Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-12

1 knew by that time, Of course, that she
was my friend) across the bridge to the
small door, my thoughts were those Of
curiosity and of pleasant retrospection. On
the pickets of the fence, which had 80
splendidly done their office in gripping Won
Pilsener's heel. there were some small rem
rants, or rather shreds Of cloth. This was
all that remained to remind me Of that very
singular, not to say fantastic occurrence.
She produced the key and readily opened
the door. 1 was very sad at the idea of
parting with her. perhaps forever, and
took her hand and began to stammer out
some kind Of an adieu.
PART vi.
"Oh, you needn't think that I am going
to let you go on in that way" said Hilda
Won Waldeck. "It would be poor return
for your consideration for me and for the
real pleasure which I have taken in your
society. And. leaving all that out Of the
question. not step do you go until you
have heard my story. You do not ask me
why 1t was that I proposed. in the first
place, to run away with the baron, nor why
l was doing 1t in the place Of and under the
name Of the princess. You do not ask me
why it was that, having this project,
should not know the baron by sight. and
why 1 should think that he did not know
me from the princess. You are the most
incomprehensible of mortals. A woman, in
curiosity. l find myself actually obliged to
force the knowledge of these things upon
you. that 1 may set myself right in your
opinion
1.-The reason" said L, that 1 have not
asked you about these things was that l
thought you would tell me about them If
you really wished me to know ihey nave
all along seemed paradoxical and mex
plicable and / have been devoured with
curiosity to know their true meaning.
will, therefore, await your explanations
with hated breath, and l also wish TO re.
mind you that you have yet 1alied 10 yen
me what 1t was of the princess belongings
which you were so anxious to secure from
the baron's clutches.
Yes. and this last time" she answered;
laughingly. lit was your fault alone that l
did not tell you 1 had it at my tongues
erd, and you interrupted me to call my at
tention to this old Burgerschlact wall TO
punish you, vow that will not tell you
what 1t is until the very last thing; until,
in fact, have told you everything else. II,
in the course of my story, 1t becomes nee
essary to refer to it. l will use the word
blank So come on, for am anxious that
you should know the whole of this afra.r
before another quarter hour.
1 willingly followed her. as you may well
believe. You may also believe that again
found it necessary to be led by the hand
through those first dark passages. where l
had before been assisted by Melanie. There
was much more pleasure in it now than be-
fore, and was in no hurry to reach those
We're Illuminated. for l had In mine the
warm patrician hand of the woman loved.
When say loved l do not exagserate,
for. from being her companion through
that night alone had become deeply, pas
sionately. everastingly in love with her:
ard already felt that 1 must have her, or
that life would be no object to me--and
also. that would have her.
When We had arrived in the small and
dainty salon in which she had first received
me. she bade me excuse her. and. absentiag
herself for a few minutes. she returned to
me &owned In a robe that was of dove
colored silk. something like peignoir, soft
and clinging. and. sinking into the corner
of a luxurious canape. called me to sit be-
side her. l did so.
She was some time in giving me her mar
ra tive. and skall conGense it and set down
only that part which is strictly necessary.
The following are her words as nearly as
l can recollect:
las l told YOU before. my friend, Princess
Stephanie and 1 were playmates from cur
earliest years. We have always loved each
other devotedly. and are. in fact, more like
twin sisters than like cousins. This will
explain some things which otherwise would
be difficult to believe, as will. also. the fact
that We have always been considered to
look somewhat alike. though Stephanie is
older than l by two years. Now, / must
have you know that the princess Is vir-
tuous as saint. and that she Is besides,
lively. sweet and amiable. She is talented
and intelligent but, alas in one direction
about which 1 will speak later, there is no
end to her folly. 1t is this one falling
among her many charming characteristics
which led her to commit rot long ago, a
most frightful indiscretion-an indiscretion
which has already wrecked her happiness,
and which even threatens to upset the
fouSe of Andel. l was absent at the time
with my brother in Paris. The begin
ming OF her misfortunes. which were the re-
suit Of this indiscretion. was about three
months ago. One day she found that she
had lost her-lost her blank. as 1 said 1
would call it,
Hilda Won Waldeck looked at me, with a
rosuish twinkle in her dear gray eyes, and
then continued:
When she found that she had lost her
blank she had rest day or night; she
turned everything topsy-turvy. and looked
for it everywhere for a week, but it was all
in vain: and the worst of 1t was that, from
the nature Of 1t, she didn't dare let any one
know. that she had lost 1t. Time passed
by. and her chief anxiety, which was that
some one might find it. was allayed little
by little. Then, suddenly. when she felt
most secure certain things happened which
could only happen through some person or
persons using the advantage which the pos
session of her blank would give. The I'M
fortunate girl was not long left in doubt as
to the identity of the man who had found
what she had lost. 1t was the baron, Lud-
wig Won Pilsener. and believe no more de-
graded, cruel unprincipled scoundrel ever
lived. He had the audacity to write her.
telling her that he was the author of the
events which had so terrified her, that he
had her blank in safe keeping. and to offer
shamelessly to make terms with her for it's
return. In an agony of apprehension, she
Immediately wrote me what had happened,
and l FASTENED to her with the wings of
the wind. When / arrived found that she
lad already had several interviews with
Jarno. the emissary and Intimate of the
barOn's man who is, II anything, worse
than his master, and the terms which he
had proposed for the return of the prin-
cess blank were no more or less than the
hand Of the princess. You look surprised.
but you must remember that told you
that even the safety of the house of An
was in the baron's hands. When tell you
these awful and important secrets, 1t
should show you what perfect confidence
1 have in you. 1 have only been with you a
few short hours but there has been some
thing in your words. your actions and your
eyes which makes me willing to trust you
with everything"
/ interrupted her.
And yet am afraid you would not trust
me with the best of all. with that which
would be sweeter than life itself"
She looked perplexed for q moment. then
blushed divinely. and continued her story.
II must now tell you, and this will ex-
plain some things which have appeared
somewhat strange to you. that the baron
has spent most of his life away from the
principality, and had only recently returned