Tombstone epitaph., 1915-05-16

iOunuilts tiS Ooul. pltsseu turOuBN the ring and saw that poor Starovitch
 had at length unclosed his eyes. The
 next moment his glance fell on me.
 and he showed unm!staka bly hIs anx- | Iety to address me.
 'I stepped hastily to his side, and per.
 Can you speak?' l asked. If so,
 tell me now this happened?' He made a feeble movement as though 10 rise. bent over him with
 my ear close to his lips.
 "'The cripple-the papers he | gasped. and ceased.
 That was all. was destined to | hear no more. Corpses make no con | fessions."
 The ambassador allowed a decent | interval to pass, as if to proclaim his | respect for the memory of the mur- dered statesman. Then he resumed:
 Poor Starovitch had hardly drawn his last breath when the chief of police | rushed in. at the head of staif of of- [ ficers. He drowned when his glance | encountered me there by the side of | the dead man; but instantly softening | his expression. he advanced respectful ! ly. and said to me:
 "I perceive that have arrived too
 late. Perhaps, M. le Baron, your friend was able to give you some hint as to the author of this abominable crime?' ''I looked him steadily in the face.
 and replied with the most perfect cool ! ness:
 No. unfortunately. NJ Starovitch
 expired. on the contrary. just as he
 was on the point of commencing a | declaration
 The truth of this assertion was con frmed by the doctor and the other per
 sons who had been present during the
 scene
 Tn that case said the chief. pre- ! serving his composure. I must proceed to make my investigation from the 1 clues which are already in my pos session
 T bowed in silence. and took my de- i parture, returning home with Montal- | embert, to whom 1 said nothing about the anNieties which were torturiug me. The moment had reached my own 1 house. however. l sat down and wrote an order to a certain manufacturer in | Vienna with whom l had formerly had | dealings. to forward me without delay one of those shirts composed of steel | links which are sometimes worn by of | ficers engaged in warfare among say
 age tribes.
 You will have recognized. of course, | my motives for saying nothing to the police officials. Where political con 1 alterations are involved, the police are not to be depended on. If the crime ! which had just been committed were 1 the work of private individuals, on the other hand. had no doubt that the po-
 lice would prove equal to the task Of | bringing them to justice"
 All I did was to dispatch a tele-
 gram to Dourenski, in the cipher which he had requested me 10 employ, in | forming him of what Lad occurred. and
 urging him to return immediately. The news Of the tragedy must in any case have reached him within a few hours The most profound i'm
 pression was created all over Europe by this assassination of a statesman whose name was as familiar to the public as that of Prince George him self
 Tt is needless for me to describe the sensation produced Tn the principalitr itself So great was the agitation and l alarm in the capital. that the govern
 ment gave orders that the fune.at of
 the murdered premier shoulI take
 place at night. and should be attended by no one except a few public func- tionaries. and the immediat. relatives and friends of the deceased
 The fu1eral was fixed For the sec ond night after the murder. and it was of course necessary that I should be present. In accordance with the GUS tom of the country there were to be DO carriages, the coffin being carried by friends. and the other mourners follow
 ing on foot. This was the first time
 that I had yentured outside my door since the events l have described, and before putting on my oyercoat I could
 not forbear glancing fearfully at the place where l had discovered the white thread
 Judge of my consternation. when l
 tell you that beheid the fatal token
 there once more, The assassins had foreseen that should be obliged to at
 teId the funeral, and had conceived
 the atrocious idea of dispatching me
 on my return.
 My first feeling was one of over
 powering horror; my next. of truly un-
 governable rage. Leaving the thread
 in its place, I swore that I would keep
 the assignation which these wretches
 had prepared for me. and teach them
 the danger of attacking brave man.
 Luckily my mail shirt had arrived
 from Vienna that very day; and con
 graduated myself on having had it
 sent to me from a quarter the least
 likely to provoke suspicion. l retired
 to my room instantly and put it on.
 While was adjusting it, sent for my
 attache and told him everything-that
 is to say, everything except what bore
 on my suspicious as to the real motive of the conspiracy.