Twice-a-week plain dealer., 1906-05-29
Author Of "Gr.ustark~
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II
| out and began to read It with the
Slight interest of one who has antici-
pated the effect. But not for long was
he to remain apathetic. The first few
lines brought look of understanding
TO his eyes; then he laughed the easy
laugh OF one who has cast care and
confidence to the winds. This is what
he read:
She IL not the princess We have been
ouped. Last night I learned the truth.
She Is Miss Calhoun, an American. going
70 be guest at the castle. Refuse to 20
with her into Edelweiss. 1t may be tran
and may mean death. Question her bold
" before committing yourself
There came the natural impulse to
make dash for the outside world.
lighting his way through If necessary,
Looking back over the ground, he won
dered how he could have been deceived
at all by the unconventional American.
IN the clear light of retresnectien he
new saw hew impossible 1t was for
her to have been the princess. Every
act, every word, every look, should
have told him the truth. Every flaw
IN her masquerading now presented It.
seif to him, and he was compelled to
laugh at his own simplicity. Caution.
after all, was the largest component
part Of his makeup. The craftiness Of
the hunted WAS deeply rooted in his
Reing, He saw a very serious side to
the adventure. Stretching himself upon
the cot in the corner Of the room, he
gave himself over to plotting, plan-
ming, thinking. '''.@s
Tn the midst Of his thoughts sud
deh light burst in upon him. His eyes
cleaned with new fire, his heart
leaped with new animation, his blood
ran warm again. Leaping to his feet,
he ran to the window to reread the
pote from old Franz. Then he settled
back and an laughed With a ferver that
cleared the brain Of a thousand vague
nisgiyings.
"aAe ID Miss Calhoun, an American,
going to be guest at the castle;" not
the princess, but Miss Calhoun. Once
more the memory Of the clear gray
eyes leaped into life. Again he saw
her asleep in the coach on the road
from Ganlook. Again he recalled the
fervent throbs his guilty heart had
felt as he looked upon this fair crea-
turs, at one time the supposed treasure
Of another man. Now she was Miss
Calhoun, and her gray eyes, her en-
trancing smile, her wondrous yiyaoity,
were not for one maa alone. 1t was
magYelous what change this sudden
realization wrought in the view ahead
Of him. The whole situation seemed to
be transformed inte something more
Desirable than ever before. His face
cleared, his spirits leaped higher and
higher with the buoyancy Of fresh re-
lief, his confidence In himself erept
| back Into existence, and all because
the fair deceiveg, the slim girl with the
brave gray eyes who had drawn him
into net was not princessl
Something told him that she had not
drawn him into his present position
with any desire to injure him or with
the slightest sense of malice. To her it
had been merry Jest. a 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 Ndelweiss was clearly
enough defined, The more he thought
of 1t the more justifiahle 1t seemed as
viewed from her point Of observation.
How long she hoped to keep him in the
dark he could not tell. 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 a discussion Of the princess and
her household resulted unsatisfactory.
The young guard was annoyingly un-
responsive. He had his secret instruc-
tions and could not be inye.gled into
betraying himself. Raldos went to
sleep that night with his mind con-
fus!ed 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 contentlng 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 mystery surrounding the
character Of Baldos, the goat hunter
pangloss did not question for an in
stant, and in spite of the instructions
received at the outset he was using
all his skill to unravel 1t.
Baldos was not summoned to the cas-
tie till noon. His serene Indifference tc
the outcome of the visit was calculat
ed to deceive the friendly but watchfu
Haddan. Dressed carefully in the
close fitting uniform of the royal guard
taller than most Of his fellows, hand
somer by far than any, he was tn,
most noticeable figure in and about thu
barracks. Haddan coached him in tn,
way he was to approach the princess