Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-02-08

.'She shall know the trutn, soou
friend
"After have gone twenty PAGES
down the hal! do you rap on the door
She may not admit you at first. but do
not give up. II she bid you enter or
asks your mission. enter quickly and
close the door. 1t is unlocked. She
may swoon or scream, and You must
prevent either If possible. In an hour
/ shall return and you must so back to
the passage"
Never. have come TO save her and
her country. aud intend to do so by
surrendering myself this very night"
II had hoped to dissuade you. But
sir. you cannot do so tonight. You FOR,
get that this visit compromises her
",rrue. had forgotten. Well. III
20 back with you. but tomorrow am
your prisoner. not your friend"
BE careful" cautioned the captain
MS he moved away. Lorry feverishly
tapped his knuckles on the panel of the
door and waited with motionless heart
for the response. 1t came not, and he
rapped harder, strange fear darting
into his mind.
"Well?" came from within, the voice
he adored
Impetuous haste marked his next
movement He dashed open the door.
sprang inside and closed 1t quickly.
She was slttiLS before her escritoire,
writing, and looked up. surprised and
annoyed.
81 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 he. 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.
'AIy darling-my queen" he cried
passionately "At last am with you!
Don't look at me like that! 1t is really
IL could not stay away-1 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.
"Am awaken" she murmured, touch.
ing his face with her bewildered, ques-
tioning hands. els 1t truly your 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 heref" she
cried. 1T is madness. How and why
came you to this room?"
He laughed like 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. hear
that Gabriel has been annoying you
and that you are to give up half of tho
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 1t afforded her to protect him
from an undessrved death. He obtain.
ed for Quinnox the royal pardon and
lauded him to the skies. So ravishing
were the moments, 80 ecstatic the sen.
sations that possessed them. that net-
Their thought Of the consequences II he
were to be discovered In her room, dis
guised ms 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
a laugh, he leapcd to his feet and stood
before her-attention! She leaned back
among the cushions and surveyed him
through the glowing, imprisoned eyes
which slowly closed as II to shut out
temptation.
"You are a perfect soldier" she said.
her lashes parting ever so slightly.
mo more perfect than you" he cried.
She remembered. with confusion, her
own Incorporating. but 1t was unkind
of him to remember II. Her allusion
to his uniform turned his thoughts into
tho 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
men ready to seize you at sight, pack
OF bioodhounds."
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 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,
have struggled against myself for days
and days, and had won the battle
when you came to pull my walls of
strength down about my ears. Look.
On my desk is a letter was writing to
you. No, you shall not read it, No
one shall ever know what 1t contains"
She darted to the desk, snatched up
the sheets OF paper and held them over
the waYed taper. He stood In the mid
die Of the room. feeling of intense
desola ton settling down upon him.