Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-07-26

from laughing. It struck her as irre-
sistibly funny that the Iron Count
should be standing out there IN the
rain, signaling to her like lovesick
boy Once she was inside, however, 1t
did not seem SO amusing. Still, It gave
her an immense amount OF satisfaction
to slam the windows loudly, as il In
pure defiance Then she closed the
blinds, shutting out the night COM
pletely.
Turning up the light at her dressing
table, she sat down in state Of sud-
den collapse. For long time she
stared at her face in the mirror. She
saw the red Of shame and embarrass-
ment mount to her cheeks, and then
she covered her eyes with her hands.
"Oh, what fool you've beent' she
half sobbed, shrinking from the mirror
as If it were an accuser.
She prepared for bed with frantic
haste. Just as she was about to scram
BILE in and hide her face in the pillows
a shocking thought came to her. The
next instant she was at the windows,
and the stats were closed with rattle
like volley Of firearms. Then she
jumped into bed. She wondered If the
windows were locked. Out she sprang
again like a flash, and her little bare
feet scurried across the room, first to
the windows and then to the door
"Now reckon I'm SAFE" she MUIR
INJURED moment later, again getting
into bed. II love to go to sleep with
the rain pattering outside like that.
Oh, dear, I'm SO sorry he has to walk
all night in this rain. Poor fellow! /
wonder where he is now. Goodness!
It's raining cats and dogsy'
But in spite of the rain she could not
go to sleep. Vague fears began to take
possession of her. Something dreadful
told her that Count Marlanx was on
the balcony and at her window, not
withstanding the rainpour. The fear
became oppressive, maddening. She
felt the mans presence almost as
strongly as if he We're in plain view.
He was there; she knew it.
The little revolver that had served her
SO valiantly at the inn of the Hawk
and Raven lay upon stool near the
bedside every night. Consumed by the
fear that the window might open slow
| " at any moment she reached forth
and clutched the weapon. Then she
! shrank back in the bed, her eyes fixed
upon the black space across the room.
For hours she shivered and waited for
Irxr 10 n in q II
and again, only to come back to wake
| fulness with start.
| The next morning she confessed to
herself that her fears had been silly.
Her first act after breakfasting alone
In her room was to seek out Colonel
Quinnox, commander of the castle
guard. In her mind she was greatly
| troubled over the fate of the bold
visitor of the night before. There was
warm, red glow in her face and
quick beat in her heart as she crossed
the parade ground. Vagabond though
he was he had conquered where princes
had failed. Her better Judgment told
her that she could be nothing to this
debonair knight Of the road, yet her
heart stubbornly resisted all the argu-
ments that her reason put forth.
| Colonel Quinnox was pleasant, but
he could give Beverly no promise OF
| Ieniency in regard to Baldos. Instruc-
lions had come to him from General
| Marlanx, and he could not set them
aside at will. Her plea that he might
once more be assigned to old time
duties found the colonel regretfully OBJ
durate Baldos could not ride with her
again until Marlanx withdrew the or
der which now obtained Beverly swal-
lowed her pride and resentment diplo-
matically, smiled her sweetest upon
| the distressed colonel and marched de-
family back to the castle. Down In her
rebellious, nsulted heart she was con-
cocting all sorts Of plans for revenge.
Chief among them was the terrible
| overthrow Of the Iron Count. Her wide
scope of vengeance even contemplated
the destruction of Graustark If her end
could be obtained In no other way.
Full of these bittersweet thoughts,
she came to the castle doors before she
saw who was waiting for her upon the
great veranda. AS she mounted the
steps, a preoccupied frown upon her
fair brow, General Marlanx, lean, Graf
ty and confident, advanced to greet her.
The early hour was responsible for the
bright solitude which marked the place.
But few signs OF life were in evidence
about the castle.
She stopped with a sharp exclama-
ton of surprise Then scorn and indig-
nation rushed in to I'll the place Of as,
constituent. She faced the smiling old
man with anger in her eyes.
'Good morning. be said, extending
his hand, which she did not see. She
| was wondering how much he had seen
| and heard at midnight.
! II thought the troops were massing
this morning." she said coldly. Don't