Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-12-06

a@T -- 80
E:$$ THE MYSTERY S S
8 OF GRASLOV s. s.
sSssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss::
!: By AIhley Towne
p,rsoas 1ao1, b. Charles B. EtA1saoton

ago. But when / did learn Of 1t re-
solved to sift 1t to the bottom and make
certain that the one who caused her
death should be punished. For years
my efforts were unavailing. I pursued
every line Of investigation that occur
red to me. and In them all had the
sanction and assistance Of the czar. At
last. during sojourn at Graslov in an
other name. met this woman whom
you have heard me call Therese. Do
you know who she Is? She Is Nine.
Dendoff, widow of that Dendoff who
was the slave of your wicked father
and yourself"
NeslerOv was too crestfallen already
to show further effect Of her words.
He made NO answer.
"For twenty years this woman has
lived with the truth locked In her bos-
ON because she feared her husband.
The governor general is here and will
hear this case at once. and from that
moment when he hears the truth you
are In his hands. Therese. who is that
man"
She pointed at Vladimir as she spoke.
"That-is-the Duke Of Graslov" said
the woman firmly.
"Tell your story"
ut was twenty years ago, your ex-
cellency." said Therese, speaking di.
rectly to the governor general, "that
the little Prince Alexis was lost. He
was missing from the palace ut Graslov
one evening. and the poor princess was
beside herself with grief and anxiety.
A search was made, and my husband.
who was In the service Of the duke, re-
turned from the Kama and reported
that the child had been seen wandering
on its banks. and he brought back a
portion of Its garments, which he said
he found close to the water. It was
believed that the child was drowned,
and the princess grieved for her dead
boy. The poor princess did not sur
vive the shock long, and when she died
there was trouble between the two
branches Of the Neslerovs. Her fam
ily claimed that the duke had misused
her and caused her death. 1t was new
er settled, and the two families have
since been enemies.
1T was not less than two years after
when, one night, while he was intoxi.
Gated, my husband said something that
aroused my suspicion-that he knew
what had become Of the young prince.
I taxed him with it. and he was maud
lin enough to confide in me. He had
been poor, but since the loss Of the
young prince he had not worked, but
had plenty of money. This also caused
me to suspect. He told me, In his
drunken fashion, that the Duke Of
Graslov did not wish the son Of the
princess to inherit the title or estate.
AS the father Of the boy had died he
was the heir, but the duke preferred
his younger son, Nicholas.
1.-The two, the duke and Prince Mich
olas, paid my husband to take the
child and drown it. He was wicked
man, my husband, and he agreed. He
did take the child to the Kama and
was about to take from it the telltale
clothes when it cried Justify, and a
powerful man sprang from the bushes
and took the child. There was fight
in which my husband was badly whip
ped. But he did not dare report to the
duke that he had failed, and so he car
ried out the plans and reported the
finding Of the clothing at the river.
This was the clothing he had taken of
preparing to throw the child in the
river. To me this revelation was
great shock, but my husband threaten
ed my life If ever breathed word of
1t to a single person. knew he would
keep his threat, and so dared say
nothing, for the house Of Graslov was
rich and powerful, and I feared to
speak even to the police.
"Thus l lived year after year with
the shadow Of my husbands crime up
on my heart, until thought l would
go mad. Moved by an impulse | could
not control, l determined to learn IL
the child was alive. I found 1t in the
house of the blacksmith Paulpoff at
Perm. Having learned that the little
Alexis was we'll and happy I felt cas-
Ter, but resolved that when my oppor-
tunity came I would reveal the truth.
The old duke died and Nicholas be-
came his heir and finally became gov
ernor Of Tomsk. A short time ago my
husband died, and I was free to tell.
There came to Graslov one day beau
] tiful girl, giving a name that was not
| familiar, but she was the picture OF
that lovely princess who had died, and
| I watched her. knew she was search
| ing for the truth, and told her what
I knew. We went to st. Petersburg.
where she told the czar, and he gave
her authority under his seal. We went
back to Perm, but the Paulpoffs were
on their way to Siberia. The princess
resolved to follow. and this meeting
Is the result"
"How did you know the boy in Paul
poff's house was the young prince?'
asked the governor general.
81 saw his mothers picture which
had been around his neck. I recog-
nized his face, his voice, his manner,
and Paulpoff told me how he came into
his possession"
'This Is strange" said the governor
general, turning to the old man stern
ly. "How was 1t that you kept the
young prince and did not disclose the
| fact that he was alive?"
1T was the prayer Of his poor moth