The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1904-03-02
CHAPTER XVIII.
TIE FLIGHT AT MIDNIGH'

- and n sympathetic chief of po-
lice. 1T was not located In the dun
geon, but high in the tower, n little
rock bound ROOM, with Il single barred
window far above the floor. There
was Il bed of iron, upon which had been
placed a clean mattress, and there was
q little chair. The ext day after his
arrest Il comfortable armchair replaced
the latter. A table, n lamp, some
books, flowers, Il bottle Of wine and
some fruit found their way to his lone
ly apartment, whoever may have sent
them. Harry Anguish was admitted
to the cell during the afternoon.
He reported that most OF the AK
phain contingent was still in town. a.
portion had hurried home, carrying tho
news to the old prince, instructed by
the aggressive Mizrox to fetch him
forthwith to Edelweiss, where his au-
gust presence was necessary before the
Goth. The princess, so Harry informed
the prisoner, sent sincere expressions
of sympathy and the hope that all
would end we'll with him.
Late in the evening, as LOrry was
lying OH his bed, staring at the shad-
owy ceiling and puzzling his brain with
most oppressive uncertainties, the rat
tie OF keys in the lock announced the
approach of visitors. The door swung
open, IL through the CRATE he saw
Dangloss and Quinnox. The latter
wore a long military rain coat and had
just come in from n drenching down
pour. Lorry's reverie had been so
deep that he had not heard the thun-
dor NOR thn hnu-linr nf 1ho x-.,,In
Springing to his feet, he advanced
quickly to the grated door.
Captain Quinnox brings a private
message from the princess" said the
chief, the words scarcely more than
whispered. 1t was plain hat the mes
sage was important and Of u secret ma
turc. QuinnoN looked up and down
the corridor and stairway before
thrusting the tiny note through the
bars. 1t was grasped eagerly, and
trembling fingers broke the seal. Bend
ing near the light, he read the lines, his
vision blurred, his heart throbbing so
fierccly that the blood seemed to be
drowning out other sounds for all time
to come. In the dim corridor stood the
two men, watching him with bated
breath and guilty, quaking nerves.
ooh" gasped Lorry, kissing the mis-
sive insanely as his greedy eyes careen-
ed through the last line. There was no
signature, but in every word he saw
her face, felt the touch of her dear
hand, heard her timid heart beating for
him-for him alone. Rapture thrilled
him from head to foot, the delirious
rapture Of love. He could not speak,
so overpowering was the joy, the sur
prise, the awakening.
"Obeyw whispered QuinnoX, his face
aglow with pleasure, his finger CULVER
ing as he pointed commandingly to.
ward the letter.
"Obey what!" asked Lorry duly.
THE last line!"
lie hastily rcrcad the last line and
then deliberately held the precious mis-.
sivc over the lamp until it ignited. He
would have given all he possessed to
have preserved it. But the last line
commanded, Burn this at once and III
the presence of the bearer
"There!" he said rcgrctfully as he
crumpled tho charrcd remnants be-
tween his fingers md turned to the ST.
lent watchers.
Her crime goes up in smoke" NUT
tered Dangloss scntcntiously.
"The princess commits 10 crime" re.
torted QuinnoX angrily, "when she
trusts four honest men,"
"Wherc is she?" whispered the pris-
oner, with drumming ears.
"Where all good women should be at
0 o'clocB n bed" replied Dangloss
shortly. ut will you obey her COM
mandf"
$50 she commands me to escaper'
said Lorry, smiling. ~ dare not dis
obey my sovereign, I suppose"
/ "We obey her because we love her."
said the captain of the guard.
And for that reason 1 also obey.
But can this thing be accomplished
without nece~ssitating explanations and
possible complications? 1 will not obey
If 1t is likely to place her in an embar-
RAISING position"
"She understands perfectly what she
Is doing, sir. In the first place, she has
had my ADVICE" said Dangloss, the
good old betrayer of an official trust.
you advised her to command you
TO allow me to escapeY
"She commanded first, and her 1 adj
vised her how to command you. AK
phain may declare war q thousand
times over, but you will be safe. That's
all vel mean, all she wants"
"But I cannot desert my friend. How
Is he to know where I've gomez Will
not vengeance fall on him instead?"
"He shall know everything when the
proper time comes. And now will you
be ready at the hour mentioned7 You
have but to follow the instructions-I
should say, the commands-of the writ
err"
"And be free! Tell her that 1 wor-
ship her for this. Tell her that every
drop of blood i'm my body belongs to
her. She offers me freedom, but makes
me her slave for life. Yes, I shall be
ready. If I do not see you again, good
friends, remember that I love you be-
cause you love her and because she
loves you enough to iptrust a most
dangerous secret to your keeping, the
commission of an act that may mean
the downfall of your nation" He
nook hands with them fervently.
ut cannot be that, sir. 1t may cost
the lives of three of her subjects, but
no man save yourself can involve the
princess or the crown. They may kill
us, but they cannot force us to betray
her. j trust you Will be as loyal to
the good girl who wears q crown not