The Forrest City times., 1900-11-09

| presentations that were made to him, and had the honor of leading the way to the special" which began to move from the platform as soon as the last of the party had entered the train. The railway arrangements were per fectly carried out, and we reached our one stopping place without a hitch. Grayford is very picturesque; the lit- tie platform. with its wooden shed. is one of the most unassuming of rural stations, and the stolid villagers be- trayed no inquisitive interest in the arrival of the royal train. Lord Sel-. ven's park is just opposite the rail. way station; here, under the spread ing oak trees, his lordship's servants had prepared a sumptuous breakfast for the prince and company, to which we all did justice, with appetites whetted by the fresh morning air.
 When the prince had finished eating the company rose and. dispensing into groups. strolled about on the green sward, chatting gayly.
 l was speaking to Capt. Clough when Prince Sergius, accompanied by the Russian ambassador. approached us. Talk without smoke, gentle- men. is like a service without music unsatisfactory" he remarked. will you have a cigarette?"
 He opened his case to hand it to me and then burst out laughing. It was empty.
 'I could have sworn Paul filled it for me this morning: however, must be abstemious for little" he said.
 Immediately the ambassador and presented our cases.
 His imperial highness chose cigar ette from each. "I will smoke the ann bassador's first, and then yours. Sir George" and nodding his thanks he sauntered off with his companion
 Have cigarette, and act up to the princes maxim" said Clough I helped myself from his case. and re- ciprocated by giving him one from the gold case that Princess Olga had filled for me.
 We walked along in silence for few minutes, when Clough suddenly sur prised me by saying: 'I have noticed the careful watch that you and the detectives have kept on my move ments. ever since the prince landed, and have drawn my own conclusions as to what you know or guess. You need not be afraid of me, though. Fraser; I told Olga yesterday that I refused to be party to assassination; she wanted me to offer cigarettes, containing a powerful explosive, to the prince."
 Fortunately small stream runs through Lord Selven's grounds. With out stopping to explain, I snatched the half-smoked cigarette from Coughs mouth and flung it into the water. Then I tore off to where had left the prince, cursing my folly as I ran.
 Until Coughs speech. the bare pos sibility of such an atrocious and cow ardly method of assassination had never occurred to me. Now, I did not doubt that the cigarettes in my gold case las was afterwards proved) con tained an explosive substance calcu- lated to cause instant death to the smoker as soon as the burning ash touched it. Princess Olga's cunning in placing harmless cigarettes in my silver case, well knowing that would smoke these first, had duped me com pletely, and her plot would have been only too successful if Capt. Clough had not been induced to confess to me the secret under which he labored.
 l shall never forget that two min- utes' race along the turf of Selven park. The life of Prince Sergius and the honor of Great Britain depended on my speed, while a sickening horror clutched at my heart telling me that, perhaps, l was already too late: at that moment the prince might be ly- ing dead under the oak trees, killed, unwittingly, by the hand of him who had been appointed his guardian and 1 protector.
 How that iend of woman must have chuckled when she made me the unconscious instrument of her wicked design
 These thoughts lent wings to my feet, and l arrived, panting and breathless, before his imperial high ness just as he was putting a match to the paper tube of death.
 Stop. your highness, stop," I cried, and, relieved at the prevention of the catastrophe, 1 stammered out an ex- planation of my seeming impertinence.
 You came just in time. Sir George . remarked Prince Sergius, batting me affectionately on the back as 1 con cluded. Another three minutes and l should have smoked Princess Olga's $ cigarette"
 Both the Russian and the English secret service authorities maintain a discreet silence as to the whereabom s of the beautiful Olga Skobensky. I have heard of a story which tells of a