The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-09-21


back into existence. And all becaus'
the fair deeeiver. the slim girl with th'
brave gray eyes who had drawn hin
into ret was not princess!
Something told him that she had MOI
drawn BIN into his present position
with any desire to injure him or with
the slightest sense of malice. To her II
had been q merry jest. pleasant com
edy Underneath all he saw the good
ness of her, motive in taking him from
the old life and putting him into his
present position of trust. He had
helped her, and she was ready to help
him to the limit of her power. His
position in Edelweiss was clearly
enough defined. The more he thought
of it the more justifiable 1t seemed as
viewed from her point of observation.
How long she hoped to keep him In the
dark he could not tel. The outcome
would be entertaining Her efforts to
deceive, If she kept them up, would be
amusing. Altogether he was ready,
with the leisure and joy of youth, to
await developments and to enjoy the
comedy from point of view which
she could not at once suspect.
! His subtle effort to draw Haddan
into discussion of the princess and
her household resulted unsatisfactory.
The young guard was annoyingly IN
responsive. He had his secret instruc-
tons and could not be inveigled into
betraylng himself. Baldos went to
sleep that night with his mind con-
fused by doubts. His talk with Had
dan had left him quite undecided as
to the value Of old Franz's warning.
Either Franz was mistaken or Haddan
was most skillful dissembler. 1t
struck him as utterly beyond the pale
of reason that the entire castle guard
should have been enlisted in the scheme
to deceive him. When sleep came he
was contenting himself with the
thought that morning doubtless would
give him clearer insight to the situa-
ton.
Both he and Beverly Calhoun were
ignorant of the true conditions that at
tached themselves to the new recruit
Baron Dangloss alone knew that Had
dan was trusted agent of the secret
service, with instructions to shadow
the newcomer day and night That
there was a mystery surrounding the
character Of Baldos. the goat hunter,
Dangloss did not question for an in
slant, and in spite of the Instructions
received at the outset he was using
all his skill to unravel It,
Baldos was not summoned to the cas-
tie till noon. His serene Indifference to
the outcome Of the visit was calculat-
ed to deceive the friendly but watchful
Haddan. Dressed carefully in the
crosse nrung UNIFORM or the royal guard,
taller than most Of his fellows, hand
somer by far than any, he was the
most noticeable figure In and about the
barracks. Haddan coached him in the
way he was to approach the princess,
Baldos listening with exaggerated In
tentness and with deep regard for de-
tail.
Beverly was in the small audience
room off the main reception hall when
he was ushered into her presence The
servants and ladies in waiting disap-
peared at signal from her. She arose
to greet him, and he knelt to kiss her
hand. For a moment her tongue was
bound. The keen eyes of the new
guard had looked into hers with di-
rectness that seemed to penetrate her
brain. That this scene was to be one
of the most interesting in the little
comedy was proved by the fact that
two eager young women were hidden
behind a heavy curtain in corner of |
the room. The Princess Yetive and |
Joy Beverly's first hour of authority, |
and she was aware of their presence.
'Have they told you that you are to
act as my especial guard and escort"
she asked, with queer futter In her |
voice Somehow this tall fellow with
the broad shoulders was not the same
as the ragged goat hunter she had |
known at first
mo. your highness,' he said easily /
Il have come for instructions. 1t /
pleases me to know that am to have
a place Of honor and trust such as
this
General Marlanx has told me that
4 vacancy exists, and l have selected
you to fill 1t. The compensation will
be attended to by the proper persons,
and your duties will be explained to
you by one of the officers. This after
noon, / believe, you are to accompany
me on my visit to the fortress, which ]
an to inspect"
every well, your highness," he re-
said He was thinking Of
Miss Calhoun, an American girl, al
hough he called her your highness."
May / be permitted to ask for In
,tructions that can come only from
your highness~
Certainly she replied. His man
Ter was more deferential than she had
.ver known it to be, but he threw a
,omb into her fine composure with his !
lext remark. He addressed her In the
ra,,afark lanpua 90.