The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-12
TIE EVENING STOR
The Ace of Hearts.

4AAG ACC Oh hearts,
1t will only be practicable for me to
tell this story by concealing location and
names, for what I reveal is a govern
ment secret duplicating my sovereign.
I was born a noble in the principally
of Engendorf. I was in favor at court.
having been q page to the hereditary
prince from the time 1 was ten years
old. grew up near little maid or
honor to the princess, the Countess
HeIoise. and we were lovers from the
moment we met. The crown prince was
about my age and an invetertae gam
bier. He would invite number OF US
to his apartments in his fathers palace
and keep us playing till cock crow: In
the group was the Duke of Sefzerin,
young man of far higher rank than !,
who had opened negotiations Tor the
hand of the Countess Heloise. he was
considered the best catch in the princ1-s
paIity, and the only Aar to his winning
the countess was her love for me. rms
he well knew, and hated me according
ly.
One night after we had exhausted
the interest to be derived rom Euro
pean games we received an invitation
from the crown prince to play the
American game of poker. 1 was seat
Duke of Sulzerin on the other. The
prince had been losing heavily Ior
some weeks and was on the verge Yh
financial difficulty. During the even
pocket. Suddenly the duke threW
down his cards and said he would play
no longer with a cheat. TO prove ms
charge he called upon me to proouce
what was in my pocket-the pocket
next to the prince. I did so, and took
out an ace of hearts. The duke gave
me a glance as much as TO say;
have got you where l want you.
I was appalled,. I knew fun wen
that the prince had had more cards IN
his possession than he was entitled 70
and had put. one of them in my pocket:
Nj, enemy had seen him 90 H. ,.ta
another room for consultation ana
told them the facts. They were
unanimous in the opinion that II
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 acceoe
| to it, and the duke reluctantly prom
| ised. How well he kept his promise is
| evident from the fact that within a
week / was a cut man for cheating at
cards.
| 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 VI
| them demonstrated at such course ana
asked me how 1 would prove my case.
| When told them would call on them
| to do so they reminded me that all they
could testify to was that the caro- hdo
| been in my pocket.
| saw at once that was in the dukes
| power. Not only must l life the lire OF
| a diszraced man, but must lose my
| love- Indeed, the engagement between
| him and the countess was announced
| that very day. I retired to the snalL
| estate 1 had inherited from my father
| and shut myself up.
| I soon heard that my misfortune hao
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 cdroS
| Mortified the more conservative, eSpe-
| ciaIly the religious element, ana occa-
| stoned the government great deal OF
ANNOYANCE. But that which set peopie .
| tongues wagging with the greaeest eaant
! estness was that none OF those present
| except the duke, who was to marry the
most popular woman In the prlnclpaHI-
ty. would admit that 1 had been guilty.
of any misdemeanor a..
consolately in my grounds saw q
carriage stop in the road ana SONY
one within reckoning to me. L went
to it and found HeloiSe. she asked me
to get in with her, and when had
dome so she drew the curtains and the
: coachnan drove away. Then she con-
i,1red me by all that had passed De
tween us for so many years eltner 10
confess that the accusations against
me were true or explain them L asked
her why she had not called for an ex-
: nIanation before, and she said that she
= | had been watched by her father' VINO
had accented the duke for her, to the
L end that she should not communicate
with me. Then she again begged me
to solve the mystery - =
I gave her the story, except tnat
did not accuse the prince. 1 had no
, reason to do so. The facts were enough
: to convince her that the man she was
about TO marry had ruined me to serve
his own purpose with her. After l
e had finished she sat for some time IN
silence, then said;
ST am as sure of the truth of your
! statement as if had seen all you say
transpire. But you must live the rest
of vour life in disgrace. The prince
f cannot be forced to bear his own sin.
There is one thing / can DO, she
I added, laying her hand on mine ana
n looking into my eyes with her own
honest and sympathic ones-"I can
share the burden with you.
VI How or why I finally consented to
t permit her to do SO do not care TO
reveal She drove me back to my
S own gate and left me there. The next
< dav her enxagement with the duke
was broken, and in another week her
. lenaagement with me assonished every
body- On the sending out OF our we'd
|. ding cards I slipped into the one sent
e to the duke an ace of hearts.-Albert
e Anderson.