Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1892-09-01


But am an American, said I.
-Macht nichtsl" said he
Macht nichts2" I echoed. angrily.
You think SOP shall bring the case
to the notice OF the Minister of the
United States. and you shall see.
Howl And precipitate a war between
two friendly nations? Unfeeling mon
sterl"
you Taught But who laughs last
laughs best, and I promise you the
Grand Duchy Of K shall be made to
pay for this pleasantly with a ven
geance."
This is not the first time that you
have been arrested while in these do
minions, he said sternly. And must
remind you that lese majestic is a hang
ing matter.
@Lese majestel" I repeated, half in
scorn, half in terror.
ia wohl, mein Herr" he answered.
But after all, am but obeying orders,
he added, with an infection almost apol-
ogetic.
Where had heard that curious, soft
voice before? A voice so soft that his
German sounded almost like italian.
Meanwhile we had driven straight
across the town, past the walls, and
into the open country. The night air,
putting in through the open carriage
window, was sweet with the odors of
dew-laden grass and vibrant with the
humming of a million insects.
You are perhaps conducting me to
the frontier, I suggested, deriving some
relief from the fancy.
-Oh, hardly so far as that, let US
hope. he rejoined, with what struck me
as a suppressed chuckle.
Earl" I cried. Can you use the word
in speaking of handkerchief?
1t is small but it is picturesque; it is
,Aoh Il afI ho. ybo4 l.
by every syllable you utter against it,
you weave a strand into your halter and
drive nail into your coffin.
The night vas intensely dark, and I
could see no further into it than the few
yards Of roadway Illuminated by our
carriage lamps. We drove on in silence,
for perhaps a half hour longer. Then
at last the horses hoOfs resounded upon
stone, and we drew up. Ny officer de-
scended from the carriage; I followed
him. We were standing under massive
archway, a sort of porte-cochere, light
ed by hanging lantern. Before a small
door pierced in the stone wall fronting
US sentinel was posted, with his mus
ket presented in salute.
The three mounted gendarmes sprang
from their saddles.
officer. Il have enjoyed our drive to-
gether more than | can tell you. If we
should never meet again in this world,
let US hope we shall do so in another
and a better" Then. turning to his
subordinates: Conduct this gentle
man to the tower chamber" he COM
manded.
The sentry stood aside. One of the
gendarmes preceding me, the other two
coming behind, I was conveyed up
narrow winding stone staircase, into
big octagon-shaped room.
The room was lighted by innumerable
candles set in Sconces round the walls.
It was comfortably, even richly, fur
nished, and decorated with consider
able degree of taste. 4 vast worm
hued Persian carpet covered the stone
floor; books, pictures, biblots, were
scattered discriminatingly about; and in
one corner there stood a grand piano,
open, with a violin and bow lying on it.
The gendarmes bowed themselves out,
shutting the door behind them with an
Ominous clangor.
If this is to be my dungeon cell. I
thought, Il shall not be so ulcomforta-
BILE after all. But how preposterous of
them to force me to wear my dress
suit.
threw myself into an easy chair,
buried my face in my hands and tried
to reflect upon my situation.
Suddenly 1 was disturbed by the
sound of light little cough behind me,
discreet little ahem.
looked quickly up.
A lady had entered the apartment,
and was standing in the middle of it,
smiling in contemplation of my despair
| ing attitude.
GOOD heavens" I gasped, but not
audibly, as her face grew clear TO my
startled sight, ~the Grand Duchess
herself"
4 am glad to see you, Mr.. VAIN
right, her highness began in English.
but slightly continental. X is a
dull little place-oh, believe me, the
dullest of its size in Christendom-and
they tell me you are an amusing man"
Now, of course the reader has fore
seen it from the outset; otherwise why
should I be OBTAINING him with this
anecdOte? But upon me it came as q
thunderbolt, and in my emotion I for
got myself and exclaimed aloud: Sc
bastian ROch!" The face of the Grand
Duchess had haunted me with a sense
OF familiarity; the voice of my red
headed officer in the carriage had seemed
not strange to me; but now that I saw
the face, and heard the voice, tinged by
that slight foreign quality of English,
at one and the same time, all was clear.
Sebastian Rochl"
You said?" the gracious lady oueried.
arching her eyes.
Nothing, madame. was about to
thank your highness for your kind
ness. but"
But your mind wandered, and you
made some irrelevant military observa-
ton about bastion rock. It is perhaps
aphasia."
Yes, very probably" assented I
But you are man of honor, are you
! not?"
Il hone so.
The English generally are. You can
] you happen to have learned it by sort
Of accident, can you not?"
I am very tomb for such things,
madame"
That is well. And, besides, you
must consider that not all homicide is