Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-07-03

Tx lHE Snrlnk DaCk Wlln q great
MI dread in her heart. MaPlanx,
/, of all men! Why was he in the
" park at this hour of the night?
There could be but one answer. and
the very thought of it almost suffocat-
ed her. He was drawing the net with
his own hands, he was spying with his
own eyes. For a full minute it seemed
to her that her heart would stop beat
ing. How long had he been standing
there? What had he seen or heard?
Involuntarily she peered over the rail
for glimpse of Baldos. He had gone
out into the darkness, missing the men
at the lamp post either by choice or
through pure good fortune. A throb of
thankfulness assailed her heart. She
was not thinking of her position, but
of his.
Again she drew stealthily away from
the rail, possessed Of a ridiculous feel
ing that her form was as plain to the
vision as If it were broad daylight. The
tread of man impelled her to glance
below once more before fleeing to her
1ulldAA was SOiliii6 tOWohN
the veranda. She fed swiftly, pausing
at the window to lower the friendly
but forgotten umbrella. From below
came the sibilant hiss Of man seek
ing to attract her attention. Once more
she stopped to listen. The "Hist!" was
repeated, and then her own name was
called softly, but imperatively. 1t was
beyond the power of woman to keep
from laughing. 1t struck her as ire
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, it
did not seem so amusing. Still, it gave
her an immense amount Of satisfaction
to slam the windows loudly. as If 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 beenw 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
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 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 a 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 be has to walk
all night In this rain. Poor fellow! I
wonder where he is now. Goodness!
It's raining cats and dogsp
But In spite Of the rain she could not
so to sleep. Vague fears began to take
possession of her. Something dreadful
told her that Count Marlan1 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 were 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
ly 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
the window to open, doing away time
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 a
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
leniency in regard to Baldos. Instruc-
lions h1d 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, insultcd 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
ctans a Irannnnninl frnun llnnn hnr