Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-05-24

ed in silence. and he knew this. vaga-
bond or gentleman. he was clever
actor.
"The eye is weak, your highness, and
cover it in the daytime to protect it
from the sunlight he said coolly.
that's all very nice, but It looks to
be quite as good as the other. And
what Is more, sir, you are not putting
the patch over the same eye that wore
it when first saw you. It was the
left eye at sunset. Does the trouble
| transfer after dark ?"
He broke into an honest laugh and
hastily moved the black patch across
his nose to the left eye.
II was turned around in the dark
ness, that's ALL he said serenely. IT
belongs over the left eye, and ! am
deeply grateful to you for discovering
| the error"
Il don't see any especial reason why
| you should wear it after dark. do you?
There is no sunlight, Pm sure"
y am dazzled, nevertheless" he ~
torted.
.Fiddlestickst' she said. This is
e
ave, not drawing ROOM
I'm other words, ] am lout and not
| courtier," he smiled We'll, a lout
may look at princess. We have no
court etiquette in the bills, ! am sorry
to say"
"That was very unkind, even though
you said it most becomingly," she pro-
| tested. "You have called this pail a
| throne. Let us also imagine that you
are courtier."
"You punish me most gently, your
! highness. shall not forget my man
ners again, believe me-" He seemed
thoroughly subdued.
sThen / shall expect you to remove
that horrid black thing. 1t is positive
| " villainous. You look much better
without it,
is it an edict or compliment he
asked, with such deep gravity that she
flushed.
1T is neither. she answered "You
don't have to take it of unless you
want to-
| IN either event it is off. You were
right 1t serves as partial disguise.
! / have many enemies and the black
| patch is very good friend"
"How perfectly lovely" cried Bey-
erly. 'TeIl me all about it. adore
stories about feuds and all that"
s'Your husband is an American. He
should be able to keep you well enter
tanned with blood-and thunder stories"
said he.
my hus- What do you Oh, yesl"
gasped Beverly. ITO be sure. I didn't
hear you, I guess. That was rather a
severe clap Of thunder, wasn't it?"
rs that also command ?"
"What do you mean?"
"There was no thunderclap, you
know"
sOh, wasn't there?" helplessly.
1.-THE storm is quite past. There is
still dash of rain in the air, and the
wind may be dying hard, but aside
from that think the noise is quite sub
dued"
81 believe you are right. How sud-
den it all was"
There are several hours between
this and dawn, your highness, and you
should try to get little more sleep.
Your cushions are dry and''-
Every well, since You are SO eager to
get rid off, began Beverly, and then
stopped, for 1t did not sound partic-
ularly regal II should have said, you
are very thoughtful. You will call me
If / sleep later
I'VE shall start early, with your per-
mission. 1t is forty miles to Ganlook,
and we must be half way there by
nightfall"
Must we spend another night like
this?n cried Beverly dolefully.
Alas, fear you must endure us an
other night. am afraid, however, we
shall not find quarters as comfortable
| as those of the Hawk and Raven
| II didn't mean to be ungrateful and
-snippish,' she said, wondering If
he knew the meaning of the word.
MOI" be said politely, and she knew
he did not, whereupon she felt dis
tinctly humbled.
s.You know you speak such excellent
English" she said irrelevantly.
/ He bowed low. AS he Strengthened
his figure, to his amazement. he be-
held an agonizing look of horror on
her face, her eyes riveted on the mouth
Of the cavern. Then there came an an
grier sound, unlike any that had gone
before in that night of turmoil.
+ Look there, Quickw
| The cry of terror from the girls
palsied lips as she pointed to some
thing behind him awoke the mountain
man to instant action. Instinctively
he snatched his long dagger from its
sheath and turned quickly. Not TWEEN
| ty feet from them huge catlike beast
stood half crouched on the edge Of
the darkness, his long tail switching
angrily The feeble light from the
depth of the cave threw the long, wa
ter soaked visitor into bold relief