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

! the first Importance. Jet II vas kept q
profound secret. No editor heard a
whisper Of what lad happened. or, II
he heard, he did not dare 10 hlrt az
! what he knew. The town | was now
living ia pwas in constant cOmmunica-
tion with the capital. being connected
| with ii by both rail and telegraph; yet
no one except myself. and possibly the
heads Of the military and the police. 80
much as dreamed that anything was
wrong.
And not once. up 10 the day when l
finally left Russia. dill i hear or read a
word that led me To suppose that the
secret had become known Rumors,
no doubt. there must have been. a So
cret like that could not be confined 10
the breasts OF those who were In the
inner circle at Court. Blu such ru-
morS as got about were distorted. no
doubt. and incredible. At any rate.
nome Of the correspondents Of foreign
journals then residing in 81. Peters
burg thought they amounted 10 cor
than silly court gossip: for. 80 far as 1
ever heard. none thought il worth
while TO reproduce them for the benent
Of their French. German or English
readers. Sometimes il was reported
that His Majesty had a slight cold, or
was otherwise insiisposed; sometimes il
was said that he was too busy with ar
fairs OF state TO have time FOR court
functions. and seldom left his apart
ments- Bnt the truth never leaked q
"a fact thar speaks well for the ndel-
ity. or the iron discipline, that rules riae
lives of those who stand nearest the
personrof the Car.
OF course. my sole reason for reTnain-
ing in Russia was that Ianight 60 10
Loyna and ascertain whether Prince
Kropenski had been released. and
whether. he meant to keep the promise
he had made me at the instance Of
Paul Won Mitschka. But I knew well
that the danger OF ga5hg there was i'm
menSe. | was certain that DE NoiMeH
would expect that | would turn NJ
there sooner or LATER. and that he
would cause a strict watch 70 be Kept
at the village and at the castle itself.
Sometimes | wished that / had had q
courage TO go straight 10 L0vna after
my escape from Peterhof; but in my
caimer moments I recognized the fact
that 10 have gone there before the
Prince had returned and could count
ga his powerful protection would have
been little short OF madneSS
At length l could bear the inaciion
end the suspense no longer. / set out
ON foot. and making n long circuit. l
approached Ioyna from the south l
had decided that if l were stopped and
questioned by the police / would say
that | heard that repairs were going on
AT the castle. and was going there in
search Of work. / had taken care TO
shave regularly since / left Peterhof,
and this alone made a considerable
charge in my appearance: 50 that, in
my workman's clothes, and carrying n
bundle and 8 basket OF tools, ! fat
tered myself that I would not De rec
ognized. v If / met anyone who had
known me when l lived al the castle
l took care that my hands We're not
white or my clothes too clean: | stayed
only az the humber class OF inns. and
1 avoided towns and villages as much
as possible.
lit was nearly a month after the alb
ducrion OF the Gar that 1 reached a
town called Nironorsk, about twelve
miles from the castle. ! took care 10
time my arrival 80 that / entered the
wretchei inn after SHUTDOWN Some
men were drinking vodka around the
stove in a room which. in an English
inn. would be a kitchen. and as | sat
there irving 10 war; myself while l
waited for the simple meal ! had asked
for. / heard someone mention Lovna.
and then my ear caught the word ~fu-
neral
who is dead at LovnaT / asked the
man nearest me.
who is deads The Princess. TO be
sure.
For the moment my 2earI stood still
THE Princess" l eiacul2red.
-Yes. Some say she died Of joy CT
the return OF the Prince. her husband.
But 7 think il was more likely grief.
Grief kills. JOY does not Besides. what
reason has she 10 De- rejoiced at a visit
from himg A beast. A fend. l wish
be was dead
BE quiet. Nicholas said Of his
companions 1T is easy Il see, he
went on, turning 10 me. that Nicholas
does not belong 70 Lovna, or he would
be less free in his remarks But per-
haps you belong 10 that district he
sddesf. with a suspicious look
i assured him that l did not. and said
that ] was a carpenter. and hearing
that there were repairs going ON AT the
castle. l "A going there, hoping TO
find employment