Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-08-18
CHAPTER XXI.
yNnnv,o r0r


feed pride and duty on the altar of
love and justice. Prince Bolaroz's uld-
matum overwhelmed her, but she arose
from the wreckage that was strewn |
about her conscience and remained |
loyal, steadfast and true to the man in
the monastery. To save his life was |
all she could hope to accomplish, and
this she was bound to do at any cost.
/ She could be nothing to him, not even
! friend. So long as he lived he would
be considered the murderer Of LorenZ,
and until the end price would hang
over his head. She, Princess Of Grau-
stark, had offered 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 q
brief, happy dream, but it was swept
away by the unrelenting rush of real
ity. The mere fact that she, and she
alone, was responsible for his flight
placed between them an unsurmOunt-
able barrier.
Clinging tcnaciously to her purpose.
she was still cogniZant Of the debt she
owed the trusting, loving people OF
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 shock from which they
could never recover.
Her highness' manner was at all
times frank and untroubled. She was
apparently light hearted. Her cheeks
had lost none Of their freshness. Her
eyes were bright. Her smile was quick
and merry, her wit unclouded. Recep-
lions, drawing rooms and state func-
lions found her always yivacious, so
much so that her court wondered not
little. Daily reports brought no news
of the fugitive, but while others were
beginning to acquire the haggard air
of worry and uncertainty she was
calmly resigned The 18th, the 10th,
the 18th, the 18th and now the 10th of
November came and still the princess
revealed no marked sign Of distress.
Heavy hearted and with bowed heads
the people of Graustark saw the 10th
fade in the night, the breaking of
which would bring the crush of pride,
the end of power. At court there was
the silent dread and the dying hope
that relief might come at the last hour
Men with pale faces and fearful eyes
wandered through the ancient castle,
speeches., nerveless, miserable. Brave
soldiers crept about, shorn of pride and
filled with woe. Citizens sat and stared
aimlessly for hours, thinking of naught
but the disaster so near at hand and SO
unavoidable. The whole nation surged
as if in the last throes Of death. To
morrow the potency of Graustark was
to die, it's domain was to be cleft in
twain, disgraced before the world.
And on the throne of this afflicted
land sat the girl Yetive, proud, ten
der, courageous. Tomorrow would see
the north torn from the south, the divi-
sion of families, the rending of homes,
the bursting of hearts. She sanctioned
all this because she-loyed Lorry and
because he had done no wrong.
Aware of her financial troubles and
pursuing the advantage that his rivals
death had opened to him, Prince Ga
briel of Dawsbergen renewed his ar
dent suit. Scarce had the body of the
murdered prince left the domain be
fore he made his presence marked
Knowing that he was in truth the mys
- FERROUS Michael who had planned hel
abduction, she feared and despised him
} yet dared make no public denuncia
y ton. AS Dawsbergen was too power
full to be antagonized at this critica
!. time, she was constantly forced to sub
- NIT to the most trying and repulsiyt
. of ordeals. Tact and policy were re
s. quired to control the violent, hot blood
= ed young ruler from the south. Day aft
) er day he haunted the castle, persist
- ent in his efforts to induce her to &C
cept his proposition. So fierce was hi
:. passion, so implacable his desire, tina
he went among the people of Edel
: weiss, presenting to them his proposal
= hoping thereby to add public feeling
= to his claims. He tried to organize
) committee of citizens to go before tn
- princess with the petition that his offe
be accepted and the country saved
But Graustark was loyal to its prir
= cess. Not one of her citizens listene
: to the willy prince. and more than on
"a told him or his emissaries that the los
y Of the whole kingdom was preferabl
. to the marriage he desired. The cit
- sickened at the thought.
= His last and master stroke in th
q struggle to persuade came on the aftel
y noon Of the 10th, at an hour when a
I Edelweiss was in gloom and when th
= princess was taxed to the point wher
q the mask of courage was SO frail tbs
= the could scarce hide her bleeding so,
- sehind it,
= Bolaroz of Axphain, to quote frol
the news dispatch, was in Edelweiss,
. guest, with few Of his lords, in til
castle. North of the city We're Ell
camped 5000 men. He had come pr
- pared to cancel the little obligation {
y fifteen years standing. With the hate
creditor In the castle, his influence ho'
ering above the town. the populace di
IS tracted by the thoughts of the day
Nd come, Gabriel played what he consi
SAN arn1 his host cor1 Ho ockod FOR or