"'Check!” proclaimed dor, vlCt a threatening air, as be advanced the king's bishop to the square I had omitted to guard. And he leaned back in his seat and smiled as 11 be considered the game already eror, 1 sat silently studying the position. But my opponent was not a man played chess merely by moving jtocas on the board. He did not neglect the opportunity to distract my attanfion l? conversation. The game of chess is an admirable rifm for nien of my calling." be observed. There is something truly instructive in the leesoos a ' rays- Look, for instance, at the pawn. which in its earlier career scarcely repays the trouble of capture, but to which, later on. even the queen 3 be sacrificed.* 1 resigned myself to the prospect r€ losing the game, and prepared to astern Europe do 1 It U. of course, Russia, the Bus la of the government, that I apeak. During the wbolu time that I spent in 8t_ Petersburg I could always perceive that I was a mere spectator, allowed to see no more of the true condition of affairs than it

the 4 -

Nevertheless. 1 flatter

myself that 1 penetraud farther behind the scenes than they were aware. “Outnardly, as everybody knows.

of this empire 1* an

autocracy, the absolute power being Mated la the hands U the tsar. But the true government of Russia Is a secret society, tho mysterious Tchln. which includes the whole of the offldst deee, and in whoee bands the tsar la often no more thsn a puppet, powerless to exert his own win. How burdensome this poeltlcei Is. may be estimated from the fact that eight decades ago tbs Grand Duke Constantine deliberately refused to ascend the throne, which paseed to bis younger brother, the Emperor Nicholas L “Nor has the Tchln ever shrunk from asserting Its supremacy by the stoat deplorable deeds It Is not the Xlhaiats who Lave sad the fashion oi

tsars. It Is by the bands

Tt la not so very many years since the attention of Europe was concentrated upon the death of Alexander UL Occurring as It did In a remote corner of his dominions, on the shores of the Black sea. the account* supplied by the eorroapondeuts of the European press, woo Socked lr. vast numbers to the spot, vere so circumstantial as If each one had been admitted to the bedside of the dying monarch. The Interest taken in this event was moreover enhanetd by the .romantic drcumslancx* of the marriage of the present tear. Nicholas 11. “However, the result of rll this r.as that the Nihilists relaxed their activity. and for a time there was absolute repose In the Russian capital. This repose was broken by a strange and disturbing rumor, which clrcu tstau. deserve, merely among the ex- ' elusive dicles of the court This rumor vas tt, the effect that the winter palace had become haunted. “It was stated that a ghost had been seen walking In one of the corridors at midnight And there were tboee who asserted that the spirit in question was that of ibe dead tsar. “As you may Imagine, such s report could not be long In attracting the attsntkm of the secret police. The -esc)' waa very soon apparent. "Never was the marvelous power «f the police exerted with more crushing affect. The rumor died out ms swiftly and suddenly as It had arisen. It never penetrated beyond the inner circle of society, and, above all, never reached the ears a single correspondent of any Journal outside the Russian era pire. lu the Russian press, of course, tt was Impossible for anything to pass the slam scrutiny of the censorship. * “It is for this reason that the public of Europe has never bed even an Ink- ' . ling of a secret of which, outsldu the fanmedlste court circle, 1 am perhaps the sole possessor That mere curiosity Is no' one of my fallings, you have doubtless long ago observed. Hut In the Interests of France 1 deemed It ■•cawary to penetrate to the but tom nf this extraordinary affa.r. and drcumstancss (« rtuuately put It In my poster to do so. T waa not there In any political capacity I was favored In my Invea tigaticn by the acrldenl oi my friendship with a very charming womax the 1‘rinceea Neetii > * whose eon, i’rince Horts Nertlkofl, was an Imperial page, at that time on duly In the winter

a> qaatntanre of y forte er official aay, and. though y-wr» had elap.m since I had her. she received at with un-

T ebaaced to he dining a: her mis-

sion ou the Nevsky Prospect, on the day after the royal apparition was said to have made lu appearance. We were enjoying a tetee-tete after dinner, before proceeding to a ball given that night at the palace, when we were interrupted uy the arrival of the yoong Boris, dressed In the Imposing uniform of hla office. He wss quite s lad; Indeed, when 1 had formerly known him be waa a mere child, and had been accustomed to consider me In the light of s father. "He entered the room In which we were seated more abruptly that was, perhaps, consistent with hla filial r> apect, but the agiution under which he evidently labored furnished gome excuse. “'Mother/ he cried out as soon as he waa inside the door, 'hare you heard about the event of last nightr * "The princes*, with a gesture full of dignity, drew his attention to toy j c. “'Boris!' she ex claim sd in a voice of reproof. ‘You have omitted io pay your respect* to the baron.' The young prince blushed, and hastened to make his apolugles, with that grace which he Inherits from hla par■Say no more/ I commanded; It is easy to aee that you have something of importance which you wish to com munlcste to your mother. With ms dime's permission. I will withdraw.' "But this neither of them would bear of. both mother and son assuring me that there was no secret which they would not Intrust to ay die

It was then that my y ting friend proceeded to disclose the reason lor his sudden appearance, and to artound with the intelligence that he was himself the author of the rumor which had so perturbed the society of 8L Petersburg. It will, perhspe, ssvt Use If 1 repest the substance of bis story In my own words. You must know that the winter palace Is one of the mo.t colossal buildings in the world. Whole suites of apartments In It are never used even but. In order to guard against ail danger from the odious attempts of the Nihilists, a certain watch is maintained even in the moat daserted quarters of the palsce. The Imperial suits, comprising eight principal rooms. Is traversed throughout its length by a corridor which opens at one end on the first landing of the grand staircase, st which point two of the pages are always on duty, dsy and night At the other end the corridor is closed by a door which Is always kept locked. On the further side of this door is s disused gallery, overlooking n garden In the rear of the palace, and leading to s suite of rooms which hsd not been used for years. It was at thia spot that the young prince had been on duty the preceding

night

You will understand that the task of keeping guard at night in a deserted gallery was by no means a pleasant one, although no one page was inquired to be there for more than three hours in the twenty-four. Moreover, a small room opening out of the gallery bad been suUably furnished for the Isdj to relax themselves la during their solitary watch. “On the night In queetlon Boris hsd repaired to the gallery to relieve his comrade at nine o'clock. He bad simply to remain there till twelve, and . us soon as tbs dock struck, be was at liberty to retire to bis own

quarter*.

"it wauled very few minutes to the hour, and he waa pacing the gallery. Impatiently waiting for bis release, when he happened to stop opposite one tf the windows, and look out Into the grounds. It wss s bright moonlight night, and every tree and shrub In the garden ktood out with startling dla-

nctneea.

"He gased Idly, letting his eye roam rer the expanse, when all at once hla attention waa arrested by s sight calculated to disturb anyone living In the alarmist atmosphere of the Russian court. This wss a tall and closely muffied figure, mealing along In the broken shadows of the trees, and making Its way towards the nearest corner of tho bulldlog. 1 was Inevitable that the startled page should at once connect this figure with the audacious In Uigur* of the dreaded secret society whose plots run stltule s perpetual menace to the Itn perlal throne. Ills itupresslon that ho wao watching a Nihilist emissary aa confirmed when be saw him confidently aoproarblng a dour in Ibo wall of the palace, which waa never used, and was s-ippoaed io be securely fastened against Ingres* and exnaa. This door, on tho contrary, appeared to yield to a touch of the myatrrlous visitor who disappeared from sight be

nnatb Its arch

"Urwat.'y disturbed by what he nad scon, tlori* kept hi* station in the gal lory, considering what It was advisable for him to do. To bare given the alarm might have been of the great sat dan ger to the prince. The Brat person whom bs approach-td with the news might have bevy a secret Nihilist, and

T

point his excellency pretended to perceive for the first time the change which had taken place In the pool'Jon of the chessmen. "Ah! Yoe here moved your king,” he exclaimed, and promptly shifted his attacking bishop so as to glvs me a fresh check. Then be returned to the

“A mcment paaeed. The first shock of terror over, the awestruck page ventured to the door of the chamber and glanced oat Into tho gallery. The

and ae myateriously aa U bad com .” "Were there no other rooms off the gallery Into which U might have passed T ' I demanded, not to appear

"There were none. Tbs only other door Ic this pert of the gallery was that which 1 have already described as dosing off the Imperial corridor. "Be sure that I put the same qusetk>r myself whan my young friend told me the story. Hie manner convinced me that he waa not lying, and that he really believed himself to have seen the specter he described. As yon know, 1 am not e believer In the supernstarel. I -ought to shake the boy's superstitious state of mind. ~ Wuat yon saw waa some Illusion, some trick of 'he Imagination,* I said to him. ‘He shook hi* bead mournfully. “I am aa certain of what I saw as If 11 were before me now/ he replied. 'My mother will tell you that I am not subject to Idle fancies.' The princess confirmed this statement with a nod of her bead. T am sure that my son must hare seen something Ilka what he describee.' she said to me. ''hough it is evident to me that it must have been some living person, masquerading as the ghost of the tsar. Tbs question is for what purpose such s disguise could have been assumed, and on this point 1 confess I feel uneasy. What do yon say, my frljndT' “I shoos my head. “T fear that ths first cuspidors of Boris were correct,' 1 replied, ‘and that enemies of hla majesty have resumed their Infernal schemes' loth mother and son appeared struck by this view of (he circuit stances. But Boris was by no mean* prepared to abandon his belief In the supernatural character of what he had It may very well be that this waa merely a first visit/ 1 added, 'a reoon sance, to discover the nature of ths ground, before introducing eome explosive machine or other, and the villain may easily have kept himself out of sight tor a few minutes. Doubt he returned Immediately, only you had then left the gallery. But there Is an easy way of putting the matter to the proof. If I am rigui In my suspicions this creature, whoever be may be. will Infallibly re turn at the same hour another night. Tonight, on account of the presence of everybody at this ball, will be bis most favorable opportunity, as be mey confidently expect to find tbe Imperial suite deserted. 1 propose to you that we repair to this little room of yours together, st the moment when the page who has replaced you tonight comes off duty, and If this mysterious personage again presents himself, 1 will compel him to disclose his Identity. "Boris welcomed this Idea. I could tee that he was secretly **ha..ied of he ridlrole which attached to him for hla story of ghoet-eeelng, and that be was anxious to re-etlabllab hla character. The princewe wss good enough to express her opinion of my courage and devotion in 'arms which It would not become me to repeat to you. In end we arrived at an understanding. and departed Io tho palace together. "Throughout the progress of the ball —during which tbe Grand Duchess Olga condos- ended to become my partner In a waits—I kept my eyes and i”* open, end observed that Boris' adventure o* the night before was a general topic of conversation. Tbe r highly-placed officials were evidently In a conaplracy to treat It aa a mere boyish delusion, but among 'he general body of ths guests 1 found there were not a faw who shared my

teas at

las of the young come • my mi portan lure v

T1 In a h< been a 1 hsva "1 n “'tt me/ 1 •'•Bi mured or Infi llee?' 'I « bo politic ihreah din ary haps r

slut* Stupor of J

avoy of s foreign power, my pereoo i Inviolable, sad I can therefore afird to risk an Indiscretion. “’Remain here, 1 beg of you, while go forward and effect an entrance ito the apartment from which that ght proceeds Should I not return by te end of fifteen minntee, 1 authorise ou to go to M. Velorttch and inform

tm of tbe affair.’

"The lad was at flrvt disposed to be idlgnaat at my thus proposing to ex iude him from the perils of the en irprtae. But by dint of an appeal to te authority of his be’oved mother. 1 icceeded at length In winning mseal to the plan 1 had srggaeled. The light I had observed streamed it under an ancient and massive jot, set in e deep stone sroh at thu itreme end or the x.ieege. “I laid my fingers on the oaken indie, and turned It with Infinite dell icy and alowneas. As soon as It sssed to revolve under the pressure ’ my hand. I gavs a gentle push to ls door. To my delight tt yielded, tve another push, equally alight, and is door responded with n horrible rating sound. Further concealment as cisleas; I boldly flung the door >en. and stopped through. The first glance was sufficient to ill ms that I had merely gainea an ite-ebamber. forming a sort of gdial approach to the various 'ooms ol bleb the sulla was composed. This iteroom wss deserted, but Immedi«ly on the right Uy a room of which >e door was partly open, and from hich proceeded the light that had 01red cut into tbe gallery. Hastily oelng the outer door behind me, I ade two steps Into thU inner room. "Never shall I forget the thrill, tbe wolute stupor of smaxement. which rercame me at what 1 beheld There, ilf-rtsen from the chair on which he id doubtless been seated when oused by tho creaking of the door, saw the very figure which Boris had ‘scribed to me. tbe tall firm, the irk robes, and. above all. the pale id terrifying countenance of the mooch w hose death had cast halt Europe

to mourning.

' ’•Vhaf exclamation I uttered when I at caught sight of thU startling apiritloo I do not recollect. But when * personage before me thrust hU md Into hU pocket and drew out a volver. It waa impossible for me to rabl that I wss dealing with a man of ■ah and blood. Like lightning 1 proiced my own weapon, which 1 leveled 11* breast, at ths same time ex Hold! J am the envoy of France! the name of the taar, who are your “He lowered hi* revolver, took e eady look at my featuns which be ■ doubt began to recognize, and reled In mournful tones:

right i we ms ing tin

“'1 B

UL-

‘At tbe same time he sank down min Into hU chair, while my pistol upped from my hand, and 1 bad 'c Ing to a table for support "'Sire!' was all 1 could gasp out ut—but—pardon thU Intrusion, I isglned your majesty to be— “‘Dead? Yes. 1 know it/ be re■onded, still in tbe same melancholy ■Ice. ‘But sit down. Blnce you ere ire, and chance Of fate has pul you to poesaeiion of my accrot. you bad itter know all. Bit down. M. Io iron, 1 am no Iqngcr an emperor. 1 obeyed, still rtniggling with my ton lahraent. 'First of all lei! me by wbat weans •u have i«a«irstcd to my biding toe, in ahtch 1 Imagined myself sire from all mankind, said the ex

or.

as few words as possible I reted to his msjesty the Incidents hich I have been Idling you. lie 11aued with deep attention. - Ah. well baion, 1 rcm. raber you old. he i rmarked, with s faint •lie. When I had finished ‘You a! ays had the reeutaUon tor worming t more seereia than coy other ?**» Europe, and I ought to hare ton m u-at It would be neretwary to lake

" The perils of a battlefield may be faced by a brave man. in the enthusiasm which battle calls fo-th. But the perpetual secret peril which dogs one day after day and year after year, and never slackens for a single moment— that la a very different thing. "1 am not aa burned to conteei to you. baron, that from the moment 1 ascended the bloody throne of Bnssia. my life was one long haunting agopy. Never once did I have one hour of perfect freedom from care. And I could do nothing. 1 was helpless, s martyr bound to tbe stake of my autocracy. They prated to ms of n.forms Toe are a man who knows Rusal* *s few men know It. and you can tell me whether the first step In ths direction of reform would not bars drawn down on my bend tt* vengeance of man beside whom the Nihilists are bungling apprentices?' “I could only bow my acquiescence In this sorrowful truth “'For years/ proceeded Alexander, T hsd secretly set my heart on abdicating 1 only waited till my son Nicholas wss of an age to face the dangers and difficulties of his task. But by the time that the hour of release drew near, 1 bad learned that abdication would earn me no respite from the hatred with which I wss pur-

sued.

“ ‘I hsd acquired the knowledge that there were those who had sworn that on the throne or off it 1 should no: be allowed to die a natural death. To give up my imperial state would simply be sorrenderiiig my safeguards, without for a moment disarming the enmity of those who sougtt my Ufa It wss these consideration* which nltlmntely forced me to entertain ths ides of s deception which 1 lament but to which I owe the first peaceful days I have spent fer twelve years. “1 resolved, as you have gathered by this time, to go solemnly through the forms of death and burial, and thus acquire the right to retire to soma unsuspected retreat where I might pass the remainder of my days, shielded fi >m the vengeance ot my relentless pursuers. In order to carry out thia design It was necessary that I should take five persons into my confidence. my wife, my eon. two physicians of whose peraoucl loyalty and trlsndsLlp 1 Lad had many proofs, and aa old truxted body-servant on whom was cast the duty of arranging for my future privacy, and attending on me In It He Is at UUs moment sway procuring supplies of food/' "These words of his msjesty reminded me that Boris wss impatiently awaiting my reappearance. I glanced at my watch. Twelve minutes h»a al-

ready ps***<t

" 'I must leave you now. sire. 1 exclaimed. rising hastily, 'or my com

rede will be seeking me. Rest assured that I shill not prove unworthy of the ,ru *t you nave deigned to repose in me. But I venture to advise your msjesty to discontinue your vlslu to

your SCO'S apartments for ths present

Should you desire to lay your com mends upon me st any time, 1 shall be

found at the French embassy.’ "With these words 1 took s respect-

ful but hurried leave of the '-x tsar,

who bade me a cordial tt-rewelL "1 rejoined Boris Just aa pe was

about to set off and give the alarm, and was successful in putting s stop to any questions on bis part by s few

Judicious words.

"'I am forbidden to tell »ou whai 1 have discovered.' 1 at Id. with s slightly Jocular air. but I may tell you in con fldcnce that 1 think you muat have mistaken the son for the fsther Nest lime you Intercept his msjesty on s midnight excursion, you will perhaps he able to ;u.algn reasons of a isas mysterious character for hla visit* to

U» V7 <*U»U«

which 1 have Ju*i explored

The young prince accepted this ex- i

* ri ,u eBcct

wu confirmed tb. next dsy by ta. 1.

0r<1 ‘' r d “ con «i«ming the

susrd in the gallery altogether As t Usve told you. .11 .race of the mc'dL quljkl, fromThV^ s few weeks the unlucky page received the honor Of a llecUmant'a rommlmion

m a regiment abirh happened

of the garrison o‘t Vladlvosioeb

on the coaet of the Pacific. •

smbasaador r<i* P f r .,„ ... • ll ''

to avail hlmaolf

Providing himaeir win, / * r,r,, »* "> bi®. "M, .0

attack?"

Billy Sunday Tell* Good Story of He* Farmer Stopped Visits of Tramp*—Were Suspicious of Effusive Welcome. Billy Sunday, the ovnagel"«. ntd_ s fashlosxble reception lx. his honor in Philadelphia: *A good many people are mletrn«. fnl of religion i don't know why n la but there's s lot of people ax mis trustful of rellgk.n and the rellgioat as the tramp was mistrentfol of tha fanner “I don't know what i this tramp evil, a farmer me. 'I've put op sign* about beviy. Ing of the man trap And look out for tne savage dog and take care of tht tpriag gun. hut tt don't seem i arv good at all Mr. Bandar tramp* molest me ao'oatbln, rfble.' “ 'Well, Brother Brown, said I ym Just put up a big sign rending, ‘as tramps welcomed at Brown's. aM then, later on. lat a* know the result' 'Brown thought I was Joking at first but when be saw I was in earnest tv went straight off home and put big sign over his gate—‘All tramps welcome here. John Brcwa*—that yos ! could read half a mile a wav T met him a«mln the foUovi-j He said the sign had works* like a miracle. Eve? since he put it up he had only net eyas on one tramp and that bad been by accident H« came on the tramp aoe!dental!r ai ■ the fellow stood under th« sign, loci j In* up at It and reading tt over tad i over with s kind of qulxxlcal, sarca*tic smile playing shout his mouth i “’Hello!' say* Farmer Browi. grit : nlng over the fence at (be tramp | very friendly. 'The tramp sneered. Then be hum I Into s bitter Ungh and said: “'Hello, miner. How man; have yon got bidden in there r "Why. none—none at all. Farmer frown. In a hurt, snrpriiri voice. ‘The tramp gave another bitter Isngl. How many bulldog* haveyo* i got. then, mister?' 1 “ There slnf a dog a be at the plsee. says the farmer. He opened the reu a little ways, but ths tramp Jumped back, so scared like, the farmer closed tt again out of pity. ‘Ton can corns In and see for yourself If you doe believe me about the dog*, ho say* "*Ob. yes, 1 know/ mid the tramp He ires pale and shaking a!! over from the start he got when the gau opened 7 know all about that 1 said: T>nt tell me how many t trap* you're got set in there i would bite a poor fellow's leg off.' “ 'Nary a bear trap,' said ths fsm•r. 'Nary a besr trap. " ‘Has a man got to do a hard dsr'i work io get a mea*ly meal of scrap*' burst ont the tramp. “•Nothing of the kind/ said Its farmer. Too come right In. young fsl low, and 171 give you a three-courts hot supper for nothing, and *f yos want to stay all night weTl fix you ep a warm bed on the floor by the hitch en fire.' The tramp stared hard at the tar» er a minute and then he smiled a kbd of pitying, patron I ring said: “Tou can't work that HtU* r»t=' on me. This is my eleventh year at tbe road.* " What gamer said Farter Brown. 'What game are yoa talkin about r " 'Puttin' rough on rets in the coffee and eelllo' our remains to th» medical college for a dotlsr apiece' •aid the tramp, winking at the f»rm *r. Oh. no. Brownie, old boy! Oh. my. no! Not on your life' Ha. ha ha! A her! This is my eleventh yf** on „the road. I'm teUin' you.' "And the tramp took a cigar from the pocket of hla ragged coR m tt with a sulphur match, toi •trotted Jauntily away, hla head neat' IT hidden In big smoke cloud*.'

The Northeast Pass*;*.

Commander Vllkttskl!. the dlseov •r of Nichols* a Lsnd. set out k summer from Vladivostok on I third attempt to make tht norths! passage from the Pacific to ths laatlc. According to new* recon' received, he was wintered la Tal® t*«r. to the west of Cape Chelyu*k Mere he has hern In wireless oOD.-n Tu 0 ? W,lh C, P U1 “ Sverdrup - aatted from European Butsla !a*t »» i ,n •"arch of the missing Bni* mv and Rumanov expedition*. ar.J •- j wintered on ti e coast of the T .my Prtilnauls a sole In *>«*, that Vilklukil proposed < ad part of hla crew to 8**rdrul | wip. In order to eoonomlx* hi* « , Wlea. with a view to ,e pos»ibill I or not getting through tbe Ice tummer —Scientific American.

-re. ® ,v,n B Uvea.

kl, nCht to human live* ! fl ^ . r,r * *“• hom eminently suc.-c during ih, , r w- year* and *• -run preventable dlseaie* W ! _ n , »«'-rlally reduced. Pert*P» “ i Improvement has been In ' | . fr,, «r. where taaiistion »* urdlcal tre*t m e at have worked ' I lubercoloaU a great deal has *** accomplished, although not ** »“>' *•» originally hop*d for. • In tbl* “** “ u a case of mono

entx-gh to give the v£tln» of N roe" the Ueata/wu they i