The Detroit times., 1909-03-12

who bad forgotten something but the
closer the steps came the quicker
they grew and at last the unknown
came uptairs TWO steps az time.
went to the door and looked down the
Stars. tall. well-built man stood
there in the darkness. His beard was
unusually long and turning grey. The
stranger addressed me In very good
German but In spite OF this | thought
him "A foreigner. lie asked me 10 tell
him where In this house man by the
name OF Alexis Vitrefsky was living.
| Then IL was clear 10 me that he was
looking for the man who lived there
before | rented the room.
Was the gentleman you're looking
for Russian | asked
Certainly he was a Russian" he re-
piled quickly. he was man about
my age. though he may have looked
little younger than | do
"Will you please step inside a mo
ment." | said, perhaps ! can give you
some information"
| pointed to chair and he sat
down As the light fell upon his face
saw that he was an unusually hand
some man, but that suffering and pr!-
yation had ruined his regular features.
II should be very thankful To you II
You could give me even the smallest
information about Alexis" be said,
"and | thank you beforehand. Per
haps | ought to tell you who | am.
am Prince Demidoff"
This was the name OF a famous pris-
oner who after many years OF exile
had csca.ad from the mines of Siberia
and who had shortly before published
book about his sufferings there.
sat down and told the prince every
think knew about Alexis: His sud
den flight. his return. his death AMI
the theft Of the portrait. He listened
20 me full OF anxiety and when | told
! him that the portrait had been stolen
he jumped TO his feet, paced up and
down the floor greatly excited
Then everything is lost 10 me, he
cried. Il tell you. sir. this portrait
was everything TO me. or course, Ii
belonged TO Alexis. but 1t meant more
To me and my children than | can tell
YOU You don't understand me. but
If you will allow ME | shall tell you
par, of the sad story OF my life"
was just about To tell him that
had found The picture again. SO
grieyed / felt al the sight OF his sor-
row but | hesltated for after all he
might be a clever swindler and II was
then better first To hear what he hal
TO tell. and then act according 10 my
best judgment |, therefore, asked
him 10 tell me his story
What | have to tell YOU. he began.
''is rot very pleasant to listen to. As
YOU know | belong TO that party In
Russia which Is struggling for liberty.
Ever since | was young boz have
worked for my country. | nave strug-
gled and suffered and for that reason
| am not in high favor with the czar.
In fact, the emperor and his family
hate Inc. But until few years ago
! they let me alone and allowed me TO
live my life comparatively free. From
time to time | was warned BY the po-
lice that | had written something In
nv hooks which was rather beyond
| The limit of what vas permitted by
! the law but as | belonged 10 one ~
the uoblest families In Russia and was
rich and influential. | was never MODEST
ed Al last, however. neither my
wealth nor my family could protect
me any longer. One day | received an
anonymous message that | vas to be
arrested and punished. Luckily | was
prepared for surprise OF this kind.
My wife was i'm Berlin. and my two
boys at school In Germany and had
placed In trust for them money
enough To keep them until they should
be able TO make their own living, III
aything should happen 10 me- That
everything that possessed was 10
be coniscated | had never thought
or According to an order signed by
the car. | was deprived of my whole
fortune. my estates and possessions
and made a beggar
II talked matters over with Alexis
vitregsky, an old university chum who
had always been by best friend He
was al that time still unknown to the
police and was about TO leave for
ENGLAND. We went 10 an English bank
Ell at ST. Petersburg and upon his ad
vice exchanged all my bonds and
stocks for English bank notes. The
banker gave me 90 notes on the Bank
OF England. each worth G1.000 ster-
ling. These | turned over TO Alexis
tnat he might take along and keep
them until could reach him outside
OF Russia. Although was watched.
hoped TO be able TO escape.
AT first Alexis was embarrassed
and did not know how he could take
all that money TO Germany or Eng
land. Possibilities were that he would
be stripped and searched on the from
tier and then & 10000 was rather
large amount of money for a student.
Then he had an idea. He had always
beer in the habit of carrying with
him wherever he went the picture OF
his dead sister whom he adored like
= saint. She. like all the rest OF us,
had been implicated i'm the revolu-
tiOuary movement and had suffered
for IT, Alexis brought the precious
picture tc me I'm my room We pasted
-tnv bank notes on the back OF the pOr-
trait and pasted coarse piece IF
canvas over N that none should sus-
pect the existence of the money. AS
had absolute confidence In Alexis. |
gave him the portrait and was sure
that my money was safe.
Instead OF going to England Alexis
went TO Berlin, and few days later
was arrested. For several years |
was kept "A prisoner In the fortress Of
Peter and Paul, then | was sent 10 the
mines. but before | left the fortress (
received word from Alexis A mes
senger came ~ me through one of
the secret government officials Ire
ccived from him letter in cipher. I'm
which he told me that he was living
In this very house and ne asked ms
Ia. TO I'M 4 -. A