The San Francisco call., 1901-12-29
xxv-"BECAUsE I 1LovE HIM" /"

The next morning Edelweiss was astir
early. Great throngs of people f1ocked the
streets long before the hour set for the
signing of the decree that was to divide
the north from the south. There were
men and women from the mountains
from the southern valleys, from the
plains to the north and east. Sullen were
the mutterings, threatening the faces, re-
senttul the hearts of those who crowded
the shops, the public places and the
streets. Before o'clock the great con-
course of people began to push toward
the castle. Castle Avenue was packed
with the moving masses Thousands upon
thousands of this humbled race gathered
outside the walls, waiting for the news
from the castle with the spark of hope
that does not die until the very end, nurs-
ing the possibility that something might
intervene at the last moment to save the
country from disgrace and ruin,
a strong guard was required to keep
the mob back from the gates, and the
force of men on the wall had been quad
rupled. Business in the city was suspend
ed The whole nation, it seemed, stood
before the walls awaiting, with bated
breath and dismal faces, the announce
ment that Yetive had decided to Bolaroz
the lands and lives of half of her sub
jects. The northern plainsmen, who were
SO soon to acknowledge Axphain sover-
eighty, Wept and walled over their I'M
happy lot. Brothers and sisters from the
south cursed and moaned in sympathy.
Shortly before o'clock, Harry Anguish,
with his guard of six. rode up to the cas-
tie. Captain Dangloss was beside him on
his gray charger. They had scarcely
passed inside the gates when cavalcade
of mounted men came riding up the ave-
from the Hotel Regengetz- Then the
bowling, the kissing, the hooting began.
IL i a
Axphain noblemen as they rode between
the maddened lines of people. They
smiled sardonically in reply to the i'm
potent signs of hatred, but they were glad
when the castle gates closed be-
tween them and the vast despairing
crowd in which the tempest of revolt was
brewing with unmistakable energy.
Prince Bolaroz, the Duke of MZ-
roX and the ministers were already
in the castle and had been there
since the previous afternoon. In the
royal palace the excitement was intense,
but it was of the subdued kind that
strains the nerves to the point where con-
troll is martyrdom.
When the attendants went to the bed
chamber of the Princess at o oclock, S
was their wont, they found. to their sur
prise, no one standing guard.
The Princess was not in her chamber,
The bed was undisturbed. In some alarm
the two women ran to her parlor, then to
the boudoir. Here they found her asleep
on the divan, attired in the gown she had
worn since the evening before, now crum-
pied and creased, the proof positive of a
restless, miserable night
Her first act after awakening and un-
tangling the meshes in her throbbing, un-
comprehending brain, was to send for
QuinnoX. She could scarcely wait for his
appearance and the assurance that Lorry
was safely out of danger. The footman
who had been sent to fetch the captain
was long time in returning. She was
dressed in her breakfast gown long before
he came in with the report that the cap
tain was nowhere to be found. Her heart
gave a great throb of joy. She alone
could explain his absence. To her it
meant but one thing: Lorry's flight from
the castle. Where else could QuinnoX be
except with the fugitive. perhaps once