The San Francisco call., 1901-12-22

Standing out on the brow Of the noun
tain they seemed to be the only living OBJ
jects in the world. There was no sign of
life above, below or beside them.
How long should we be in making the
descent?" asked Lorry. a sort of terror
possessing him as ne looked from the
dizzy height into the ghost-like dimness
below.
Three hours, if you are strong"
"And how are we to get into the castle?
/ hadn't thought of that"
"There is a secret entrance said Quin-
nox maliciously, enjoying the insistent
ones acknowledgment of weakness. IF
we reach it safely can take you under
ground to the old dungeons beneath the
castle 1t may be some time before you
can enter the halls above. for the secret
of that passage is guarded jealousy.
There are but five people who know of
it's existence"
Great confidence is placed in you, I see,
and worthily, am sure. How is that you
are trusted so Implicitly"
'tI inherit the confidence. The captain
of the guard Is born to his position. My
ancestors held the place before me and
not one betrayed the trust. The first born
in the last ten generations has been the
captain of the guard in the royal palace,
possessing all its secrets. l shall be the
first to betray the trust-and for man
who is nothing to me"
81 suppose you consider me selfish and
vile for placing you in this position" said
Lorry somewhat contritely.
''No; 1 have begun the task and I will
complete 1t, come what may" answered
the captain firmly. You are the only be-
ing in the world for whom L would sacri-
flee my honor voluntarily-save one.
81 have wondered why you were never
tempted to turn traitor to the Princess
and claim the fortune that is represented
in the reward"
mot for five million gavvos, sir!'
"By George, you are a faithful lot!
Dangloss Abode and Ogbot and yourself,
four honest men to whom she trusts her
life, her honor You belong to rare
species and I proud to know YOU.
The stealthy couple found the cave and
spent an hour or more within its walls,
sallying forth after the tardy darkness
had crept down over the mountain and
into the peaceful valley. Then began the
tortuous descent. Quinnox in the
down the narrow path, bruised,
scratched and aching by the time
they reached the tonmost of the
summer houses along the face of the
mountain. After this walking was easier,
but stealthiness made their progress slow.
Frequently, as they neared the base, they
were obliged to dodge behind houses or
to drop into the bitches by the roadside
in order to avoid patroling police guards
or Axphain sleuth-hounds Lorry mar
veled at the vigil the soldiers were keep
ing, and was somewhat surprised to learn
from the young captain that prevailing
opinion located him in or near the city.
For this reason while other men were
securing Vienna, Paris and even London,
hordes of vengeful men searched day and
night for clew in the city of Edelweiss.
The fugitive began to realize how de-
termined was the effort to capture him
and how small the chance of acquittal If
he were taken. To his fevered imagina
tion the enmity of the whole world was
shaping itself against him The air was
charged with hatred, the ground with
vengeance, the trees and rocks with de-
nouncing shadows, while from the dark
ness behind mercileSs hands seemed to be
stretched forth to clutch him. One sim
pie, loyal love stood alone antagon1suc to
the universal desire to crush and kill. A
fragile woman was shielding him sturdi-
ly, unwaveringly against all these mighty
forces. His heart thrilled with devotion;
his arm tingfed with joy of clasping her
once more to his breast; his wistful eyes
hung upon the fiickering light far off in
the west. Quinnox had pointed it out to
him, saying that it burned in the bed
chamber of the Princess Yetive. Since
the memorable night that took him to the
cell in st. Valentines, this light had
burned from dusk to daylight. Lovingly
faithfully it had shone for him through
all those dreary nights, a lonely signal
from one heart to another.
At last stiff and sore, they stole into
the narrow streets of Edelweiss. Lorry
glanced back and sfivered, although the
air was warm and belmy. He had truly
been out Of the world. Not until this in
stant did he fully appreciate the dread
that possesses a man who is being hunted
down by tireless foes: never did mans
heart go out in gratitude and trustfulness
as did his toward the strong defender
whose sinewy arm he clasped as if in
terror
You understand what this means to
me-" said Quinnox gravely as they
paused to rest ''She will call me your
murderer and curse me for my miserable
treason. I am the first to dishonor the
name of Quinnox."
xxII-GRENFALL LORRY's FOE.
The Princess Yetive had not f1inched
hairs breadth from the resolution formed
on that stormy night when she sacrificed
pride and duty. on the altar of love and
justice. Prince BolaEozs ultimatum over
whelmed, her, but she arose from the
wreckage that was strewn about her con-
science and remained loyal, steadfast and
true to the man in the monastery To
save his life was all she could hope to
accomplish, and that she was bound to
do at any cost She could be nothing to
hin-not even friend. So long as he lived
he would be considered the murderer of
Lorenz and until the end a price would
hang over his head. She, Princess of
Graustark, had offered a reward for him
For that reason he was always to be a.
fugitive, and she least of all could hope
to see him. There had been a brief, hap
py dream, but it was swept away by the
unrelenting rush of reality. The mere
fact that she and she alone was RESPONSE
BILE for his flight placed between them
an unsurmountable barrier.
Clinging tenaciously to her purpose she
was still cognizant of the debt she owed
the trusting, loving Graustark. One word
from her could avert the calamity that
was to fall with the dawn Of the fatal
goth. All Graustark blindly trusted
and adored her; to undeceive them would
be to administer a shock from which they
could never recover