Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-08-08

who did not know where to turn Tor
guidance: He still believed them to be
MIA people, n heritage from his lordly
parent, his children, who were res,por,-
sible TO him and to whom he was ro.
sponsible. 1t was, n habit OF thought,
,naiienable, the product Of the ages.
fut II was the calm philosophy Of his
English mother thnt had first given hin,
ilis real sense Of obligation to them, her
tsnchings, even before the war began,
thnt had shown him how terrible were
the problems that confronted his future.
Ills service In the army had opened
his eyes still wider. and when Russia
had deserted her allies he Ind returned
to Iukoyo to begin the work Of rc-
construction in the ways his awakened
conscience had dictated. lie had visited
their homes, offered them counsel, given
them such money as he could spare, and
had, he thought, become their friend
an we'll as their hereditary guardian.
All had gone we'll at first. They hod
listened to him, accented his advice and
his money and renewed their fealty
under the new order of things, vowing
that whatever happened elsewhere in
Russia, blood and agony and starvation
should not visit Zukovo.
But the news that Vasili brought was
disquieting. it meant that the minds
of his people were again disturbed And
the fact that Prince Galitzin had nj
ways been hated made the problems tho
Grand Duke faced none the less diff
cult. For his people had burned. pill
lagcd ard killed. They had betrayed
him. And he had learned in the army
what hre and the smell of blood could
With n quick nod Of resolution he
rose. lie would 60 to them. lie knew
their leaders. They would listen to him.
They must listen.
lie closed the piano carefully. putting
away the loose sheets Of music, picked
M his cap and heavy riding crop from
the divan, on his way to the door, Daus-
| ing. his hand on the bell l-rope as n
thought brought deeper frown 10 his
brow. ;" Why Ind Conrad Grabar,
his chief forester. said nothing today
He mnst haze known-for news such as
the forest Conrad! And yet he would
have sworn by the faithfulness Of his
old friend and hunting companion. Per-
hans Conrad had not known. -"
The Grand Duke pulled the be!l-rope,
then went to the window again and
stood as though listening for the voices
OF the woods. Silence. The sun had
sunk, dull red ball. and the dusk was
, falling swiftly. The aspcns below his
window quivered slightly. throwing
their white leaves upward AZ though in
pain. The stately pines that he loved
mute, solemn, changeless. fillcd the air
with balsam. but they gave nc answer
to his problem. 1t was difficult to be-
llcve that, there, in the restless souls Of
men war could rage. And yet
lie peered out more intently. Beyond
the pine forest. murky cloud was ris-
ing. A storm? Hardly, For the sun
Ind set In II clear sky. But there was n
cloud surely: growing in darkness and
intensity. lie could sec it more clearly
tent.
The Grand Eukc started and then
stared again The cloud wns of sine ke.
Through the woods tiny lights were
sparkling. picked out with ominous bril-
liancy against the velvet dusk. Peter
Nicholacvitrh leaned far out of the win
dow, straining his cars to listen. And
now he seemed to hear the crackle OF
flames, the distant sound of hoarsC
voices. shouting and singing.
And while he still listened. aware
that n great crisis had come into his
life, there was commotion just below
him, the sound of voices close at hand
and he saw man come running from
the woods, approaching the gateway OF
the caste.
He recognized him by the gray beard
and thickset figure. 1t was Boris Rylov
the huntsman, and as he ran he shouted
to some one in the courtyard below
The Grand Duke made out the words
They're burning the Hunting Lodge
where Is the Master-T
Peter Nicholaevitch waited at the
window no longer, but ran out OF the
room and down the flight of stairs into
the great hall below. For he knew
what happened now. The Red terror
had come to Iukovo.
lie went out to the garden terrace,
crossing quickly to the courtyard. where
he met the frightened group Of servants
that had assembled.
Boris, the huntsman. much out oil
breath, was waving his arms excitcdly
toward the cloud of smoke rising above
the pine trees, now tingcd a dirty
orange color from beneath.
"They came from all directions, Mas
ter" he gasped, 'likc the black flies
upon a dead Observation-Disclosures
sands of them from the village and all
the country round. l talked with the
first that came, Anton Lensky, Glct
Saltykov, Michael Kuprin and Conrad
Grabar--'
"Conrad-!" gasped the Grand
Duke.
Eyes, Highness," muttcred Boris. his
head bowed. Conrad ,irahnr. They
tried to restrain me. Michael kupril
struck upon the head with a stick
| 4 IL. Il n.,,l 30, " n % q,
that they mean to come hithcr.'
The face of the Grand Duke, n tritit
pale under it's tan, was set in stcrr
lines, but there was 10 fear in. hi,
manner MS he quickly questioned, hit
eyes eagerly scrutinizing the frightened
men and women about him while ht
spoke to them with cool decision.
''Thanks, Friend Rylov-you have
done me II service shall not forget.
Then to the others, IF there are any
of you who fear to remain with me
YOU may 20. cannot believe tina
they will come to Zukovo Castle, bu
we will close the gate to the courtyard
at once. will talk with them from
the terrace wall.
"Master Highness :" broke in th'
huntsman violently, ''yOu do not un
derstand. You cannot stay here. The,
are mad. They will kill you. 1t is fol
that they COME
"Nevertheless- mean to stay
1T Is death---'
"Go thou, then, and Vasili, and Ivan
For before they burn Iukovo, l meal
to talk with them
1T is madness---'
Come, Highness," broke in Lee
Garshin, the headgroom, eagerly, :"
will put the saddle upon Vera, and yol