Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-04-27

to spend the night. 1t was far past
noon, and Aunt Fanny had suggested
opening the lunch baskets. One Of the
guides was called back, the leader be-
ing as much in the dark as his charge.
There is no village within twenty
miles," he said, land we must sleep in
the pass"
Beverly's voice faltered. "Out here
in all this awful Then she caught
herself quickly. 1t came to her sudden
ly that she must not let these men see
that she was apprehensive. Her voice
was trife shrill and her eyes glisten-
ed with strange new light as she
went on, changing her tack completely:
"How romantici I've often wanted to
do something like this"
The officer looked bewildered and
said nothing. Aunt Fanny was speech
less Later on, when the lieutenant had
gone ahead to confer with the guides
about the suspicious actions of small
troop Of horsemen they had seen, Bev-
erly conf1ded to the old negress that she
was frightened almost out Of her boots,
but that she'd die before the men
should see sign Of cowardice in a
Calhoun. Aunt Fanny was not so
proud and imperious. 1t was with diff
fculty that her high strung young mis-
tress suppressed the walls that had
long been under restraint in Aunt Fan
ny's huge and turbulent bosom.
Good Lawd, Miss Bev'ly, dey'n chop
us all u pieces an take ouah jewl'ry
an money an clo'es an ev'ything else
we done got about us. Good Lawd,
les FUN back, Miss Bev'ly. We aim
got no mo- show out heah in desc
mountains dan a.
BE still, Aunt Fannyp commanded
Beverly, with fine show Of courage.
"You must be brave. Don't you see
we can't turn back? It's just as dan
gerous and heap sight more so. If
we let on we're not one bit afraid
they'll respect us, don't you see, and
men never harm women whom they
respect
"Umphv' grunted Aunt Fanny, with
exaggerated irony.
"Well, they never dol" maintained
Beverly, who was not at all sure about
it. "And they look like real nice men
honest men, even though they have
such awful whiskers."
"Dey's de wust trash All even did
see," exploded Aunt Fanny.
"Sh! Don't let them hear you" whis-
pered Beverly.
In spite of her terror and perplexity
she was compelled to smile. 1t was
all SO like the farce comedies one sees
at the theater.
As the officer rode up his face was
pale in the shadowy light of the after
noon, and he was plainly very nerv-
GUS.
what is the latest news from the
front?" she inquired cheerfully.
'aThe men refuse to ride on" he ex-
claimed, speaking rapidly, making it
still harder for her to understand. "Our
advance guard has met party Of hunt
ers from Axphain. They insist that you
the fine lady in the coach'-are the
Princess Yetive, returning from a Sc
cret visit to st. Petersburg, where you
| went to plead for assistance from the
car"
Beverly Calhoun gasped in astonistl-
ment. 1t was too incredible to believe.
It was actually ludicrous. She laugh
ed heartily. "How perfectly absurd"
II am well aware that you are not
| the Princess Yetive," he continued en-
phatically, "bdt what can do7 The
men won't believe me. They swear
! they have been tricked and are panic
stricken over the situation. The hunt
ers tell them that the Axphain author
tiles, fully aware Of the hurried flight
Of the princess through these wilds,
are preparing to intercept her. A large
detachment of soldiers is already
across the Graustark frontier. It is
only question Of time before the
red legs will be upon them. I have
assured them that their beautiful
charge Is not the princess, but an
American GIRL and that there is NO
mystery about the coach and escort
All in vain. The Axphain guides al
ready feel that their heads are on the
block, while as for the Cossacks, moi
even my dire threats Of the awful an
ger Of the white car when he finds
they have disobeyed his commands
! will move them"