Evening star., 1920-03-06
CHAPTER V.

peg your royal nlB nness hot " NC
angry. l am only doing my strict
duty as an officer. AS your royal high
ness must understand"
Then he added the singular words
We have received precise informa-
ton. and it is useless for your high
ness to seek to hide your identity
Moreover. your secret will be well
guarded"
At this. still without Indicating to
the officer that he had made mis-
take. I told him by all means to in
form his superiors, and to do it as
that I would tell the truth.
Having thus accepted the situation.
l begged the prince and Mdlle. Jeanne
to keep by my side. and as l did so
heard the Bohemian ask the officer:
May ] go now?'
Yes. you may CO." replied the off,
Ger.
The Bohemian Immediately skunk
away. They had no more need of him.
clearly. He had accomplished his days
work.
Within the last year I have brought
up in my mind a thousand explana-
tons for this Illustration of our plans
for complete secrecy. and l believe
| now IL Is clear we stepped into trap
| laid for US days before. No doubt we
or soon after: no doubt the fact of our
Journey. with q shrewd guess as to at
least a part Of what it portended, was
telegraphed to the border. to the Aus
trian officials.
Is there not every reason to believe
Had he been there merely by chance
he would either have bowed to the
ground with surprise. or would have
refratned from any sign at all, know
ing that the prince was there incog-
nito. and that the incognito should be
nj frl1 hA l.c hi ,,
would have done would have been to
olurt out the sentence he did to the
omcer in charge, and in such a man.
ner that the officer could mistake me
Tor the prince. Yes. 1t was all clearly
prearranged, a fact cIinchsd in my
mind when the Bohemian was non
ehalantly permitted to leave, instead
oath.
Later on I made an effort to trace
the reasons for this contretemps. even
going to the chief of police Of Buda.
pest for explanations and begging
that Prince Carol be told all that could
be told. But I accomplished nothing.
nor did off1cialdom betray any interest
In the matter. -
Meanwhile. standing there before the
passport ofiicers, we had to consider
what to do.
Ny whole thought Just then was for
the prince. Even for Mile. Lambrino's
welfare l had few fears and for my
own none at all. But as things were
soinss' ssoins' ne the prince seemed in peril OF
sire OF his life ended right there. II
cudgied my brain. It was possible to
consult with Prince Carol in the pres.
ence OF the officers. but as analyzed
matters ne was free to move about and
further suspicion.
So l said to him in English that he
must recross the ridge and get back
upon Kumanian territory. He could
resch Jassy. leave US where we were
ana work to obtain our release.
As !or recrossing the bridge. l sug-
Rested We might elude the officers in
charge. walk UP to the Austrian guard
az the entrance to the bridge, disarm
him. and run for it. Or one Of us, that
is myself, might engage him in talk
while the other ned. At the worst I
miss the aim. What would become of
me afterward remained to be seen.
Prince Carol seemed to accept this
plan. but Immediately afterward when
we made sort Of trial Of 1t, it be-
came clear he was only half-hearted
ing Zixi. For we walked up to a guard
near by. and I said Good luck"
then took two or three steps farther.
The guard called Halt" The prince
stopped. And that was the end
We returned to Mile. Lambrino, who
stood awaiting us with wonderful pa
thence. There was a sad smile on her
face: yet she was the bravest Of the
three. 1t was only later that ] learned
that in reality all hope had deserted
her. when she said to me: .
My friend. do not know what will
come to others as result of all this,
but for me there remains only the
convent"
Well. there was little I could do to
reassure her. poor girl, The Austrian
officer had telephoned to his major
for instructions and was ava iting the
komma ndatur. That all hope Of our
getting through Russia was gone
seemed certain. and that disappoint-
ment, even disgrace. was the lot OF
the elopers was almost as probable.
For me the immediate problem was
that Of the forthcoming examination.
especially as regarded the baggage.
In the hands of enemies as we were. it
would be almost as serious for them
to suspect q political motive In our
journey as a romantic one. Most non
chalantly I, opened my travelling baS.
took out a pocketbook containing
among other things the visiting card
of British general for whom 1 had
once acted AZ Interpreter. tore up this
card aud destroyed also with some
papers, When this was done l spoke
again to the prince. reminding him
of the name of my fancee, and say
ing:
"Remember it is my wedding that
is planned, You are travelling incog-
alto to Russia to attehu my MARRIAGE.
Remember.
There was no time for more. as the
vehicle arrived. and with our escort
we started out for tTiraspol. where
was established the Austrian kom.
| officer to make known as little az
40 ssible Of the means by which we
had reached the frontier He replied
still addressing me As the prince
that he would do all he could. and
guard This officer was really most
Courteous and discreet. and. re-
gret that, having forgotten his name.
| cannot emhody 1t IN this narrative.
I should like to have enjoyed his
surprise when he found he had been
addressing tho wrong man as tho
prince AIf this time. but ! did not
see him after our visit to Gen. Won
= ON the way to the general 7 repeat
b. ed to the prince once more the name
Of my fiancee, and the place where.
, according to our ruse. she was to
Meet us talked to him further in
this strain:
Z before the general suggest tnat
! you exhibit great anger because our
| incognito. assumed over so small
matter. was not respected. And say
! you think the ofhcers might well
! have permitted you to enjoy yourself
| for a few days in Odessa. to take rest
! from your labors, ana % on. Perhaps
| you should add that you wish to be
| permitted to return at once to Jassy."
| The prince was somewhat gloomy on
| the ride. However. 7 made the most
! OF the fact that we had thus far been