The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1905-08-02
III Ice 81 Hears

/ IL ~ % - Z tsAsssle4-N4S NOL - =
ten ms t5r5 BY eoneealIng location
and niitls for what / reveal Is gov
ernnleIIs secret duplicating my soYer-
elgn
4 / Was born noble In the prtnci-
patty of Engendorf I was In favor
at court, having been q page to the
heredlfaFy prince from the time was
ten years old grew mp near a little
maid OF honor to the princess, the
Countess 9eloise. and we were lovers
from the moment we met. The crown
lprince was abont my age and an In
veterate gambler. He would invite
number Of us 70 his apartments in his
fathet.s palace and keep us playing till
cock crow. In the group was the Duke
Of selzerin. a young man Of far higher
rank than I; who had opened negotia'
lions for the hand of the Countess
HeIoise. lie was considered the best
catch In the princlpality, and the only
bar TO his winning the countess was
her love for me This he well knew,
and hated me accordingly.
One night after we had exhausted
the interest to be derived from Euro
pean games we received an invitation
from the crown prince to play the
American game Of poker. was seat
ed on one side Of the prince and the
Duke OF Selzerin on the other. The
prince had been losing heavily for some
weeks and wns ON the verge Of imam
clal diflcuity During the evening ]
6elt his hand against my outside peck
ct. Suddenly the duke threw down
his cards and said he would play no
longer with cheat. To prove his
charge he called upon me to produce
what was in my pocket-the pocket
next to the prince. did so, and took
out an ace Of hearts. The duke gave
me glance as much as to say, II have
got you where want you"
was appalled,. knew full wen
that the prince had had more cards in
his possession than he was entitled to
and had put one of them in my pocket
My enemy had seen him do It. called
several of my best friends into another
room for consultation and told them
the facts. They were unanimous in the
opinion that It would never do for me
to accuse the prince and that the only
safety was to hush the matter up. They
returned to the prince and the duke
and earnestly recommended this course
The prince was glad enough to accede
to it, and the duke reluctantly prom
ised. How well he kept his promise is
evident nom the fact that within
week I was cut man for cheating at
cards.
I summoned those of my friends who
had been present at the game and told
them that had no recourse but to ac-
cuse the prince Of having put the ace
of hearts in my pocket Every one of
them demonstrated ut such a course
and asked me how would prove my
case. When / told them would call
on them to do so they reminded me
that all they could testify to Yves that
the card had been in my pocket.
I saw at once that Svas In the dukes
power Not only must live the life of
disgraced man, but must lose my
love. Indeed, the engagement between
him and the countess was announced
that very day. Irstired to the small
estate had inherited from my father
and shut myself up.
soon heard that my misfortune had
occasioned one of the greatest scandals
that had ever occurred at the capital
That the prince should have been play
ing with one who had cheated at cards
horrided the more conservative, espe-
cfaIly the religious element, and occn-
stoned the government great deal OF
annoyance. But that which set peo-
pies tongues waggIns wtththe greatest
was that none of those
present except the duke, who was to
marry the most popular woman in the
principality, would admit that had
been guilty OF any misdemeanor.
One day while was walking dis
consoIately in my grounds saw a
carriage stop In the road and some
one within beckoning to me. went
to It and found Heloiss. She asked me
to get IN with her, and when had
done SO she drew the curtains and the
coachman drove away. Then she con-
iured me by all that had passed be-
tween us for so many years either to
confess that the accusations against
me were true or explain them.' asked
her why she had not called for an ex-
PLANTATION before, and she said that she
had been watched by her father who
had accepted the duke for her, to the
end that she should not communicate
with me. Then she again begged me
to solve the mystery.
gave her the story, except that diA |
not accuse the prince. had. no reason |
to do so. The facts were enough tt1
convince her that the man she wn
about to marry had ruined me to serve |
his own purpose with her. After had |
finished she sat for some time in 81
Ience, then said:
81 am MS sure Of the truth of yous
49, - all l-F,r a "