Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-26

who sat behind him. They CHANGED to be a
the same table, for the diners sat in five:
and SKIES about the spacious room.
Lord Valletort was there, and two womer
well-known in society, both of them secretl,
specializing as to the identity of the bronzet
young officer. They knew his name, o.
course. but that was all, and this lack Of
| other index. at an Ascot house party. raised
question. The host, never saying much, cas-
from his shoulders the onus of conversation
with the appearance of the soup.
prince Melnikoff," he said, ''my-er-er-
young friend Armstrong knows your-er-
country WELL"
"Oh. indeed?" said his highness, laughing
so that his strong, white teeth glistened
| 'Then he has the advantage of me-"
"Eh, what's that?" asked Valletort, think
| ing his hearing had betrayed him, for Prince
! Boris Melnikoff was a name, a parsonage, e
brilliant star of society,".
II mean it. 1 assure you,' said the other
"Of course everybody knows st. Peters
burg, and I can find my way about my es
tates. Beyond that, 1 am a stranger in my
own land. 1 spend the winter-and that moi
always-between the capital and Bannofka
my place on the Volga, you know. For the
rest, live in Paris. Vienna, London. Trou'
vile, Homburg-quite a fashionable CAD
about, l assure YOU
1.-The Volga That's a river, isn't it?" said
Ermyntrude
Eyes; one of our great waterways"
cit sounds romantic"
at would be a place of romance If you
came to see it,
He smiled again, giving his light compli-
ment an air of joviality. He was young
not more than thirty, giant in stature. a
splendid creature, with tawny hair and mus
tache and a closely trimmed beard ending
in Vandyke point. Undeniably handsome
of the leonine type, he appeared a king
Armstrong knew that he was a Don Cos
sack by descent. glorifed and made massive
by some generations of selection and good
living. The name familiar in his ears
He strove hard to recall the circumstances
under which he had heard it.
But Ermyntrude speaking again
Estates in Russia mean provinces else
where, don't they?"
"They are extensive, you see." He waved
hand to signify immensely. I'VE count by
square miles, not by acres. There are for
ests and great plains. But the people are
poor. 1t is hard land to till. Fortunately
for me, one OF my ancestors was a distin-
guished robber.''
"a robber?'
There were deprecating smiles at the table
of course, his highness was pleased to joke
He laughed with the utmost content
Please don't think I'm not serious" he
cried. THE gentleman is historical His
name was Stenka Rain. He used to sit on
high cliff overlooking the river, in an
armchair inlaid with ivory, to watch his
men plundering passing vessels. Oh, he was
genuine pirate, beyond dispute"
Such stories, discreetly thrown back in
date, are humorous. Armstrong, admitted
ly jealous of this princely interloper, fired a
question across at him.
Il have heard of Stenka," he said "Is il
true that he served an earlier robber as
cook for fifteen years before he could find
an opportunity to murder him.
Prince Melnikoff did not smile this time
He looked fixedly at Frank How did you
come to hear that?" he returned.
Because l have been living in Saratoff. ~
Recently"
Until the end of May"
Were you there long?"
Only four months
"Ah!' The prince seemed to recover his
ABUNDANT good spirits.
1.-THE cook story may be true" he said.
"Stenka was dreadful scoundrel"
His candor redeemed an awkward Incl
dent Armstrong felt that he had not
chosen the smooth path of conventionality.
Lady Ermyntrude glanced at him covertly.
Personally she said, II find Stenka in
teresting. He had an individuality Look
at my father. The first Valletort stole sew
1
The same thing precisely
Thank you," said the Russian, with a
CLEAN Of his fine eyes. Was it fancy, or did
the fieeting glance bring to mind the brawny
muzhik Of the Anarchist Club?
Armstrong said little. His heart was
heavy. He was sorry now that he had come
to Ascot. Yet he fingered.
X X
The races ended, after four days of gilded
torture for Armstrong, and he was about to
return to London, after saying Goodbye
forever to Lady Ermyntrude. when not AS
cot alone, but all England was startled by
the fact that Prince Boris Melnikoff was the
victim of an extraordinary bomb outrage.
In the early hours of the morning his high
ness was riding alone through a secluded
lane when bomb was thrown at him from,
wood which bordered the road. The pro-
jectile exploded under his horse, magnia-
cent Arab which often had attracted the at
tention Of connoisseurs in the row. The
animal was killed, but Prince Melnikoff es-
capped unhurt. The incident was witnessed
by the occupants of motor car which
rounded a corner Of the road at the instant
the bomb was hurled at its intended victim.
It was curious fact that the Russian
wished the affair to be kept absolutely se-
cret, even from the police. until he reached
The Cedars and discovered that he had lost
a talisman which he had carried sluns
around his neck by gold chain. He de-
scribed It as a fire opal. splendid stone.
| two inches long. three-Quarters OF an inch