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

you. No, you shall not read 1t. No
one shall ever know what it contains
She darted to the desk, snatched up
the sheets of paper and held them over
the waxed taper. He stood in the mid
die of the room, feeling of intense
desolation settling down upon him.
How could he lose this woman?
Tomorrow night QuinnoX is to take
you from the monastery and conduct
you to distant city. 1t has all been
planned. Your friend, Mr.. Anguish, is
to meet you in three days, and you are
to hurry to America by way of Athens.
This was Il letter to you. In it l said
many things and was trying to write
farewell when you came to this room.
Ach, what peril you are in here! You
are innocent but nothing could save
you. The proof is too strong. MiZrox
has found Il man who swears he saw
tou enter Lorenz's ROOM"
"What n damnable liew cried Lorry
lightly 81 was not near his roomr'
But you can see what means they
will adopt to convict you. You are
doomed if caught by my men or theirs.
cannot save you again. You know
now that love you. Could you not
have been content with that last good
by at the monastery? 1t is cruel to
both of us, to me especially, that we
must have the parting again" She
had gone to the divan and now drop
ped Imply among the cushions, rest
ing her head ON her hand
81 was determined to see YOU" he
said. "They shall not kill me, nor are
you to sacrifice your fathers domain.
Worse than ALL feared that you might
yield to Gabriel
Zach! You insult me when you say
that! 1 yielded to Lorenz because l
thought it my duty and because
dared not admit to myself that 1 loved
you. But Gabriel. Ach" she cried
scornfully. "Grenfall Lorry, l shall
marry no man. You love, but you
cannot marry. 1t is folly to dream of
it even as a possibility. When you go
from Graustark tomorrow night, you
take my heart my life, my soul, with
you. l shall never see you again-God
help me to say this-I shall never allow
you to see he again. l tell you, l
could not bear it. The weakest and
the strongest of Gods creations is wo-
man. She started suddenly, half ris-
ing. did any one see you come to my
room? Was Quinnox sure?"
I'VE passed people, but no one knew
me. will so if you are distressed over
my being here"
1T is not that-not that. Some spy
may have seen you. have a strange
fear that they suspect me and that 1
am being watched. Where is Captain
QuinnoX"
'EIe said he would return for me in
an hour. The time is almost gone.
How it has flown! Yetive, Yetive,
will not give you upt' he cried, sink
ing to his knees before her.
You must, you shall! You must 70
back to the monastery tonight! Oh,
how | pray that you may reach it in
safety! And you must leave this
wretched country at once. Will you
see if QuinnoX is outside the door? Be
quick! l am mad with fear that you
may be found here, that you may be
taken before you can return to ST. Val
entines"
He arose and stood looking down at
the intense face, all aquiver with the
battle between temptation and solicit
tude.
II am not going back to ST. Valen-
tines" he said slowly.
But it is all arranged for you to
start from there tomorrow. You can
not escape the city guard except
through st. Valentines"
"Yetive, has it not occurred to you
that l may not wish to escape the city
guard?"
MAY not wish to escape the-what
do you mean?" she cried, bewildered
II am not going to leave Edelweiss,
dearest 1t is my intention to surren-
der myself to the authorities"
She gazed at him in horror for a mo-
ment and then fell back, with low
moan.
"For Gods sake do not say thatw
she walled. II forbid you to think of
it. You cannot do this after all l have
done to save you. Ach, you are TESTING,
l should have known"
He sat down and drew her to his
side. Some moments passed before he
could speak.
II cannot and will not permit you to
make such sacrifice for me. The prop
Osition of Bolaroz is known to me. If
you produce me for trial. you are to
have ten years extension. My duty
is plain. am no cowardly criminal,
and l am not afraid to face my ac-
cusers. At the worst 1 can die but
once"
"Die but once" she repeated as if in
dream.
II came here to tell you Of my deci.
sion, to ask you to save your lands, pro.
tect your people and to remember that
would die thousand times to serve
you and yours"
after all l have done-after all ]
have DONE" she murmured piteously
mo, no! You shall not! You are more
to me than all my kingdom, than all
the people in the world. You have
made me love you, you have caused me
to detest the throne which separates
US, you have made me pray that l
might be a pauper, but you shall not
force me to destroy the mite of hope
that fingers in my heart. You shall
not crush the hope that there may be
a-a-some day!"
"a some day? Some day when yeu,
will be miner he cried,