Tombstone epitaph., 1915-05-16

By degrees the various members of the crowd separated from each other. | every one going in his own direction. On my part was careful not to allow myself to be joined by any chance ac- qualntance. so that 1 soon found my self walking alone. though l fancied I could hear the cautious footsteps of Montaiembert jogging me from be- hind
 Carefully refraining from any back ward glance. l pursued my way till came to a long and rather narrow street which led directly into the one | in which my house was situated. As turned into it. saw something which 1 caused my heart to beat violently. Ad- vancing towards me in the obscurity, from the far end of the street. was the
 figure of man. The next moment the moon penetrated the clouds which had muffled it, and I perceived that the approaching figure was my cripple of the night of the murder.
 "Peering up into my face with the one eye which was not hidden by the bandage. the fellow commenced to de. mand money in the usual whine of his class. I affected to hesitate, stopped. and put my hand into my pocket At the same moment my intent ears caught a light. swift footfall on the road behind me.
 T can hardly describe how the rest happened. felt something strike me in haa crash of splintered steel. an oath, and a loud cry in Montalembert's voice as he came running up from the rear. Leaving him to deal with the ruffian behind me. l sprang forward and clutched the one in front.
 As I had anticipated, his lameness was feint. Instead. 1 found myself | engaged with an active. powerful man, who let fall his crutches. and struggled so desperately in my grasp that 1t was all could do to prevent his escape till Montalembert came to my assistance The other man. it appears, had been too quick for him. He had taken to his heels the moment he heard Mon- talembert approaching, and being a good runner, had soon made pursuit hopeless. Nor did ever find out who | he really was, though I imagine him to have been a mere subordinate in strument
 With regard to his companion 1t was different By our united efforts we succeeded in securing him and | dragging him into the house a prison CT. There. his bandages torn off and some false hair removed. his identity was quickly disclosed. It was the chief of police himself.
 "I need not repeat the expressions which addressed to him, and which he received with obstinate silence. But it did not take me long to realize that 1t was useless to talk of punishing him for his crimes. The only advantage could gain from my victory was to ex- tort confession Of the real authors and motives of this villainy.
 AS soon as had exhausted myself in reproaches, therefore. said to him. But il is not you with whom am concerned. but those from whom you received your instructions. Tour fate is in your own hands. Tell me the whole of the circumstances frankly, and you shall go unharmed: refuse, and l will take you back 10 the spot where you attempted my life and shoot you down as I might have done at the ':Iue.
 He tul ned pale at this threat, which he had evidently not expected. These gentry who undertake to play fast and loose with he lives of others, always attach an extraordinary value to their own mise: able existences. IVY. le Baron, swear to you that am speaking the truth when say that know absolutely nothing of this af. fair beyond the orders which I re- ceiyed. Those orders were to waylay NJ. Starovitch and you. and If either of you should be wearing a white thread on his back. to kill him. You know yourself that the first time, two nights ago. let you go. because my agent failed to see the white thread; and I have been severely blamed for it since. The thread must have come off
 Yes. took 1t of that night. be- cause it was not convenient to me to deal with you then said, seeking to impress him with the idea that I knew everything. But now you have not yet told me from whom you received these orders you speak of
 T took out my revolver and laid 1t on the table
 We'll, then, if must say it-from Prince George himself
 Thank you, that is enough. Now as soon as you have written that down and signed it in the presence of this gentleman and myself, you may go home.
 Ten minutes later he had gone, leaving me in possession of a docu- ment which I regarded as not less val uable than the papers entrusted to me by poor Starovitch.
 Afterwards, the affair passed out of my hands. You may imagine that had had enough of Russian diplomatic methods to last me my lifetime. l simply gave Dourenski his packet, with the seal unbroken, together with the written confession of the chief of police