MY JAPANESE PRINCE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5603, 1 June 1905, Page 2

MY JAPANESE PRINCE.

(Being some startling excepts from the diary of Hilda Patience Armstrong, of Meriden, Connecticut, at present travelling in the Far East.)

ARCHIBALD CLAVERING GUNTER (Author of “Mr Barnes of New York,” “Air Potter of Texas,” etc.)

“My dear Hilda, you live better than the Viceroy, and I have dined at his table several times lately,” remarks Sophie, taking her bine eyes for a moment from their languishing contemplation of the blond Scheritch beside her.

Then the dessert being brought on, the California canned fruits seem to please everyone; ttio scourge of war is forgotten, for champagne is flowing merrily and the conversation has become as sparkling as the wine. Despite this, I soon after take the ladies with me into the parlour, where we will have coffee Russian fashion, leaving the gentleman under Ah Tow’s care to enjoy their cigars. But we have not been by ourselves very long before Johnny Bristow, preferring the bright eyes of Miss Petrofsky to the pleasure of his cigar, comes in to us, though the young Russian. captain and the Baron still remain in the dining-room wooing nicotine. A little later, implored by Sophie’s glance, I, acting as hostess, trip across the passage to the dining-room, - which is screened only from the hall by a very light drapery, to request Sdievitch and Pctrofsky to throw away ceremony, bring their cigars along and join us in the parlour. My fingers are already on the curtains to draw them aside when I pause, some words in Trench, a language that I know pretty well, reaching my ears from the lips of Baron Soheyitch. As their import dawns on me, I am confident he is speaking in French tor. fear some of the Chinese servants may understand him if ho uses Russian, with which tongue many of the Manchurian Chinese are now quite familiar. He is asking in cautious tone: “You know this Yaling, Captain Potrofsky?” “Of course I:do,” answers the captain. “I have commanded the troops in the village hero for over a month. He’s the local native magistrate.” “Well, he is the Chinaman I have been requested to investigate.” “Investigate! For what ?” asks Potrofsky. “Ho has given us some very good beef at times.” “Yes,” answers Sohevitoh, “hut it has been hinted to the.powers that be that, though Yaling commands the militia here, ho also commands tho local Htm-hu-tzes; that after those pestilent bandits have marauded and attacked Russian guards at,night, in tho morning ho takes off his bandit arms, puts on his militia uniform and heads tho same baud, who arc now transformed into local- constabulary, to, chase themselves all over the country’. Of course, they never catch themselves.” At this Potrofsky bursts out laughing, then jeers savagely: “Well, if X catch his band with my Siberian soldiers, they’ll know they’re caught,’ when wo exterminate them.” - A moment later ho asks dubiously: ’ “But why has this dinner put Yaling in:,your head? The Chinese-official seems a very good fellow and has always been most obligingly obsequious to me.” “This spring lamb,” replies the Baron. “It is remarkably suspicious.” ' “Spring lamb! You think it, poisoned?” mutters tho captain with; an astounded start.

“Not a bit. I enjoyed it thoroughly,” answers Soheyitoh with a light laugh. “But have you ever seen any sheep about this village or along tho whole lino of the railway?” “No,” answers Petrofsky. . “Sheep wouldn’t live long with my .hungry hoys in their vicinity.” “Very well; the only sheep in the country are far away in the recesses of those hills, and no Chinese official, unless he woro one of tho Hun-lm-tzes, or at least known to bo favourable to them, would dare to go up there to get them,” remarks tho Baron in contemplative voice; adding: “In addition, none of his followers w'ould dare venture there unless they were equally friendly to tho local-bandits.”

Into the conversation, forgetting prudence, I intrude. I step into tho room and say indignantly; “Baron Schcvitoh, this'is monstrous! Because Yaling, who has for tho last throe years got mo everything I wanted in this village, from a codfish, to an early muskmelon, does me the favour to exert himself to give my guests, at my petition, a good dinner, you put a suspicion upon tho poor man that in the present excited state of the country might doom him to' death by hasty court-martial.”

' Hero a new phase in Baron Schevitch’s character greets mo. He bites his lip in annoyance but rising, observes : “Honoured Mademoiselle Armstrong, though I don’t wish. ,to dictate to my hostess, who has been so kindly hospitable to mo this evening, still I must request you to give no hint of my suspicions to the Chinese official.” “Pish!” I remark angrily. “I shall, of course, say what I deem best for poor Yaling’s interests.” ‘■Then since you force it from me”— Schevitoh’s voice becomes bureaucratic —“I must demand this officially.”

“And as what official?” 1 answer portly. “You don’t wear a Russian uniform.”

The Baron bites his lip again ; then says to me under his breath: “As /tho private agent of tho Russian Viceroy.” “Ah, at last I know your profession I” I sneer, and there flashes through me the wondrous judgment of tho Japanese engineer officer and his words to me in Tokyo. “I am sorry you forced me to tell you my exact relationship to General Alexeieff,” continues Sohevitch suavely, “but Captain Petrofsky, as head of the garrison of this village, can substantiate my words.” (To be continued.)