THE "EAGLES"

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 194, 27 September 1909, Page 4

THE "EAGLES"

1 ' y r; t;h

A SENSATIONAL STORY OF LOVE AND ADVENTURE.

Bv r.'i'-L r;:'„r ; ; \r; r.

IAUT r w-ft/; about r-;-'.y u i; h niirm'h fi, this thorough!;. point of v n'u th-- i-oiint'.'.vs interfered. • ,\'i> politics. prince, please. ttr shall nurt lit dinner, when I trust I may have the pleasure of the company of both you gentlemen." Then she flowed slightly to us nml vanished up the great staircase. I didn't like the look of the prince, and I felt by that strange telepathy of our feelings that the antagonism was mutual. I. however, took the countess's advice not to return to politics, and ridding myself of the prince as soon as possible, retired to toy bedroom.

In half an hour wo met again at dinner —the countess in high spirit:' ; nntl even the prince under the influence of champagne, which hi* drank a* if it were water, became a reasonably agreeable companion. We talked" of everything under the sun except politics. We tore the society ol Pari.* to shreds, and criticized the latest American engagement of Uncrown l'rince of Prussia. Literature. art. the theatre, scandal of the four capitals were pass<-d in review. Itoth the countess and the prince «tv* v mi"d to know Paris, and Berlin equally as well as St. Petersburg. and they could pass from the Intent plav in the West-end to an impossible opera, composed under Imperial patronoge. in Berlin. as if the two capitals were blended together, ami they took their choice after dinner whether to drive down Piccadilly or o Strasse in Herlln.

I thought the evening was going to pass oft very pleasantly, when the countess struck the first note of discord. We had rome to the dessert and the conversation was beginning to flag, when the countess remarked with just the slightest turn of her e.ves towards me : •*Oh. by the way. prince. I have news to tell you. I have met her." "Her? Which her? There are so many, my dear countess." "Ah. the only one. Fraulein von Grabaun." I wos startled by the way the countess spoke, and looking up at {he prince quickly I could see just a shade of n.bx-r come into his cheeks oinl the tomeuhnt steely glint of his eyes soften. He looked eagerly across the table. '"When* did you see her? Is she in St. Petersburg? How is she?" he said, pouring out the questions, breathlessly. x "In my company your eagerness is rather unmannerly." said the countess prefemling petulance. ''Where is she? Where is she? Has she come to St. Petersburg?" "Ask Mr. CJascoigne. He is <h«ep in the secret of her movements." The prince turned to me quickly. "You know Fraulein von GraGrahaun ? " Confound the fellow. I thought. What was she to him ? "I have that pleasure." I said. ,-ol«lly. "And you know where she is?" he -•aid. "On the contrary."- I replied. "I cm entirely ignorant of her pre-ent ttlierenlw»uls. The countess seems to l»* much lietter informed than I." "Ah. but you know she is leaving Germany.** said the countess, "and she is coming to St. Petersburg. iMn't IwlieVe him. prince. I lielieVe he has it in his mind to lie your rival."

That strange flush came into the prince's ch»"»'ks again. 'You have known Fraulein von (•roliaiin some time, monsieur ? he said.

"I am a very old friend of hers and her family."

"Perhaps; then, you know the relations that exist between the fraul in and myself ? " "To lie quite candid, prince. I've never heard her mention your naue- " "Ah. that is stran»re. very strange indeed—if you are. as you .-ay. a very 01.l friend of hers. For she ami I are bctrothe«l."

His face had hardened and the high cheek Inincs stood out with uifpleasant prominence. What truth there was In what he said. I didn't know, but I felt uncommonly angry. What right had this fellow to lie engaged to Fraulein von Grahnun or ,>v.>n pretend that he was? With difficulty I soothed my irritation enough Iff reply : "As you an* so intimately connected with her. prince, you must l>e much lietter informed of her movements than t who am merely ao old playmate of her childhood." The point told.

**l have been away. T've l>e-ii travelling." he said hurriedly, "and mm only just returned to St. Peters, burg. The address which I gave her to write to me I never reached, so that her letters have gone astray, flut she is coming to St. Peters, burg ? " He looked Imploringly at the countess and myself. "Ah. well, my dear prince, we u »r> t keep you on tenter-hooks any timer. To-morrow morning th* charming fraulein arrives here. Yoi w.>n't l>e kept waiting long." At first, I had only disliked the prum : now I hated him. Whit right. I thought, had old Von Grahaun to make this betrothal without my knowledge ? He knew well enough that thero had been some tacit understanding between us. Ami Flora, why hadn't she told me? It was just like a woman, always anxious to have two strings to her bow. Of course there was a certain amount of vanity mixed up with my feelings. I couldn't understand her preferring this (wK-civiliwtl Asiatic to myself. It seemed ridiculous. I hated the man then and there. And in my heart there swelled up in inverse proportion a maddening love for Flora. I thought of her as I had seen her last in the lodge of the fores*. Hon- charming the had looked as sh*" 1 I'iv!" tti" c»>>><l-l>y.- ■ ntdly. ! w 1 '■ h■ ■ l l all p .li' !•-, and conspiracies m *h-- ,f r "in--'"'- • ° :i! " el.-

. nt'.-ri;. m.::..: ar- ■ . nwl patri.iVisin. and t.aMonal • and a hundc.-d-aitd-oni; ■:. 1 things that make up the lif' the human rare. I forgot all n'l.iwt my passports, all about my duty at that moment in niy anger and chagrin at hearing that Flora had betrothed herself to the prince. I don't know how the resi of the dinner went by. but I understood sufficient of what took place to know that the countess was enjoying a triumph. Xow I understood her rynical sneer at Flora when wc drove away the other morning.

As soon as reasonable I rose, and wishing my companions good-night nurried into my coat nml hat and rushed out into the white-covered ■streets. The snow was falling with that uncanny silence which makes the winter in Russia a sort of mysterious ritual. I went up the broad streets and across the bridge into the workmen's quarters. Everywhere soldiers were on guard. I let ween the clum--sily-built houses and the great gloomy factories I trudged, pouring :,ut to the stars imprecations on the prince and the countess. I don't know where T had got to, when coming to a corner of the street. I ran heedlessly into a man. lie was dressed as a common Hussion workman. As we recoiled from ?ach other he raised his hand hesitatingly to his cap with that servile attitude that is so irritating to Knglishnten. He began to mutter something under his breath. I looked at his face for a second. It seemed stianf;-!y familiar' to me. For a moment I puzzled my brains as to where I had S4-en it before. Then I sprang forward, with outstretched hands.

'"Von Grahaun !" 1 exclaimed. I have met a school friend unexpectedly at the top of Mont Blanc. I have run across an Kton chum in a Bohemian cafe in the back streets of Mont mart re. I have knocked against friends in the Ttockies. And I once walked into my own father, whom I thought to be sending his Christmas in Kngland, at Suez. In»x pec ted meetings of this sort happen to everybody. But I don't think I was ever so surprised at a meeting as I was at coming across Von Grahaun In this back street of the workmen's quarter in St. Petersburg.

If- I was surprised at meeting him, I was all the more surprised at the attitude he adopted towards me. Instead of taking my hand, he put his finger to his lips, raised his cap from his head, anil trudged forward. As he passed me, I heard him murmur in Rnglish the orte word, "Follow "

I was so surprised that I stood ■ilill for some moments where I was watching his retreating figure, and he must have gone some lifty yards liefore I started trudging after him, keeping pace with his steps. What on earth. I wondered, was this old. resjM'ctable. Herman Scotchman doing in St. Petersburg disguised in a workman's get-up ? Kccentric I knew he was. or rather that he held views regarded with disapproval by everybody but a small minority, which is really what we inean by eccentric For on his Scotch instinct for liberty was graftsi that German scientific leaning towards Socialism. Often in the old days had wc argued out the ideal State.

Many an hour had T listened to him as he enlarged on the duty of the people to govern themselves and the sovereignty of the masses. Hut I hail always thought these opinions were just the idle views of a man who was an autocrat by birth and 10 wealthy that leisure enabled him to indulge in abstract dreams. And here, after nil. he was apparently engaged in some mysterious occupation. the object of which I could not IKissibly guess at. And I had plenty of time to guess, for I followed on for near half an hour down all sorts of mysterious turnings ami gloomy streets, nml there rose to my nose some of the most evil-smelling odours which it has ever lieen my evil-for-tune to run against.

At last when I was beginning to wonder when the game of follow-my-leader was to end. he took a sudden turn down a |*'culinrly dark str>*et, which though broad, like all streets in St. Petersburg, was so ill-lighted t hot you could hardly see across. Here, fearful of losing him, I hurried my steps.

•lust as I passed a doorway I heard somebody whisper. "Stop," and I came to a standstill. In a loorwny I saw Von Grahaun standing. lieckoning mc to follow him. lie o|>encd the door, and going tip the 4te|is I entered the hou.se. It was r|uite dark in the passage and I •itood where I was. not daring to *{ieak lest I should unconsciously do my old friend some harm.

I was greatly relieved when I heard him say In his ordinary voice: "You must think this a very strange meeting, Hubert." "However mysterious 1 am very glad to have met you. Von Grahaun" I replied. "But can't we have a light ? " "Yes. if you'll follow mc, I'll take you upstairs," And then, without another word, he lit a candle that stood on a tabic in the hall, and began to mount the stairs that faced the doorway. There was just sufficient light for me to see that the place was but poorly furnished. A deal table, unstained and a table roughly put together constituted the only furniture in the hall. The staircase was of stone and uncarpeted and on the Walls the paper hung loose with the damp.

I followed in his steps, wondering what on earth this man who was reputed to be worth fifty thousand or sixty thousand pounds a year could lie doing in a den like this. My surprise was all the greater when, on arriving at the first landing, h - opened a door and I found myself in a long room -sumptuously furni.<»hod with all the luxury of the twentieth century. A cheerful fire burned in a wide, open grate, my feet sank deep into a carpet heavily piled, on walls hung pictures which proved th*.- tostf of the owner All the furni'ur** onk. and l>eau»ihiHy uph<<!'-'<-r<-d -:i dark red. Th- ir.i •••.ngruny of »is>room in a th.it, indeinK 1-y 'he

erourrd (inw was little better than a I»;t* ay 'iv-Hintr. ■ri n< •' ::' ' A n'i • hr> pirture Y<.n <:risiiU'i:. <"ia.fi in his workman''- the strai.g'-ii.-~- 111 "ii-- |■! ('I! Al'TT.ii X. ••w.-11, t !.:■ >•*.*• rylhing," I exclaim- <l. unui'i" .-uprir-ss my as-tonishnn-iit an> ."Ve:-, y.,a wnu-d naturally think it si sai■ i Crahaun, in that sani" tiiv.i v,putting his ;a|> >m Hi'- t 1):• •. and sinking into a large arm < hair. "Hut what <io<"-s it mean ? Arc you jetting up any charades, or arc you simply studying life in the slums of •St. Petersburg V " He didn't answer my question, but lay back in his chair, with his eyes naif closed, apparently tired out. He looked so old and so ill that a great pity for this strange rich man :ame into my heart. "Von Clrahaun. what's the matter? Let me get you some brandy. You <ook tired out." He roused himself at this. "I was almost forgetting my duties as a host," he said, "but if you would pour me out some brandy my :joy, I should Imj greatly obliged;" and he pointed towards where the tantalus stood on the table flanked oy glasses and syphons. I mixed him a large brandy and soda, ami gave it to him. He sipped' it slowly. As I watch<xl nim. anxiously and eagerly, I saw the colour come back into his cheeks. "Ah, that's Ixstter," he said looking up at me with a smile. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself wandering about like this," I said in a bantering tone. "A man of your ago, too. I wonder what Flora would say to it ? "

As I mentioned his daughter's name the troubled look came back into his face. ITo repealed the name after me with a sort of lingering regret. "Ah, she will be with me to-mor-row." "Yes, I know, and she will have a great deal to tell you," I replied mysteriously. -"What do you mean ? Have you seen her ? I narrated to him the whole story of what had taken place in the lodge in the forest, holding back only so much as would not involve me in any breath of the oath which I had taken to the Society of the Organization of Combat. To my amazement when I had finished jtny story which he had not interrupted by one single question or sxpression of surprise, he said with ill-disguised anxiousness : "Who is this Countess Blavcski? \Vhat is she ? " •'Well, Von Grahaun," I said, slowly, trying to make my answer as non-committal as possible, "people don't inquire too closely into the calling of others in this strange city of St. Petersburg." "Yes, but it is important that I should know. There are many things " he paused confusedly—"many things that we cannot talk about, but arc important nevertheless. And with Flora's safety at stake ''— *

"Oh, you can set your mind at paso on that score. Flora is not concerned with the countess in any way. They just met like ships that pass in the night, and they need not me«»t again," I added, thinking lor the first time of Prince Mirski. "You mean you will not tell me,"he said, raiding his brows. "Well, we are old friends, sir. and you can rest assured that if I thought Flora's safety was concerned I would assist you to the best of mv ability. Hut you can understand then* are certain things which a man of honour cannot do, and one is to break his promise.'-

He rose from his chair and corn* ing across to me. put his hand kindly upon my shoulder. "Quite right, my boy. I iiiid-r----stand. And you, you will understand the same thing." I gathered what he meant. I was not to inquire into the why and the wherefore of any of the strange things I had witnessed. That is to say, I was not to ask why the «•>•!!- to-do Von Grahaun chose to wan.l -r about the streets of St. Petersburg clad like a working man, and why he lived in a house the ground floor of which had all the attributes of a slum, while the upper floor was furnished with the sumptuousness of a Dal ace. I nodded my head.

He went back to his chair, and sat down.

There was silence for some moments while I blew rings from a cigar to which I had helped myself from a box on the table. "What time does Flora arrive tomorrow ?" 1 said, breaking the long silence. «.

"Ten o'clock." "It will be nice for you to have her with you," I said, inconsequently

Then somehow or other, my mind which had In-en distracted by the 013'stcry which surrounded Von Grahaun for the last two or three hours began to centre itself round Flora, and from Flora to Prince Mirski. The gnawing anguish of that dinner-table conversation, and the tramp through the streets came back to me. I went over the whole scene again —the deliberate and obvious intention of the countess to make mischief between the prince and myself: the eagerness of the prince when he had heard that Flora was expected in St. Petersburg ; the angry suspicion with which he seemed to regard me when I told hiin of my long juid old friendship with Flora ; the sotnewhat patronizing manner wiih which he informed me he was betrothed to FloraI followed the whole scene o<a again in my mind. Who was th:s Prince Mirski ? Where had he from ? Why had I never iK-ani him b'-for'-, I who had known theiVon Orahu'ins for yur- ? 'Almost. iinco::.sci<!';.-!y my lips forrri'-d tl.v ■ n 4 t:< ••!.•] : i'Whu i- I'nnci; " I r. a., .re- to my cigar SI:;' V." ' i ' ' :'' S ' Wl'iich it floa-.-d th.u. \ -n «.Talur:r.. But to what. ; v.-r I it. whether to tij.ft.- • or F!. raV lather, the otiect w,v- . !.<'r>:a'. white a: •! .ind a! most ran uVer to my To be Continued M. S. Lau rie, 1 e Awamutu.