Year: 1878

Ninth street. Nikolaieff did not
follow, however, as he knew the
road was barred by his assistants in
that direction, and after waiting a
few minutes he broke in the door,
to find himself confronted by a
young man with a pistol in his
raised hand. A demand to surren-
der was answered by shot from
the pistol which pierced the Off
GERS right arm.


He rushed forward. however, and
grappled with his antagonist, whom
he wounded in the face with his
dagger before being able to over
come him and secure his hands
with manacles. Nikolaieff then
went through the house, but found
nobody-no signs of conspirators,
only the luxurious abode of a
woman. Returning to his prisoner,
he found that he had tainted from
less of blood, and then made an
other discovery it was woman in
disguise.


Somewhat perplexed, the officer
summoned a carriage and sent the
unconscious female to the Secret
Police headquarters, and then made
inquiries of his assistants as to
what they had done with the man.
To his utter astonishment he was
assured that no man had been seen.


Poor Nikolaieff was sure he had
disgraced himself by this failure,
and when he appeared before his
chief next day to report, it was
with the greatest diffidence and
with bitter complaints of his COM
rades for failing to secure the man.
To his surprise and delight he met
with the most affable reception, and
was told that he had managed the
affair very well, though it was de-
plored that the young woman
should have been hurt. At the
same time the chief informed his
subordinate that he had been pro-
NOTED to a responsible position in
a different part Of the Empire, but
it was the wish of his majesty that
be should change his name, and
thus Nikolai Trepof started upon
a new career Of the most rapid ad
vancemont, eliminating in the high
place of trust he occupied at the
time of his death.


A brief explanation Of this is due
to the readers OF the Chronicle,
though some have guessed the
truth already. Emperor Nicholas
had love affair with beautiful
Polish lady at that time, and wa:
in the habit of meeting her in the
house on Vassilli 0stroff, which
had been fitted up by bis orders.
! The lady held such high rank in
society that her Imperial lover
would not notify his secret guards
of bis visits, thus ieopardizing bis
personal safety in preference to the
Reputation of the lady, who al
ways entered aud left the house in
male disguise. When NikolaiefI
knocked at the door the Emperor
attempted to escape unseen, but
was stopped by the guard in Ninth
street, and was forced to reveal
himself in order to get away. He
instructed bis amazed captors to
say that nobody had been seen.
The unfortunate lady received med
ical attendance, and in a few days
left the country. never to return,
carrying in her face a terrible re-.
minder Of her eScapade in the shape
of a broad red scar.


The sequel of this remarkable
episode is very romantic and mnch
more tragical in its consequences.
| A few months after leaving Russia
the lady gave birth to daughter,
who bore in her lalR the same
dreadful mark which disfgHred her
mother, The effect of this addi-
tional misfortune upon the wo-
mans mind was terrible. EbH lived
in the deepest seclusiOn, giving
herself up entirely to bitter remorse
and morbid faneisS. She spent half
her fortune in finding opt't the man
who had disfgured her, and when
she had succeeded in this, she de-
voted the remainder of her miser-
able existence to instilling hate and
TeYengeful feelings into the inno-
cent breast of her daughter, who
was made to promise at the death
bed of her mother that she would
return to Russia and infict ven-
geance upon Nikolaieff.


The latter had disappeared, but
Trepoif was basking in the sun of
imperial favor, and ii it is true that
the woman who shot him in his
office, a few weeks ago, has a broad,
red mark in her face, as | am in
| formed on good authority, it is safe
to conclude that this sad affair has
come to a tragic end, and the three
principal actors may settle in the
other world who was the party most
to blame for the misery resulting.
The story is, of course, not gener.
ally known, and could not be told
in public or printed within the