The Washington times., 1901-11-03
en-: whatever it was the Nihilists

Sweden; whatever it was the NfhiIists
knew it.
The general idea once gained. other and
detailed suggestions crowded in. Might
not d mean that the Car was going
to stay four days in Denmark? b to c
might denote one day in Berlin and
three in Cronberg; H might signify Hell
singfors: ID, in the second game, Dorpat;
{ perhaps Cronstadt. Several of these
conjectures l jotted down on a sheet of
paper, and. confident that l was on the
right track, went to sleep. My dreams
were haunted with confused visions of
Lescheyitsky as the Gar being blown up,
along with 500 chessmen, in the streets of
Moscow, while Black Knight endeav-
ored to enforce order by calling out.
Pawn to Kings Fourth"
Next morning. when l went--earIy. as
usual-into my sitting-room. l saw two
envelopes pinned in a peculiar way to my
desk. One, found, contained fifty hun
dred-pound Bank Of England notes. The
president had kept his word, and 1 had
been set above want. The other envelope
contained a letter which 1 here trans
cribe:
Here you will find the e5.O0O we prom
ised you. The society keeps its word We
sincerely hope that no foolish scruple will
induce you to refuse to accept it. For
what has happened you have no respon-
sibility; the society has but used you as
a pawn in its game of kings. Farewell"
Below, in pencil. was a postscript, which
interested me even more than the letter:
Il have read your little conjectures,
and must congratulate you on your inge-
nuity, which is greater than even your
chess play had led me to suspect-too
great. indeed, for you ever to be employ
ed again. Rest, then, in peace. Not that
you are altogether right. The Czar has
passed through Denmark, and he did
spend some time in Helsingfors, but he
never went to Cronberg; and though he
has been to Dorpat, he has, in spite of
your ingenious itinerary; not yet left il
%" and peculiar flourish ended the
note.
l read this curious and sinister epistle
several times. l was not surprised that
it should have reached me, for 1 knew the
daring and determination with which 1
had to do. AS / sat twirling it in my fin
gers, my landlady brought in the break
fast and my morning paper. 1 opened it
carelessly, for my mind was still toying
with the cryptogram. 1 was annoyed
that many of my guesses should have
been wrong, and wished to try few
more. ] glanced without interest down
the columns of parliamentary news. and
turned listlessly to the central page. Now
l was instantly all attention, for my eye
fell on a headline. "Runored Attempt on
the Life Of the Car"
Information has reached us, which we
give with all reserve" went on the tele-
gram. that his Imperial Majesty has
again had a narrow escape from ASSIST
nation. His future movements after leav-
ing our shores had been so carefully con-
cealed from all but a few of his most
trusted counselors that it was marvel
Gus how his real route was discovered
Passing, contrary to announcement,
through Denmark. he stayed in Berlin
but one night, and after some clrcuitous
wanderings arrived at Helsingfors, the
recent troubles in Finland requiring his
personal attention. Thence he went by
yacht to Cronstadt. where he inspected
the fortress: and next, in absolute priva-
cy, paid visit to Dorpat. There is rea-
son for believing that his course had been
watched by Nihilists from the first; but
it was at Dorpat that the murderous at
tempt is rumored to have taken place.
The house where he was staying vas
blown up several of his attendants were
killed and he himself was slightly injur-
ed, escaping with his life only by a mira
Gle. The police are actively engaged in
tracing out the n1iscreants.
''Later-The rumor of the attempted as
sassination of the Car is practically ad-
rnitted to be true. The body of one OF the
supposed murderers has been found un-
der the ruins of the house. In his pocket,
still uninjured, was found complete list
of all the places at which the Car stayed
during his journey from England
Well" | said to myself the president
was right. Chess is indeed a game of
kings"
Two or three days after. noticed in
corner of the paper the news that
''Leschevitsky. the famous chess player
had shown symptoms OF acute insanity.
and had been placed under restraint -
E. E. Kellett In Chambers Journal