The Washington weekly post., 1899-06-13


read with wide opening eyes. then with
her pretty lips she blew a long. astonished
whistle Taking both the packet Of let-
| ters and the sheet Of paper with her. she
ran swiftly up the stair and along the
corridor 20 the room where the FRINGE
! was impatiently awaiting her.
!, Give them "a met he snapped. rudely
snatching the packet from her hands She
stnl clung 70 the separate pisce Of paper
and said nothing. The Prince sto4d by
| the window and undid the packet with
| trembling hanEs. He examined one and
| then another of the letters, turning ar
last toward the girl with renewed anger
| in hts face.
You are trihlng with me. my girl" he
said
NO. am not;" she said stoutly.
These are my own letters, written by
me 20 ny wife before We we're married.!
20 course they are. What others did
| you expect? These are the only letters.
/ as far as I have learned. that any man
has written 20 her and the only letters
she cares for OF all the Thousands she
has ever received. Why, you foolish,
blind nan. / nad not been In his clstle
| day before / saw how matters were.
| The Princess is breaking her pO1r heart
berause you are unkind to her. and she
cares for nobody on earth but you, great
stupid that you are"
as this true? VIII you swear it's true?'
cried the Prince, dropping the packet and
going hastily toward the girl. Miss Jen-
ME stood with her hack 10 the wall. and.
putting her hands behind her, she said:
NO. no; you are not going to toueh me
| again. OF course it's true. and if you had
l.L rf c4x
would have seen il long ago. And she
paid $50 o00 OF your gambling debts"'
What are you talking about? The
Princess has never given me penny Of
her money; / don't need it. Goodness
knows. have money enough OF my OWN"
"Well. Cadbury Taylor said that you
oh. I'll warrant you, II is like all the rest
OF his statements, pure moonsnine."
| "Of whom are you speaking? And why
| did my wife protect that wretch, whom
she knows has stolen her diamonis?'
You mean Won Schaumberg?'
| YES"
az believe the Princess does think he
stole them, and the reason the Princess
protects MIN is TO prevent you from chal-
| longing him, for she fears that he. being
a military man, will kill you, although 1
fancy she would be well rid Of you
"Bu; ne took the diamonds-there was
nobody else"
He did nothing Of .he kind. Read
that!''
| The Prince, bewildered. took the sheet
| that she handed to him, and read ii,
wrinkle of bewilderment corrugating his
| brow.
81 don'f understand what this has to do
| with the case" ne said at last. 1T seems
to be an order on the bank at Vienna for
the diamonds, written by the Princess
| herself"
"Of course Il is Well, IL the diamonds
had been delivered, that paper would now
be in the possession of the bank instead
of in your hands"
perhaps she mislaid this order and
wrote another"
Perhaps Still it might be worth while
finding out"
Take this, then, to the Princess and
ask her.
| at is not likely she would remember.
The better plan is TO telegraph at once to
| the Vienna bank. asking them TO send the
diamonds 10 Meran by special messenger
No one there knows that the diamonds
are missing"
81 will do so at once" cried the Prince,
| with more animation in his voice than
Miss Baxter had previously noticed. His
highness was becoming interested IN the
game.
After luncheon the Princess came to
| Miss Baxter, who was seated al her desA'
and handed her a letter.
There is an invitation from the Duch-
ess of ChiseIhurst for grand ball sic
is shortly to give. II is TO be very
swell affair. but | don't care enough for
such things to 20 all the way TO Eng
land to enjoy them. Would you, there
fore. send her grace my regrets%'
Il will do so at once"
| Al that moment there came a mes
senger from the Prince asking Miss Bax-
ter TO meet him in the library. The girl
glanced up at the Princess.
Have | your permission to go?' she
said.
The Princess looked at her steadily
for a moment, just the faintest suspicion
Of a frcWn on her fair brow.
Il do not suppose you need my per-
mission" Her highness spoke with slow
deliberation. "My husband cOndescends
TO take considerable interest in you. Pass
ing along the corridor this morning l
heard your voices in most animated con-
versstion."
Had you sufficient interest In our dis
cussion to stop and listen 10 what we
said, Princess Won Steinheimerg'
"Ah! Now you are becoming insolent,
and ] must ask you 10 consider your en-
gagemert with me at an end"
Surely you will not dismiss me In that
hesrtless way. Princess. | think I am
entitled 10 a months notice. or is it only
a weeks"
II will pay you years salary or two
wears, if that will content you. / have
no wish to deal harshly with you. but
desire you TO leave at once" said the
Princess, who had little sense of humOr,
and thus thought the girl was in earnest
| when she asked for rOtice.
Miss Baxter laughed nierrily and re-
piled when she was able TO control her
mirth: Il do hate 70 leave the castle
Just when things were becoming interest
ing. Still / don't suppose ! shall need
| 10 go away In spite OF your dismissal,
for the Prince this morning offered me
ten times the amount of money you are
paying"
Did he?"
"Re assured he did If you don't be
lieve me, ask him. | told him he was a
>fcol but, alas, We live in cynical age.
and few men believe all they hear, so
fear nv expression of opinion made little
preston on him"
Il shall not keep you longer from his
highness." said the Princess, with freez-
ing dignity.
Thank you so much. ! am Just dying
TO meet him. for / know he has some
thing most interesting 10 tell me. Don't
YOU think yourself. Princess. that a man
acts rather like a fool when he is deeply
| in love%
To this there was no reply. and the
Princess left the room. Miss Jennie
Jumped 10 her feet and almost ran 10 the
library She found the Prince walking up
and down the long room with a telegraph
message in his hand.
You are a most wonderful young wo-
man" he said: read that"
Il have been told so by more observing
men than you. Prince Won Steinheimer."
said the sirl, taking the telegram. II was
from the manager Of the bank in Vienna,
and il ran: Special messenger leaves
with package by the Meran express to-
night"
Just as / thought" said Miss Jennie
THE diamonds never left the bank.
suppose those idiots Of servants which
the Princess has round her didn't know