The San Francisco call., 1901-12-22

AAAhCS DuL you WOQlQ 90 IL. VIII you
faIse?"
She shall know the truth, good friend"
After have gone twenty PAGES down
the hall, do you rap on the door. She
may not admit you at first, but do not
give up. If she bid you enter or asks
your mission, enter quickly and close the
door. 1t is unlocked. She may swoon or
scream, and you must prevent either il
possible. In an hour I shall return and
you must go back to the passage"
Neveri 1 have come to save her and
her country. and intend to do so by
surrendering myself this very night"
Il had hoped to dissuade you. But. sir,
you cannot do so tonight You forget
that this visit compromises her.
True I had forgotten. Well I'll 20
back with you, but tomorrow I am your
priosner, not your friend"
BE careful" cautioned the captain as
he moved away. LOrry feverishly tapped
his knuckles on the panel of the door and
waited with motionless heart for the re-
sponse. 1t came not and he raped
harder, strange fear darting into his
mind
''Well?' came from within. the voice he
adored.
Impetuous haste marked his next move
ment. He dashed open the door sprarg
inside and closed it quickly. She was s.
looked up, surprised and annoyed.
1 was not to be disturbed-Oh, God!'
She staggered to her feet and was IN
his arms before the breath of her ex
clamatiOn had died away. Had he not
supported her she would have dropped
to the floor. Her hands, her face were
like Ice, her breast was pulseless ard
there was the widest terror in her -.
''My darling-my queenP' he cried, pas
sionately. "At last 1 am with you! Done
look at me like that! 1t is really II
could not stay away-I could not permit
this sacrifice Of yours. Speak to me- Do
not stare like that!'
Her wide blue eyes slowly swept his
face, piteous wonder and doubt strug-
Cling in their depths.
Am l aWake?" she murmured tOucn-
ing his face with her bewildered, queS-
tioning hands. ''Is it truly you?" A
smile illumined her face. but her joy was
short lived. An expression Of terror came
to her eyes and there was agony in tne
fingers that clasped his arm ''Why do
you come here?" she cried. 1T is mad
nessI How and why came you to this
rOom?''
He laughed like a delighted boy and
hastily narrated the events Of the past
twenty-four hours. ending with the trick
that gave him entrance to her room.
'.And all this to see me?'' she whispered
ITO see you and to save you. 1 hear that
Gabriel has been annoying you and that
you are to give up half of the kingdom
tomorrow. Tell me everything 1t IL
another reason for my coming"
Sitting beside him the divan, she
told of GabriePs visit and his dis
missal, the outlook for the next day,
and then sought to convince him
of the happiness it afforded her to pro-
tect him from an undeSeTVed death. He
obtained for QuinnOX the royal pardon
and lauded him to the skies. So ravishing
were the moments, so ecstatic the sensa-
tions that possessed them that neither
thought of the consequences If he were to
be discovered in her room, disguised as
one of her guardsmen. He forgot the real
import of his reckless visit until she COM
manded him to stand erect before her
that she might see what manner of SOL
der he was. With a laugh, he leaped to
his feet and stood before her-attentiOn!
She leaned back among the cushions and
surveyed him through the glowing, i'm
passioned eyes. which slowly closed as il
to shut out temptation.
''You are a perfect soldier" she said,
her lashes parting ever so slightly.
mo more perfect than you.'' he cried
She remembered, with confusion, her own
masquerading; but it was unkind of him
to remember it. Her allusiOn to his uni
form turned his thoughts into the channel
through which they had been surging so
turbulently up to the moment that found
him tapping at her door. He had not told
her OF his determination, and the task
grew harder as he saw the sparkle glow
brighter and brighter in her eye.
You a brave soldier, then" she
substituted. TT required courage to come
to Edelweiss with hundreds of men ready
to seize you at sight-a pack of blood
hounds"
Il should have been a miserable coward
to stay up there while you are so bravely
facing disaster alone down here. 1 came
to help you, as l should"
But you can. do nothing, dear and you
only make matters worse by coming to
me. 1 have fought so hard to overcome
the desire to be near you; 1 have strug-
gled against myself for days and days.
and 1 had won the battle when you came
to pull my walls of strength down about
my ears. Look! On my desk is a letter
1 was writing to you. No; you shall not
read it! No one shall ever know what it
contains" She darted to the desk
snatched up the sheets of paper and held
them over the waxed taper. He stood in
the middle of the room, a feeling of in
tense desolation settling down upon him.
How could he lose this woman?
Tomorrow night Quinnox is to take
you from the monastery and conduct you
Your friend. Mr.. Anguish is to meet
you in three days and you are
to hurry to America by way of Athens
This was a letter to you. In it
said many things and was trying to write
farewell when you came to this room. Do
you wonder that I was overcome with
doubt and amazement-yes, and horror?
Ach, what peril you are in herel Every
minute may bring discovery and that
would mean death to you. You are inno-
cent but nothing could save you The
proof is too strong. Mizrox has found a
man who swears he saw you enter Lo-
renz's ROOM"
What a damnable He!' cried Lorry
lightly. 81 was not near his roomr'
But you can see what means they will
adopt to convict you. You are doomed il
caught. by my soldiers or theirs. cannot
save you again. You know now that love
you. would not give awav half of the
land that my forefathers ruled were it
not true. Bolaroz would be glad to grant
ten years of grace should he but have you
II.