The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-12-13

|
 new trade" l answered her that she | was uncharitable in her jests because she knew that all the trouble we were taking might be the means at any mo-
 ment of saving the sweetest of wo- 'men from untold misery.
 She cried with a sharp laugh:
 "Oh. surely. The Lady in Blackr
 She has you all under her spell"
 Perhaps there is little truth in that speech" l returned.
 My husband is crazy about herr And she turned upon me that same curious look which had disturbed me | before.
 And therefore" she continued. q take very great pleasure in the conver- sation of Prince Galitch, who is more romantic than all the rest of you put | together"
 l asked her who was this Prince | Galitch of whom I had heard 60 much. She told me that he was com. ing to luncheon, and she gave me . few particulars in regard to him from which 1 learned. that Prince Galitch was one of the richest landho,ders in his own part of Russia.
 He was called a hermit, q miser and a poet. He had inherited from his fa- ther a high position at court. He was a chamberlain to his majesty, and on account of the immense services ren- dered by the parent the emperor was supposed to regard the son with a great deal of affection.
 I cannot tell why, but felt a sin gular antipathy for the prince without ever having set eyes on him.
 His relations with the Rances were those of friendly neighborliness. Hay ing purchased two years before the magnificent property whose hanging gardens. fiowery terraces and beauti- ful balconies had made it known at | Caravan as ''the Garden of Babylon" he had had the opportunity to be of assistance Go Edith when she had be- gun to make the outer court of the Chateau of Hercules into an exotic garden. He had presented her with certain tropical plants. M. Rance sometimes invited the prince to din ner. sand always after one. of these functions the prince would send to his hostess a wonderful palm tree from Nineveh or n cactus fabied to have be- longed to Semiramis. Edith said that she was interested fn the young Rus sian because he-dedicated such beau tiful verses to her. After he had re- peated them in Russian be would translate thsm into English, and he had even composed them In English for her. and for her alone. Verses the verses of real poet--dedicated to Mime. Edith. The prince kept no car riage nor motorcar He used the street cars and often did his own mar keting. attended by his servant, ivan. who carried a basket for the provi- sions. Strangely enough. this avari- ciousness did not seem in the least 1istasteful to Mime. Edith. who ap- peared to consider it mark of origi- nality. And she finished by saying: "No one has ever set foot within his floors. He has never even invited us to come and see his gardens. Isn't it Beautifully fascinating?'
 Mme Edith turned away. and I fn- ished my guard duty.
 The first stroke of the luncheon bell sounded I hurried to my room to make hasty toilet. but l paused in the vestibule, amazed to hear the sound of music. Who. under the pres ent circumstances. cared or dared to play a piano in the Fort of Hercules? And, hark. Some one was singing. It was a voice at once soft and sonorous singing a strange song which sounded now plaintive. now threatening.
 opened the door and found myself face to face with a young man who was standing. I heard the footsteps of Mime. Rance behind me. and the next moment she was introducing me to Prince Galitch.
 The prince was of the type that one reads of in romances-"a handsome. pensive young man." His clear cut and rather stern profile might have given Q somewhat severe expression to his face if his eyes. as mild and clear as those of child and with an expres- sion of perfect candor, had not told an altogether different story.
 I could find nothing to say to this beautiful youth who chanted foreign poems. Mme. Edith took my arm and led me away to walk in the perfumed gardens of the outer court while we waited for the second bell for luncheon.
 At noon we seated ourselves at the table.
 Those of us at the table. all wearing
 
 glare. were NJ. Stangerson. Mathiide. old Bob. Darzac, Arthur Rance. Edith. Rouletabille. Prince Gaiitch and my self. RouletabiIle had placed himself in such a position that he could ob- serve everything along the entire length of the fort. The servants were at their posts. Pere Jacques was at the entrance gate. Mattoni at the pos A in the square tower before the door of the apartments occupied by the Darzacs.
 Prince Galitch was the first to make a remark. He spoke politely to Roule- tabille. mentioning the fame which the young reporter had won. This ap- peared to enlbarrass him. and he made a confused reply. The prince went on to explain that he was particularly in terested In the exploits of my friend T1r- kr. eks.~ rl.1x <.RN Nk-