Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1903-12-30

firmly upon her wrists.
"What are you doing here among
the private papers Of Duke FritZ?"
The baroness sank down. gasping,
speechless. as Marie Amalie lowered
over her. Then the girl made a hasty
examination of the drawer. Tue key
was in the lock. fragment Of. wax
that adhered to the kcyhole told the Sc
cret Of the baroness access to the pa
pers of the young duke who had killed
himself in that very room years before.
when the Baroness GricftnStpin had
been famous court beauty and Marie,
Amalie but child in tie cradle.
Only Il bundle Of yellowrd letters.
written in the deiicate Italian script
affected by the women of that genera
ton. Marie held them thoushtfully:
then. with sudden impulse. r"tied the
faded ribbon about them. locked the
drawer and placed the key in her
bosom. The letters she kept in her
I; hand. With slow smile around the
mischirvouS red mouth. she passed
through the porticrr out into the sum
light. She held the key to the situa-
ton
The Baroness GricfpnStein was SEN
siblp woman. She knew herself ut the
mercy OF tine girl whom heretofore she
had ruled relcntlessly. Therefore,
through the weeks that followed she
temporized. telling herself that it was
only for Il time. In Il month the girl
would he safely married. There were
various expeditions to the forest. even
ing walks. when only the baroness
guarded the pretty princess. The
young American still fingered at the
gasthaus and rode his bay through the
dukes forest.
Meanwhile tho women came and
went. intent upon the preparations for
the marriage. All around the luxuri-
Gus room were scattered the silks and
laces. jewels strewed the tables. And
in their midst Marie Amalie at the
window, her eyes upon the forest, heed
less of it all. A horseman rode down
the winding road and turned in the
saddle for long look at the palace
Some day he would ride from her for
ever to his land Of "hearts content"
over the sea, leaving her to the desc.
late pomp Of the Duchess Of Grafs-
land. She turned to the baroness, and
their eyes met. The baroness shivered.
The crisis that she had been dreadins
had come. Marie Amalie leaned down,
hushing her voice to whisper, II will
do it, and you must help me-" And the
baroness knew that she would keep
that word
The old duke, her father, could hard
Il believe his eyes and ears when Ma
rie Amalie dutifully accepted her be-
trothal presents from the old Duke Of
Grassland and even bent her white
brow to his kiss. Through all the fes-
tivitios that followed she moved, a
queenly figure, but there was a wick
ed light in the brown eyes, mutinous
, curve to tlfe red lips, and the days of
the Baroness Gricfcnstein were not
days Of pleasure.
The Princess Marie Amahe lay in
her darkened room. Once the doctor
would have let in the light, but she
protested and finally he left her alone
with a sleeping draft. AZ he meas
ured it, going to the windsW with his
back to the bed, white hand flashed
out toward the little case that held his
drugs. Only an instant, but as the
door closed behind him Marie Amalie
laughed low to herself.
The baroness was on the point Of re-
bellion, when Marie Amalie before her
protesting eyes poured generous dose
into the chocolate and bade her swal'
low 1t.
81 am afraid. 1t will mean impris.
onment, Punishment"
"Take it" the sweet voice was like
steeD; "take it quietly. The letters
shall be yours when l am SAFE" The
baroness drained the chocolate with
quivering lips.
Davent waiting with q closed car
riage at the postern gate heard the
click of the sentrys heels as the bar
oness came through the gateway. A
long black CLOAK came down to her
feet, but the tawny gray hair and the
password were sufficient for the SEN
try.
Without a word they entered the
carriage and were driven through the
night, past the gates, where the bar
oness gave the word, aboard the ex-
press, by grace Of the promptly pro-
duced passports. When the morning
broke they ws.e well away to Havre.
The princess had Issued orders that
on no account were her maids to en-.
ter her room until summoned. But as
the morning wore away and no sound
came from beyond the closed doors
they braved her anger and entered to
find the princess bed empty, unused.
and in chair by the window the Bar
oness Griefenstein. with an empty
chocolate cup ut her elbow. lost In Il
drugged stupor.
There was much hurrying to and
fro in the duchy Of Doldrums. but Of
their Princess Marie Amalie there was
never q trace.
The little Lutheran minister blinked
and hestated But in the state Of
New York there is no Alamanchn de
Gotlia. and. although Marie Amalie
von HaIsiurg awakened an old sound
In his ears CT lie fa4herlland, the sus
piciGn s:'niGd TOO utterly impossihle
70 Lr entertained for Il moment. so
liz Went OH w'i:h lie rsrrmrE?. AND
Mar" .\H:""li" i;.:v".:; r:.:s:H; fi"m ti:s
.Ii:::!ow oi ;i..' ;..i;:iEt it'll" cl;u"rh oti'
INTO ,hH f;c" s"n!;g.t .! Il l:,nd that
tunv.cfh n.it tnr nriut nss unr nrinr