Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-05-18
nan naa not always been stout ana

placid.
"That settles one question" he said.
(which question:" asked Paul.
He was driving as hard as the horses
could lay hoof to ground, taken with a
sudden misgiving and a great desire to
reach Osterno before dark.
1.-THE question of the ladies'" replied
Steinmetz. 1T is too late for them to
60 now"
At the castle all seemed to be in or
der. The groom in his great %sheepskin
coat was waiting in the doorway. The
servants threw open the vast doors
and stood respectfully in the warm,
brilliantly lighted hall while their mas
ter passed in.
"Where is the princessT Steinmetz
asked his valet while he was removing
the evidences Of a long day in the open
air.
"In her drawing room, excellency."
"Then 60 and ask her If she will give
me a cup Of tea in a few minutes"
A few minutes later Steinmetz, pre-
senting himself at the door Of the little
drawing room attached to Etta's suit
Of rooms, found the princess in a
matchless tea gown waiting beside a
table laden with silver tea appliances.
"You see," she said, with a smile, for
she always smiled on men, II have
obeyed your orders"
II begin to think" said Steinmetz,
coming to the point in his bluff way,
that you are a sort of beautiful Jo-
nah, a graceful stormy petrol, q fair
Wandering Jewess. There is always
trouble where you 60"
She glanced at his broad face and
read nothing there.
"Go on" she said. "What have I
been doing now? How you do hate
me, Herr Steinmetz"
perhaps it is safer than loving you"
he answered, with his grim humor.
"You are horribly grave" she said.
"The situation" he replied, "is hor-
ribly grave"
Eta looked up at him as he stood
before her, and the lamplight, falling
on the perfect oval Of her face, showed
1T to be White ana Drawn.
She sat looking up into his strong,
grave face, and during all that followed
she never moved.
II know you" he said, ito be cour-
ageous, and must ask you to believe
that I exaggerate nothing in what I
am about to tell you. I tell it to you
instead of leaving Paul to do so be-
cause I know his complete ~fearlessness
and his blind faith In a people who are
unworthy of it. He does not realize
the gravity Of the situation. They are
his own people. A sailor never believes
that his own ship is unseaworthy."
"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 a 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 help,
because we have no n to send. Prin-
cess, this is no time for half conf
dences. I know-for 1 know these peo-
pie better even than Paul knows them
4 am convinced, that this is not the
outcome of their W 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 know"
"I-I," she stammered-"I know moth
ing!!"
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.
II know" he said quietly-"I know
more than you think. I am no saint,
princess, myself. 1, too, have had my
difficulties. l have had my temptations,
and l have not always resisted. God
knows it is difficult for men to do al
ways the right thing. 1t is a thousand
uAuSS ulOIc u1ulCulL LUZ WOuleu. ueu
we spoke together in Petersburg and l
offered you my poor friendship l was
not acting in the dark. l knew as
much then as I do now. Princess, l
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 a 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. 1t 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.
The suggestion that Sydney BAN
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, chat it
is safest to tell me more. l offered you