The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1904-03-30
CHAPTER XXI.

the resolution formed on that
stormy night when she sacri-
feed pride and duty on the altar Of
love and justice. Prince Bolaroz's ulti-
matum overwhelmed her, but she arose
from the wreckage hat was strewn
about her conscience and remained
loyal, steadfast and true to the man in
the monastery. To save his life was
all II 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 a price would hang
over his head. She, Princess Of Grau-
stark, had offered a reward for him.
For that reason he was always to be n
fugitive, and she least of all could
hope to see him. There had been n
brief, happy dream, but 1t 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
Graustarl blindly trusted and adored
her. To undeceive them would be to
administer a shock from which they
could never recover.
Her highness' manner was at all
times frank and u%ntroubled. She was
anna ,o,tlx lir1,f hnnrfnI ITnr olnolyS
had lost mono of their freshness. Her
eyes were bright. Her smile was quick
and merry, her wit %unclouded. Recep-
tons. drawing rooms and state func-
tons found her always vivacious, SO
much so that her court wondered not
a 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 10Th, the 10th,
the 18th, the 18th and now the 10Th of
November came and still the princess
revealed nc 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,
III Siih VI o"St ~ SoIi ntc
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 neal 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, its domain was to be cleft i'm
twain, disgracCd before the world.
And on the throne OF this afflicted
land sat the girl Yctive, proud, ten
der, courageous. Tomorrow would sec
the north torn from the south, the divi-
sion of families, the rcnding of homes,
the bursting of hearts. She sanctioned
all this because she loved Lorry and
because he had lone no wrong.
Aware of her financial troubles and
pursuing the advantage that his rivals
death had opened to him, Prince Ca.
bricl Of D~awsbcrgcn 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 her
abduction, she feared and despised him,
yet dared make no public denuncia-
tion. AS DaWSDcrgcn was too power
full TO be |antagoniZed ut this critical
time, Ii was constantly forced to sub.
nit to the most trying and rcpulsive
OF ordeals. Tact and policy were re.
CURED to control the violent, lot blood.
ed young ruler from the south. Day aft
er day he haunted the castle, persist
ent in his efforts to induce her to ac-
cept his proposition. So fierce was his
passion, SO implacable his desire, that
ne 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 q
committee of citizens to go before the
princess with the petition That his offer
be accepted and the country saved.
But Graustark was loyal to It's prln-
cess. No n of her citizens listened
to the willy prince, and more than one
told him oil his emissaries that the loss
of the whole kingdom was preferable
to the marriage he desired. The city
siokened at the thought.
His last and master stroke In the
struggle to persuade came on the after.
noon Of the 10Th, at an hour when all
Edelweiss was In gloom and when the
princess was taxed to the point where
the mask OF courage was SO fraiI that
she could scarce hide her bleeding sout
behind II.
BoIaroz of Axpbain, to quote from
the news dispatch, was In Edelweiss, a
guest, with a few Of his lords, In the
castle. North OF the city were EN-.
J camped 5000 men. lie had come pre-