The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-25
+ rlloorland Princess
BY MRS. C. N. WILLIAMSON,
4uthor Of 1he Born stoy,er Sport "A Women
IN Gray, .Queen S,veetheart' '.Her Royal Highnes
"The House By the Lock- Etc,
Copyright 1908 BY tn. National Press Agency.
* * s. 81 s

divided among his band with the largest
share for himself.
! All these details Breakspear and others
learnt from the declaration Of Paul Stro-
goff during the course OF his trial for the
murder of Michael Zelenine; and inciden-
tally the secret of the Maltese cross was
explained also. But it was from the lips
of Maya (not Maya Dupont, but Maya
Kazan, the daughter Of Prince Sergius
Kazan, once governor Of Cronstadt) that
her lover heard the part which concerned
her most deeply. @
Prince Sergius Kazan's wife had been
a FrenchWoman, beauty, and a great |
heiress. He spent most Of her. money |
neglected her and lost her love. Having
no faith In her Husband she made an
extraordinary will, leaving all her mag
nif1cent jewels to her daughter, SO InanyI
to be given to the girl each year. on her
birthday, last Of all the wonderful pearls
which had been famed In Paris and st.
Petersburg. Once during her mothers
lifetime Maya had been allowed to wear
the pearls and had been photographed in.
them, when she was about Il years old.
ct was the picture which, with the curl
of copper hair, had fallen into the hands
Of Strogoff.) Soon after, the princess died,
having made the girl promise that she
would never give 8aWaysor sell the famous
necklace. IS SIS
Paul Strogoff, who had been an adyen-s
turer since his earliest boyhood, and had
seen strange vicissitudes in many coun-
ties, had heard Of the pearls and Of the
curious will. He gained the confidence; Of
the solicitors who acted for the princess
and got himself employed as clerk.
At this time Prince Sergius Kazan was at
Cronstadt, having obtained the post thru
powerful family and political interest. Hav-
ing spent all the money which came to
him with his wife, and being deeply In
debt, he was tempted by an offer from
| he CIerr1o9n emf n ha nj 10
Of the fortress. For his treachery he
was paid the sum of 100000 marks in
German money. Soon after, the betrayal
was discovered, but attributed to a lesser
official General Melikoff, who was at once
court martialed, found guilty and thrown
into prison.
Meanwhile Kazan, tortured with re-
morse and physical suffering: had retired
on account of ill health, left Russia and
travelled extensively with his daughter.
They were spending few months at
Malta, where the prince had a friend of
whom he was fond, when one night face,
too well known, appeared at a window
Of the room where he was talking with a
messenger from the Russian firm of So
licitors employed in his dead wife's af-
fairs. This messenger was Paul Strogof.
The face was that of Melikoff, who had
escaped from prison, and, sure of Kazan'sS
guilt, had tracked. him half across the
world.
At sight of Melilxoff, Kazan controlled
his fears, and requested Paul Strogoff to
leave them alone together for few min
utes; but, suspecting a mystery, Strogoff
had listened at the keyhole and had
overheard a conversation which con-
WINGED him that Prince Sergius
Kazan,, and not General Melikoff. had be-.
! trayed his country to Germany. One. de-
MED, the other accused, and at last Melik-
| off, drawing a dagger from This desk,
struck Kazan, wounaing him in the arm:
/ But the prince, ewes smorbt Idly fearful; !. Of
/ discovery, idVariably carried a s1oaded re-
I, volver with whtch1td take hisrt own life;
! if he found the courage, rather than sbe
captured by the Russian spies whom lie
] believed to be always on his track. HALF.
maddened with terror he drew the re-
volver, fired, and, to his horror, killed
Melikoff.
! Having heard and seen all Strogoff
waited no longer, for 5he valued his own
skin and believed that Kazan would shoot
him also if he knew that his crime had
had a witness. Strogoff hid himself in the
garden, and thru the half -curtained win
dow saw the princes beautiful young
| daughter, who ran in from an adjoining
room at sound Of the shot.
Kazan had killed Melikoff in self-de-
tense; yet. If the deed were discovered,
it would be called murder, unless he
could prove his innocense; and without
known that would be almost Impossible to
No one knew-so KAN believed-of
Melikof's visit. In the cellar of the house
7 which had been let to the prince for the
winter was an old chest painted white,
with blue Maltese crosses upon it. What
it had been used for was not clear, but the
wretched man, in his desperation, de-
termined to conceal the. body I'm it. He
carried the dead man to the cellar. that
night, meaning to obtain some quicklime
nest day and destroy the traces Of his
crime.
This program he carried out, but Stro-
goff who had crept into the house again
thru the open French window, saw what
was done. An idea Of horrible ingenuity
! entered his mind. He took the key of a
side door not often used, so that he could
get into the house at will, went out un-
, seen, and, as the night was not even then
far advanced, was able to purchase some
plaster of paris. Having prepared this In
a manner he. knew he returned to the
princes home. opened the chest in the
{ cellar, and obtained death mask from
the features Of the murdered man.
Strogof knew that the prince had very
, little money; that most OF what had beer
: obtained from Germany must have gone
) to pay his debts of honor. But he hat
the best Of information regarding the
3 Jewels which would come each year int
: Maya Kagan's possession. The girl ane
t her father left Malta 3after.Melikoff's muir
J der; Strogof followed, and by means O.
j, an anonymous letter on which he hat
painted blue Maltese cross IN exact rep
resentation of those on the white ches
i he obtained a secret interview with thu
girl. BY means of working on her fears
! revealing to her the full fstory of he
$ fathers treachery to hisss country 70
= which she, Of course, had been tgnorant)
) showing her the horrible death masl
. wrapped in napkin stolen from tn
. house at Malta napkin bearing tn
1 Kazans' crest in embrotde
! to tell all he knew to the Russian govern
= ment and also vowing that he would,
: she defed him, frighten her invalid fathe
= to death by displaying before him tn
= death mask, strogon had each year OBJ
tanned from Maya all her Jewels as sh
received them He had agreed that
!. | she made appointments with him a yea
: beforehand and faithfully kept them, n
q would never seek to find the house Wher
= she and her father lived, or attempt t
: prosecute them in any way. To th1
"a agreement he had been faithful SO far a
: MAYA knew, for she had never, until com
$ ing to Dartmoor, given him the Temptation
= to break It.
: The miserable man and his scarcel
q less unhappy daughter, had travelled fror
n. country to country under. an assume
o name the. prince In constant fear lest hi
o secret should be discovered Only Mich
q ael Zelenine had been kept informed b
d Kazan Of their whereabouts, and even h
Il had never been told the whole truth. Low
q ing Maya he had been silent and give
o such help as he could. Ri
e Not till the girl and her father cam
11c5 o11na1 hoo