The San Francisco call., 1901-12-08

dog" protested Harry.
You are to have a guard of six men
while you are in EdelWeiss, Mr.. Anguish.
Those are the instructions OF the Princess.
L do not believe the scoundrels-I mean
the Axphain nobles-will modest you if
you do not cross them. When you are
ready to go to your hotel, 1 will accom-
pany you"
Half an hour later Lorry was in a cell
from which there could be no escape,
while Anguish was riding toward the
hotel, surrounded by Graustark soldiers.
He had sworn to his friend that he would
unearth the murderer if it lay within the
power of man. Captain Dangloss heard
the oath and smiled sadly.
At the castle there was depression and
relief, grief and joy. The royal family.
the nobility, even the servants, soldiers
and attendants, rejoiced in the stroke
that had saved the Princess from a fate
worse than death. Her preserver's mis-
fortune was deplored deeplySexpressio
Oh sympathy were whispered among them
all, high and low. The Axphainians were
detested-the Prince most of all-and the
crime had come as d JOY instead of a
shock. There were, of course, serious
complicat tions for the future, involving
ugly conditions that were bound to force
themselves upon the land The dead
mans father would demand the life Of
his murderer. If not Lorry, who? Grau-
stark would certainly be asked to pro-
duce the man who killed the heir to the
throne of AXphain, or to make reparation
bloody reparation. no doubt.
In the privacy of her room the stricken
Princess collapsed from the effects of the
ordeal. Her poor brain had striven in
vain to invent means by which she
might save the man she loved. She had
surrendered to the inevitable because
there was justice in the claims of the in
eXorable Duke and his Vindictive friends.
Against her will she had issued the de-
cree, but not, however, until she had
learned that he was in prison and unable
to fly the country. The hope that delay
might aid him in escaping was rudely
crushed when her uncle informed her of
Lorry's whereabouts. She signed the de-
cree as If in dream, a nightmare, with
trembling hand and broken heart His
death warrant And yet like all others
she believed him guilty. Guilty for her
sake. And this was how she rewarded
him.
Mizrox and his friends departed in tri-
umph, revenge written on every face She
walked blindly, numbly to her room, as
sisted by her uncle, the Count. Without
observing her aunt or the Countess Dag
mar, she staggered to the window and
lOOhCu DClOWs Inc AApAdlIDdnS were
crossing the parade ground jubilantIy
Then came the clatter of a horses hoof
and Captain Quinnox, with the fatal pa
pers in his possession, galIoped down the
avenue. She clutched the curtains dis
tractedly, and, leaning far forward, cried
from the open window:
"Quinnoxl Quinnoxl Come back!
Forbid forbid! Destroy those papers!
QuimoXi"
But Quinnox heard not the pitiful wall.
He rode on, his dark face stamped with
pity for the man whose arrest he was to
make. Had he heard that cry from his
sovereign the papers would have been in
her destroying grasp with the speed that
comes only to the winged birds. Seeing
him disappear down the avenue, she
threw her hands to her head and sank
back with moan, fainting. Count Hal
font caught her in his arms. 1t was
nightfall before she was fully revived.
The faithful young Countess clung to her
caressingly, lovingly, uttering words of
consola ton until long after the shades of
night had dropped. They were alone in
the Princess boudoir, seated together
upon the divan, the tired head of the one
resting wearily against the shoulder of
the other. Gentle fingers toyed with the
tawny tresses, and a soft voice lulled with
it's consoling promises of hope. Wide and
QdTh anu IIOQDlGQ were lnS eyes Oh IQS
ruler of Graustark.
An attendant appeared and announced
the arrival of one of the American gen.
tlemen, who insisted on seeing her mai
esty at once. The card the tray bore
the name of Harry Anguish. AT once the
Princess was aflutter with eagerness and
excitement.
Anguish! Show him to this room quick
lyi oh, Dagmar, he brings word from him!
He comes from him Why is he so slow.
Ach, / cannot waltz
Far from being slow, Anguish was ex-
ceedingly swift in approaching the room
to which he feared admittance might be
denied He strode boldly, impetuously
into the apartment his feet muddy, his
clothing splashed with rain. his appear
ance far from that of a gentleman.
"Tell me! What is it?" she cried, as he
stopped in the center of the room and
glared at her.
81 don't care whether you like it, and
it doesn't matter if you are a Princess -
he exploded, there are few things I'm
going to say to you. First 1 want to
know what kind of a woman you are to
throw into prison q man like-like- Oh,
it drives me crazy to think of it! 1 don, t
care if you are insulted. He's friend Of
mine and he is no more guilty than you
are, and 1 want to know what you mean
by ordering his arrest?"
Her lips parted as if to speak, her face
grew deathly pale, her fingers clutched
the edge of the divan. She stared at him
piteously, unable to move, to speak. Then
the blue eyes filed with tears, sob came
to her lips and her tortured heart made
a last, brave effort at defense.
"I-I-Mr. Anguish, you wrong mel
l." She tried to whisper through the
closed throat and stiffened lips, Words
failed her, but she pleaded with those wet,
imploring eyes. His heart melted, his an
ger was swept away a twinkling. He
saw that he had wounded her most un-
justly.
"You bruter' Kissed the Countess, with
flashing, indignant eyes, throwing her
arms about the Princess and drawing her
head to her breast.
"Forgive me- he cried, sinking to his
knee before the Princess, shame and con-
triton in his face. II have been half mad
this whole day, and 1 have thought harsh
ly. of you. I now see that you are suffer-
ing more intensely than 1. 1 love Lorry,
and that is my only excuse. He is being
foully wronged, your Highness, foully
WronEed -