Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1915-07-08

suspicious. | ventured to approach the
tsar's confidential chamberlain at an
interval between the dances, and to
sound him delicately on the subject.
His reply was characteristic of his ma
ton and government.
"'My dear baron he said sharply,
there is nothing so detestable as court
gossip. 1t is most annoying to his
majesty to have his late fathers name
connected with the wanderings of a
moon-struck boy. Take my advice,
and dismiss the affair from your
mind
His manner convinced me that
more importance was attached to the
incident than he pretended. However,
feigned to be perfectly satisfied, and
returned to the grand duchess, who
was anxious to know whether her robe
would have been approved in Paris.
But the hour agreed on for the rendez-
vous was approaching, and | had to
make the best excuse | could think of
to tear myself away from the imperial
lady.
Boris met me, as we had arranged,
in a small passage leading out of the
anteroOm, and we made our way unob-
served up a back staircase into the IA
nous haunted gallery. The page on
duty was just leaving as we arrived.
81 had come armed with my re-
volver which | had loaded carefully
with my own hands. | took advantage
of the interval, while we were waiting
for the approach of the apparition, to
make my companion provide himself
with similar weapon out of the pages
room. Lest our presence in the gal
lery should serve as a warning to the
mysterious visitor, and prevent his ap-
proach, we concealed ourselves in this
room, which was plunged in profound
darkness.
"Half an hour passed in this way,
without anything occurring. / began
to grow impatient, and to accuse Boris
in my own mind of having invented
some fable. But when | limited this to
him he became so indignant that | was
compelled, in spite of myself, to be-
lieve that the boy had really some
grounds for his story.
"At last, tired Of this useless per-
formance, l rose from my seat and
moved cautiously out into the gallery.
glanced up and down it without per-
ceiving anything in the least resemb-
ling the figure of the previous night.
All at once, however, | did see some
thing which caused my heart to give a
great bound. Looking at the far end
of the gallery, where the deserted
apartments of which Boris had told
me were situated, l distinctly per
ceived a faint glow of light along the
floor
"Instantly l turned to the threshold
of the room in which l had left the
young prince, and beckoned to him to
come out into the gallery. He saw by
my manner that had made some i'm
portant discovery, and obeyed my ges-
ture with shaking limbs. No sooner
had he emerged from the doorway,
and followed with his eyes the direc.
ton in which pointed, than he gave
a great gasp of terror.
"The deserted suite!' he exclaimed
in a hoarse whisper. There has never
been light there in all the years that
have known this part of the palace!
81 nodded my head.
"It is what l expected you to tell
me- whispered back.
"'But what is to be done? he muir
INJURED. Shall | summon the guards,
or inform Volevitch, of the secret po,
lice?'
81 considered well before answering.
One of those subtle intuitions which
are born of long experience in secret
politics warned me that stood on the
threshold of some discovery of no or.
binary kind, one which l might per-
haps regret having to share with the
secret police, and which, for many rea-
sons, 1t might be better that Boris him.
self should not be made acquainted
with.
mo | said at last, we have no
right to act precipitately Whatever
we may suspect, we as yet know moth,
ing that would warrant US in communi'
eating with the authorities. AS the