River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-12-11

| the curtain; then Nicholas arose weak
! ~ and, prostrating himself upon the
! ssvest step, held communion with the
! figure, which bent over him. Only the
whispers of their voices were audible
| In the room
t The eyes of all were on the pair
| All watched. all wondered: perhaps oil
/ that assembly half believed and hard
ly one was wholly Sceptical Paul
| slipped. u0HCtiGed. sat of his chair
and edged his way toward the front
row, Immediately behind the PROSTATE
sovereign. Under his coat he clutched
the dark lantern tightly. Disgust and
contempt had driven out his doubts
| He felt sure now that this was the
masquerading monk.
! A candle flickered in one corner
and the light fell clearly upon the
face of the tall figure. Paul was
amazed This could not be Apollodo
rus-some confederate. perhaps. but
| never that ascetic little man. Why. this
man had muscles like Shadows and
/ twice the size of those of Apollodorus
/ Some confederate he might be. but
not the monk. He sat down weakly
indeciSive. waiting for the opportun
ity.
A voice whispered in agitation on
one side of him. Others took up the
words. Hands clutched at him. Paul
did not understand that he was sit
ting in Nicholas's chair AT any no.
ment the monarch might rise and
come back and perceive this intruder
They laid hands violently upon him
and Paul, thinking his purpose had
been discovered, tore the dark lantern
| from under his coat and flashed it in
to the face of the figure. He had
planned to begin instead with the cal
cium. but this proved equally effica
cious
For everybody was upon his feet
shouting as Paul. leaping forward. his
lantern light flooding the room
grasped the tall man by the flowing
| draperies he wore and whirled down
the steps with him and into the midst
of the guests. simultaneously the
whole company precipitated them
selves upon Paul and him whom he
held fast. Whoever it was. it was no
ghost. that much was certain. but a
giant in strength, a giant who sought
for him and found him among the
| stumbling men and crashing chairs
and wrapped his great arms around
| him like wise and slowly crushed
the breath out of his body. Pinned
| helpless in the grip of his antagonist
| Paul felt his senses leaving him. lie
| heard the shouts of the courtiers
! blend and mingle into a sullen roar as
of the sea; lights flashed before his
eyes; he felt himself lifted up and
carried away. The last things that
he saw were Clothilde's terror-strick-
en- face and the Mortified eyes Of
Count Gabel.
When he opened his oPas &f,AcA b.
was lying in the little cell which had
been assigned to him on his arrival
| Overhead an electric light burned
/ brightly Beside his bed a cowled fig
ure was seated-the figure of Apollo
dorus. AS Paul stirred the monk put
down the missal which he had been
reading and came toward him.
You are feeling better9" tA R@FeG
smiling ccGnsnG>1;ily, ffien you ran
to.1 U,a wfo you Gee IN English
man."
american"
Newspaper correspondent"
"If you like" answered Paul indIf-
ferently.
OR perhaps an emissary az tt&
league continued, Apoliodorus, sintl.
ing more broadly.
Like yourself? No" answered
Fssul.
my good American, you are a
month out of the date" Apollodorus
answered 81 knew that l had the
reputation of being a member of that
organization, but one must not be
Iieve all that one bears. / have bet
ter things to occupy my mind-eter-
nal things, not those of this wretched
world That his majesty has been in
CllHbu lOWdIu LHS' iCctSuC do uuC
to the counsels of his father; lately
Alexander has counselled him other
wise"
by whom you mean yourself, said
Paul. Now let us be frank. What
are you going to do with me?"
The monk stared at .hirn thoughtful
ly.
IF you will give me your word of
honor to keep the secret which | shall
reveal you may go free" he said.
ITO be equally frank, you have us in
an unpleasant position. If we had not
dragged you away before the lights
went up"
yes"
Ills majesty might have guessed
at your purpose. AS it is, everybody
thinks you were a journalist. Have
your word? Good. The man you
fought with was his late majesty
Alexander III. In middle life he
wished to withdraw from the world
to give himself up to meditation. AS
the Tsar cannot abdicate he followed
the example of his predecessor. Alex
ander J.. and withdrew to this monas-
terry after a mock funeral, and hither
his majesty comes at times to receive
counsel. You understand, my friend,
that with sovereign of his majesty's
type of mind we cannot always be
frank" He whispered into PauFG ear.