from Irene. | was sure
that she would strain every nerve 10
10 something for my release. but |
oulta understood thar she might not be
able To effect anything. and | was re-
si.uetl 10 tae thought that must be
taken 10 st. Petersburg; and there. 1
resolved. | would make the best fight
l could 10 persuade my judges that |
had nothing To do with the Committee
of Public Safety.
There had been q rumor in the VII
LACE. Serge tJid ME that n or two
suspicious trangers had been seen i'll
the neighborho0d: and | thought il pcs
slble that the Prince was waiting 10
find out who they We're before leaving
home. But if SO. he resolved To wait
no longer. On the morning of the
fourth day of my imprisonment | had
a fresh gaoler To attend 10 me; and he
told me that the Prince was going 10
81. Petersburg along with me, though.
of course. o in the same sledge. and
that he would have started that morn
iR-. if he had not been detained by
some unexpected buaSess.
As | was eating ms midday meal
that day. the small loaf that had been
sent up TO me broke in two somewhat
easily. and. TO my surprise and joy
saw a bit Of paper. folded several
times, in a cavity in the middle of the
bread. Irene had taken this well
known plan of sending me a note with
N the knowledge OF the gaoler.
With trembling fingers l unfolded il,
and this is what ] read:
My father is going ont this after
noon. and | am going 10 make an effort
to bride your new guardian 10 leave
the door OF your and the door at
the foot of the stairs open for a few
moments after ) o'clock. Ii viii then
be dark. or nearly SO. If | succeed ia
~persuadiIg him To DO this. | will leave
some sheepskin clothes, such as the
peasants wear. at the foot of the
stairs. This is all | can do for you. L
would do more-I would shed the last
drop of my blood TO save you You
know that. do you not, dearest: |
have tried TO speak for you TO my ia
ther. but he flies into a dreadful pas
sion if your name is mentioned. can
do nothing with him. But this new at
! tempt may succeed. If ii does. | may
forgive myself for having detained
you that other time. Farewell. my
love. and have courage, Irene"
Little need to tell me 10 have cour-
age, The blood coursed through my
veins like a flood of fire. | felt as If.
once outside these walls. / could de-
fend myself against an army.
Slowly. as il the minutes were hours.
the time went by. and nj last darkness
fell upon the snowcovered landscape.
My ears were on the alert. and just as
the twilight was changing into night.
| heard the key softly turn in the lock
of my door.
For a minute / sat perfectly still. to
give the man who had just set me free
time to get out of the way. Then I
ran lightly down the stairs and out
into the corridor. No one was visible.
and there were no clothes lying about.
Either Irene had been unable TO pro-
cure what she wanted. or had been
prevented from placing them where l
could find them. However. I did not
feel ut all sure that | could ~personate
4 n ItssNas, nc.t N - Ia
lection, and did ret much regret the
less.
| made my way quickly through the
corridors, with which. of course. | was
perfectly familiar. and succeeded in
gaiLing the open air without being
seen by anyone. / could not help
thinking that the man whom Irene had
hribed had smoothed my way in this
matter, also.
How sweet the keen wind was.
blowing on my cheek. As -.Sl as |
was beyond the Immediate neighbor.
hood of the Castle | broke into n run.
Ny Intention was to gain the road TO
Sinorosk and lose myself in the Inn
merse country that lay beyond; for |
knew that To make straight for the
frontier would be madness.
| was still in the park. but not Far
from the main avenue that led 10 the
Castle from the high road. when |
heard the jingle of slc,lge bells. Think
ing ii must be the sledge of the Prince
returning TO the Castle, | stood stock
still. till | could hear them no more.
Then | stepped III cautiously and
gained the avenue.
The great, solemn pines made the
way so dark, that had it not been for
the snow | could not have seen n step
OF the way. AS it was, | could see but
a very little way in front of me. |
went on cautiously. till l could bear
the delay III longer. and, thinking
there might be safety in speed. | broke
into a run
There was no lodge ar the gate | was
making for, | knew very well. |
reached the gates. They were stand,
ing wide open. and / dashed through
between them. into the highway. and
ran into a man whose footsteps on the
snow | had not heard, nearly knock
ing him down.
iEsrinctively, | began an apology, but
the words died away-or, rather. they
were chokei back. Prince Kropenski
had me by the throat!