Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-06-16

you will not regret It Where does the
princess sleepT He jerked out these
eager, pleading words quickly, breath
lessly.
"How am to trust your came back
q whisper from the bed.
Here is q revolver. Take Il and
kill me II I attempt the slightest In.
jury. Where are your he felt along
the bed with his hand.
keep away! Please! PleaseT she
sobbed.
"Take the pistol! Be calm, and in
heavens name help me to save her!
Those wretches may have killed her
aIreadyv
The revolver dropped upon the
clothes. He was bending eagerly over,
holding the curtains back.
"My friend is in the hall. We have
traced the men to the princess door, I
think. Be quick! Do you wish to see
her stolen from under your eyes"
"You are now In the princess room,"
answered the voice from the bed, calm
er and with some alacdty. "Is this
true that you tell me?"
"As God is my witness. And you
you-are you the princessT gasped the
man, drawing back.
I am. Where is Dannox% She was
sitting bolt upright in the bed, the pis-
an
"He is one of the conspirators. One
Of the cooks and two other guards are
in the plot. Can you trust me enough
to leave your bed and hide in another
part of the room? The scoundrels have
mistaken the door, but they may be
here at any moment. You must be
quick! 1 will protect you'll swear 1t!
Come, your highness! Hide"
Something in the fierce, anxious whis.
per gave her confidence. The miracle
had been wrought! He had composed
this woman under the most trying cir
cumstances that could have been i'm.
agined. She slipped from the bed and
threw q long, loose silken gown about
| her.
"Who are you?" she asked, touching
his arm.
81 am a foreigner-an American
Grenfall Lorry. Hurry" he implored.
She did not move for moment, but
he distinctly heard her catch her
breath.
"Am 1 dreamingT she murmured
family. Her fingers now clutched his
arm tightly.
II should say not! I don't like to
order you around, your highness, but
"Come-come to the light" she In
terrupted excitedly. "Over here"
Noiselessly she drew him across the
room until the light fell across his face.
1t was not bright light, but what she
saw satisfied her. He could not see her
face, for she stood outside the strip Of
dusky yellow.
1.-TWO men lie beneath your window,
and two are coming to this room. Where
shall l go? Come, be quick, madam!
Do you want to be carted of to Gan.
look? Then don't stand there like a
like a-pardon me, won't say it!'
II trust you fully. Shall alarm the
guardT she whispered, recovering her
self possession.
"By no means! I want to catch those
devils myself. Afterward we can
alarm the guards"
"An ideal American" she surprised
him by saying. Follow me-"
She led him to the doorway. Stand
here, and will call the countess-at
this side, where it is dark"
| She opened the door gently and stood
in the light for a second. He saw be-
| fore him a graceful figure in trailing
white, and then he saw her face. She
was Miss Guggenslocker!
"Heavens!' he hoarsely gasped, stag.
gering toward her. you! You! The
princess"
"Yes, am Princess Yetive," she
whispered, smiling as she glided from
his side. His eyes went round in his
head, his legs seemed to be anywhere
but beneath him, he felt as though he
were rushing toward the ceiling. For
| the moment he was actually uncon-
scious; then his senses rushed back, re-
calling his mission and his danger.
"She is sleeping so soundly that I
fear to awaken her." whispered soft
voice at his back, and be turned. The
princess was standing in the doorway.
"Then pray stand back where you
will be out Of danger. They will be
here in q moment unless they have
been frightened away"
"Y6u shall not expose yourself" she
said positively. "Why should you risk
your life now? You have accomplished
your object. You have saved the prin.
cess!'
"Ah, yes, the princessw he said. "And
am sorry you are the princess" he
added In her ear.
"Shw she whispered softly.
The door through which he had first
come was softly opened, and they were
conscious that some one was entering.
Lorry and the princess stood in the
dark shadow Of curtain, she close be-
hind his stalwart figure. He could
hear his own heart and hers beating,
could feel the warmth of her body, al.
though It did not touch his. His heart
beat with the pride Of possession, Of
power, with the knowledge that he had
but to stretch out his hand and touch
the one woman in all the world.
Across the dim belt Of light from the
open doorway In which they stood
crawled the dark figure Of man. Her
hand unconsciously touched his back
| as II seeking reinsurance. He shivered
beneath its gentle weight. Another
FORM followed the first, pausing In tho
light to look toward their doorway.
The abductor was doubtless remember'
ing the instructions to chloroform the
countess. Then came the odor OF
chloroform. oh, II Anguish were only
| there!
The second figure was lost in the
darkness and a faint glow Of light
came from the canopied bed in the COZ.
ner. The chloroformer holding the cur
tains had turned his screen lantern to
ward the pillow In order to apply the
dampened cloth. Now was the time to
act!
Pushing the princess behind the cur.
tain and in the shelter Of the doorpost,
Lorry leaped toward the center Of the
room, a pistol in each hand. Before
him crouched the astonished despera'