Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-17
OF Royal Lineage.

'~S~~s~ ~e~>>e o . . . . - - 80
man being lives. II is our passport for ad-
mission to the lodge. In the sunl ght even
In the starlight of a better night, we might
be turned away. Tonight we will be vel
come. One thing more. Just now you re-
ferred to me as a peasant. am no peasant.
The same blood which flows in her veins
burns in mine The ancestors OF her father,
the king, were the same as the ancestors
Of my father, who was a sailor and a Asher
man, and | know It to be true. We are
both descendants OF Harold Fairhair. who
was the first king Of the Mortimer, and hc
ruled Norway, Sweden. Denmark and Eng
land as we'll. I know my lineage and the
record is as clear, as direct and as impos-
sible OF controversion as hers. When | am
again in the presence Of the princess I will
not be silent. Tonight I feel that I am a
king Yonder where that light CLEANS out,
beckonlng to me, is my queen and no man.
be he emperor or god, shall say me nay"
Craddock made no reply. There was
nothing that he could say. The great,
giant-like combination Of Hercules and
Apollo was as immovabc as rock in
moods like this one, and so, picking their
way down the mountain side. they pres
emily discovered the path to which Grad
were before the gate OF the lodge
The Norwegian raised the bronze knocker
to summon the porter, but paused ere he
permitted It to fall, and then, while he
stood with It in his grasp, above the moan
ing thunder, which trembled in the dis
tance. his voice rang out in that strange,
weird vodcl, and he knew that at least
one person within the lodge would recog-
nile and understand 1t. Then, while the
sounds OF It still fingered among the tree
tops, he hammered with the bronze upon
the gate.
The delay which followed was short.
Then the smaller gate, which was encased
within the big one, was opened cautiously,
just sufficiently far to permit the appear
ance of a bearded face at the aperture.
1.-TWO gentlemen who have lost their way
on the mountain in the storm" announced
Thorgensen, in German open, my good
man, and permit us to enter. We are
drenched and half famished."
There was something in the Norwegian &
tone which reassured the porter, and he
fastened to comply. Another man took
their horses and led them away in the
darkness, and the travellers were speedily
shown into the warm and dry quarters ad-
Joining the gate. They were given a warn
place near the fire and pitcher OF mulled
beer seasoned with pepper was set before
them.
1t was evident that Thorgensen had pro
vded himself for this emergency, for, hav'
ing questioned the porter concerning the
name of his master, he gave him, instead
of "a card, a letter to deliver. Whatever Il
contained-and even Craddock had been
until tnat moment, unaware of it's exist
ence-it was potent, for they were PRESENT.!
escorted to the lodge, where they wer'
made welcome with thorough German hos
pitallty. Their saddlebags were brought tC
| them, so that by the time their host sen
word that he was ready to receive them
nearly all the evidences of the night jour
ney through the forest and the storm haC
| been removed.
When they entered the library which haC
more of the appearance of sportsman
arsenal than a place for reading and study
| they found themselves in the presence OF
man whose stature was almost as great a
Thors. Past middle age, rugged and big
| he was the typical German lord, who gov
| erns prlncipalities with almost feuda
rights; who prefers the vastness OF hi
! forests and the solitude of his mountains 4
| the most brilliant court Of Europe and VIII