Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-07-07
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DAILY SHOR STORY
THE ACE OF HEARTS.
IOriginaE.1

/ 1t Will only De pEdcllthOiS AOA AC ~
| tell this story by c0ncealing location
and names, for what reveal is gov
eminent secret duplicating my sover-
eign.
l was born a noble In the princi
| pality Of Engendorf. l WAS in favor
| at court, having been q page to the
hereditary prince from the time l was
| ten years old. i grew up near little
maid of honor to the princess, the
| Countess Heloise and we were lovers
| from the moment we met. The crown
| prince was about my age and an in
veterate gambler. 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 Selzerin, 4 young man Of far higher
rank than /, who had opened negotia
| tons for the hand Of the Countess
Heiolse. He was considered the best
catch in the principality. and the only
bar to his winning the countess was
her love for me. This he we'll 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. l 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 was on the verge of tinan-
.Eo a inrpIf lANfpi In inc I
felt his hand against my outside peck
ct. Suddenly the duke threw down
his cards and said he would play no
longer with a cheat To prove his
charge lie 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, Il have
got you where l want YOU
l was appalled,. l knew full well
that the prince had had more cards i'll
his possession than he was entitled TO
and had put one Of them in my pocket.
Ny enemy had seen him do il. / 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 #, and the duke reluctantly prom
ised. How well he kept his promise is
evident from the fact that within q
week was 81 cut man for chea ting at
cards.
l 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 at such Il course
and asked me how l would prove my
case. When told them l would call
on them TO do 50 they reminded me
that all they could testify to was that
the card had been in my pocket.
l saw at once that / was in the dukes
power. Not only must l live the life OF
disgraced man. but must lose my
love. Indeed. the engagement between
him and the countess was announced
that very day. / retired 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
horrihed the more conservative, espe-
cially the religious element, and occa-
stoned the government great deal of
annoyance. But that which set PEG
pies tongues wagging with the greatest |
earnestneSs was that none of those |
present except the duke, who was to |
marry the most popular woman in the |
principally, would admit that l had |
been guilty of any misdemeanor
One day while l was walking dis |
cOnsolately in my grounds l saw a
carriage stop I'm the road and some |
one within beckoning to Inc. ! went |
TO It and found HelOise. She asked me |
to get in with her. and when | had |
done so she drew the curtains and the |
coachman drove away. Then che con
Jured 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-
plaBation 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 l did
not accuse the prince. l had no reason
10 do 50. The facts were enough TO
convince her that the man she was
about to marry had ruined me 70 serve Ii
his own purpose with her After l had /,
finished she sat for some time in ST
lencc, then said:
Il am rs sure of the truth OF your L
statement as II had seen all you say
transpire. But you must live the rest
OF your life in disgrace The prince