Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-07-31

cess DouGOir, seated together upon the
divan, the tired head of the one resting
YEARLY against the shoulder of the
other. Wide and dark and troubled
were the eyes Of the ruler of Grau.
| stark.
An attendant appeared and an
nounced the arrival of one of the
American gentlemen, who insisted OIL
seeing her royal highness. The card
on the tray bore the name of Harry
Anguish. AT once the princess was
| a-futter with cagerness and excite
ment.
Anguish! Show him to this room
quickly! oh, Dagmar, lie brings word
from him! He comes from him! Why
is he so slow? Ach. cannot waltz!
Far from being slow, Anguish was
exceedingly swift in approaching the
room to which lie feared admittance
| might be denied.
"Tell me! What is it?" she cried as
he stopped in the center of the room
and glared at her.
Il don't care whether you like it. and
it doesn't matter if you are princess"
he exploded, there are a few things
I'm going to say to you. First. want
to know what kind of woman you are
| 10 throw into prison man like-like-
oh. it drives me crazy to think of it.
l don't care if YOU are insulted. He's
friend of mine. and he is no more
guilty than you are. and want to
know what you mean by ordering his
| arrest"
Her lips parted as il to speak. her
face grew deathly pale, her fingers
| clutcEed tie edge of the divan. She
stared ut him piteously. unable to
| move. to speak. Then the blue eyes
filled with tears. IL sob came to her
| lips, and her tortured heart made
last brave effort ut defense.
I-l-Mr. Anguish. you wrong mel
p She tried to whisper through
the closed throat and stilfened lips.
Words failed her. but she pleaded with
those wet, imploring eyes. His heart
faelted. his anger was swept away in
n twinkling. He saw that he had
| wounded her most unjustly.
you brute" Kissed the countess.
| with flashing. indignant eyes. throwing
her arms about the princess and draw
| ing her head to her breast.
"Forgive me-" lie cried, sinking to
his knee before the princess, shame
and contrition in his face 81 have
been half mad this whole day, and l
have thought harshly Of you. l now
see that you are suffering more in
tensely than I. love Lorry, and that
Is my only excuse. He is being foully
wrongcd, your highness, foully wrong
ed"
II deserve your contempt after all.
Whether he be guilty or innocent, l
should have refused to sign the decree.
1t is too late now. have signed away
something that is very dear to me-his
life. You are his friend and mine. Can
you tell me what he thinks Of me-
what he says-how he feels?" She
asked the triple question breathlessly.
He believes you We're forced into
the act, and said as much to me. AS
to how he feels, can only ask how
you would feel if you were in his
place, innocent and yet almost sure of
will resort to any subterfuge now that
one Of their number has staked his
life. Mark my word, some one will de-
liberately swear that he saw Grenfall
Lorry strike the blow, and that will be
as villatnous lie as man ever told.
What am here for, your highness, is
to ask If that decree cannot be with
drawn"
"Alas, it cannot! would gladly or
der his release if could, but you can
see what that would mean to us
war, Mr.. Anguish" she sighed misera-
bly,.
But you will not see an innocent
man condemned?" cried he, again in
dignant.
II have only your statement for that,
sir, if you will pardon me. hope from
the bottom of my heart that he did
not murder the prince after being hon
orably challenged"
''He is no coward!" Numbered An
guish, startling both women with his
vehemence. II say he did not kill the
prince, but I'll stake my life he would
have done SO had they met this morn
ing"
He may be able to clear himself
suggested the countess nervously.
"And he may not; so there you have
it. What chance have two Americans
over here with everybody against u.s."
stop! You shall not say that! He
shall have full justice at any cost, and
there is one here who is not against
him" cried the princess, with flashing
eyes.
II am aware that everybody admires
him because he has done Graustark q
service in Kidding it Of something OBJ.
noxious-a prospective husband. But
that does not get him out Of jail"
"You are unkind again." said the
princess slowly. II chose my husband
and you assume much when you init
mate that am glad because he was
murdered"
"Do not be angry" cried the count
ess impatiently. 1--WE all regret what
has happened, and I, for one, hope that
Mr.. Lorry may escape from the tower
and laugh forevermore at his pursuers
If he could only dig his way outv
The princess shot startled look to-
ward the speaker as new thought en-
tered her wearied brain. A short, in
voluntary gasp told that it had lodged
and would grow. She laughed at the
idea of an escape from the tower, but