The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-05-18
TIE PRINCETON UNION: THURSDAY, NAY IS, 1905.

Go on, said Eta, for he had paused.
This country he continued, .is I'M
settled. The people Of the estate are
on the brink of revolt. You know
what the Russian peasant is. 1t will be
no Partisan uprising-half noise. half
laughter. We cannot hope to hold this
old place against them; we cannot get
away from it; we cannot send for helm.
because we have no one to send, Prin-
cess, this is no time for half conf
dences. l knOw-for know these neo-
pie better even than Paul knows them
Il am convinced, that this is not the
outcome of their own brains. They
are being urged on by some one. There
is some one at their backs. This is no
revolt Of the peasants, organized by
the peasants. Princess, you must tell
me all you known
IL" she stammered-''I know Moth
1ngv'
And then suddenly she burst into
tears and buried her face in a tiny.
useless handkerchief. 1t was so unlike
her and SO sudden that Steinmetz was
startled
He laid his great hand soothingly on
her shoulder.
Il know" he said quietly-'I know
more than you think. am no saint,
princess, myself. l, too, have had nv
difficulties. l have had my temptations,
and I have not always resisted. God
knows it is difficult for men to do al
ways the right thing. 1t is thousand
times more difficult for women. When
we spoke together in Petersburg and
offered you my poor friendship 1 was
not acting in the dark I knew as
much then as l do now. Princess. I
knew about the Charity league papers;
l knew more than any except Stepan
Lanovitch, and it was he who told me-"
He was stroking her shoulder with
the soothing movements that one uses
toward child in distress. His great
hand, broad and thick, had a certain
sense of quiet comfort and strength in
it. Eta ceased sobbing and sat with
bowed head, looking through her tears
into the gay wood fire. It is probable
that she failed to realize the great char.
ity Of the man who was speaking to
her.
"Is that all he knows?' she was won
dering. .a
The suggestion that Sydney Bam-
borough was not dead had risen up to
eclipse all other fear in her mind. In
some part her thought reached him.
II know SO much,'' he said, "that it
is safest to tell me more offered YOU
my friendship because I think that no
woman could carry through your diff
culties unaided. Princess, the admira-
ton of Claude de Chauxville may be
pleasant, but I venture to think that
my friendship is essential
Eta raised her head a little. She
was within an ace of handing over to
Karl Steinmetz the rod of power held
over her by the Frenchman. Dis
Il have known De Chauxville TWEEN
ty-fve years. he went on, and Eta
deferred her confession Eve have
never been good friends, admit am
no saint, princess, but De Chauxville
is a villain. Some day you may dis
cover when it is too late that it would
have been for Paurs happiness, for
your happiness, for every ones good, to
have nothing more to do with Claude
de ChauXville. I want to save you
that discovery. Will |ou act upon my
advice? Will you make stand now?
Will you come to me and tell me all
that De Chauxville knows about you
that he could ever use against you?
Will you give yourself into my hands
give me your battle to fight? You can
not do it alone. Only believe in my
friendship, princess. That is all I ask"
Eta shook her head.
II think not,'' she answered in a
voice too light, too superficial, too hope
lessly shallow, for the depth of the mo-
ment. She was thinking only of Sgd
ney scarborough and of that dread Sc
cret. She fought with what arms she
welded best-the lightest, the quick
est, the most battling.
Gas you WILL" said Steinmetz.