The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1905-03-10

oacE Il his bezdy blgcs eyes bent
westward along the princes highroad.
On the particular evening with which
We have 10 do the beady eyes looked
not IL vain for presently far along the
road appeared e black speck ike an
insect crawling over the face Of a
map
All said the starosra. "Ah. he
never fails.
The word soon spread that & car
rage was coming along the road from
Tver. All the villagers came 70 the
doors Of their diIapEdated wooden huts.
Even the tlns were emptied for q time.
AS the vehicle approached il became
apparent that the horses we're going
at q great pace Not Only was the loose
horse %gaIloping. but also the pair il
tie shafts. The carriage was an open
one. an ordinary north Russian travel.
Ing carriage. not unlike the vehicle We
call the victoria, set on high wheels.
Beside the driver On the box sat an
other servant In the open carriage sat
one man Only, Karl Steinmerz.
Is ne passed through the village a
murmur OF many voices followed him,
not quite drowned by the rattle Of his
wheels, the clatter Of the horses feet.
The mu-nEr was q curse. Kari Stein-
metz heard it distinctly Il made him
smile with & queer expression beneath
his great gray nustache.
The starosta. standing in his door
way. saw the smile He raised his
voice with his nefghbo-s and cursed.
AS StetaneU passed hin he gave q lit
tie jerk Of the head toward the castle.
The JERK Of the head might have been
due TO an inequality Of the road, but ii
might also conyey al appointment
The keen. haggard face of Michael
Room showed 10 sign Of mutual under
standing. and the carriage ratified on
through tie stricken village.
TWO hours later. when it was quite
DARK. q closed carriage, with two
bright lamps daring into the night,
passed through the Village toward the
castle at g gailop-
1T Is the PRICE" the peasants cried,
~crouching in their low doorways. 1T
Is the prince We know his bells, they
are Of silver, and We shall starve dur.
ing the winter. Curse him, curse him.
They raised their heads and listened to
the g%alloping feet with the patient
dumb despair which is the curse of the
Slayonic race. Some OF them crepr te
their doors and, looking up. saw that
the castle windows were ablaze with
light If Paul Howard Alexis was q
plain English gentleman in London he
vas also a great prince in his country,
keeping up q princeiy state. enjoying
the giIded solitude that belongs to the
high born. His English education had
educed a strict sense Of discipline, and
as In England and indeed all through
70 his duty.
The carriage ratified up to the bril-
Handy lighted door. which stood open
and within, On either side Of the broad
entrance hall, the servants stood te
welcome their master. 4 strange, pic
8 ~ lew lAC AlolOl OoklO
In his black coat, and beside him the
other house servants-ta1l, upright feI
lows in their bright livery; beyond
them the stablemen and keepers, g
little army in red cloth tunics, with
wide trousers tucked into high boots
all holding their fur caps in thei,
hands, standing stify at attention
clean, honest and not too intelligent.
The castle of Osterno is built on the
lines OF many Russian country seats
and not a few places in Moscow. The
royal palace in the Kremlin Is an ex
smpl-a broad entrance hall, at ths
a c OF which a staircase as broad
stretches up to a gallery around which
the dwelling rooms are situated. Al
the head Of the staircase. directly fac
ing the entrance hall, high folding
doors disclose the drawing room. which
Is almost q throne room: all gorgeous
lofty, spacious as only Russian house:
are. Truly this northern empire. thi.
great white land, is a country il which
It is good to be an emperor, a prince. {
! noble, but not a poor man
Paul passed through the ranks OF hi,
retalners, himself a head taller thar
the tallest footman, a few inches broad
e. than the sturdiest keeper. He &C
knowledged the low bows by a ouicl
nod and passed up the staircase. Stein
metz, In evening dress, wearing th,
insignia of me or two orders which b.
lad won in the more active days Of hi.
earlier diplomatic life, was waitins
Tor him at the head Of the stairs.