Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-08-21

epEauS MElOC anu ClOSCu 1t quickly.
She was sitting before her escritoire
writing, and looked up, surprised and
annoyed.
II was not to be disturbed-oh''-
She staggered to her feet and was in
his arms before the breath of her ex-
clamation had died away. Had he not
supported her she would have dropped
to the floor. Her hands, her face, were
like ice, her breast was pulseless, and
there was the widest terror in her
eyes.
My darling-my queenv he cried
passionately. "At last am with you!
Don't look at me like that! 1t is really
II could not stay away-I could not
permit this sacrifice of yours! Speak
to me! Do not stare like that!'
Her wide blue eyes slowly swept
his face, piteous wonder and doubt
struggling in their depths.
cam awaken" she murmured, touch.
ing his face with her bewildered, ques-
tioning hands. rs it truly you?" A
smile illumined her face, but her joy
was short lived. An expression of ter
ror came to her eyes, and there was
agony in the fingers that clasped his
arm. why do you come here?" she
cried. sit is madness! How and why
came you to this room?'
He laughed like a delighted boy and
hastily narrated the events of the past
twenty-four hours, ending with the
trick that gave him entrance to her
room.
".And all this to see met" she whis=
pered.
ITO see you and to save you. l hear
that Gabriel has been annoying you
and that you are to give up half of the
kingdom tomorrow. Tell. me every
thing. 1t is another reason for my
coming"
Sitting beside him on the divan, she
told Of Gabriels visit and his dismissal,
the outlook for the next day, and then
sought to convince him of the happi-
ness it afforded her to protect him
from an undeserved DEATH He obtain
ed for QuinnoX the royal pardon and
lauded him to the skies. So rayishing
were the moments, so ecstatic the SEN
sations that possessed them, that nei-
| ther thought of the consequences if he
We're to be discovered in her room, dis
guised as one of her guardsmen. He
! forgot the real import of his reckless
visit until she commanded him to stand
erect before her that she might see
what manner of soldier he was. With
laugh, he leaped to his feet and stood
hot ha,. ha Ia l>oo nj,
among the cushions and surveyed him
through the glowing, imprisoned eyes
which slowly closed as if to shut out
temptation.
''You are perfect soldier she said,
her lashes parting ever SO Slightly.
mo more perfect than your he cried.
She remembered, with confusion, her
i own masquerading, but it was unkind
Of him to remember it. Her allusion
to his uniform turned his thoughts into
the channel through which they had
been surging so turbulently up to the
moment that found him tapping at her
door. He had not told her of his de.
termination. and the task grew harder
as he saw the sparkle glow brighter
and brighter in her eye.
you are brave soldier, then" she
substituted. 1T required courage to
come to Edelweiss with hundreds of
menaready to seize you at sight, pack
Of bloodhounds."
II should have been miserable cow
ard to stay up there while you are so
bravely facing disaster alone down
here. came to help you, as I should"
"But you can do nothing. dear, and
you only make matters worse by COM
ing to me. have fought so hard to
overcome the desire to be near you. 1
have struggled against myself for days
and days, and had won the battle
whau xuu came. to pull my wallis Of