The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-10-12

The remark created a profound sen
sation
Then you are employed by both in
stead of oner' shouted the Iron Count
gleefuly
81 am employed as a guard for her
royal highness.' said BaldOs. with a
square glance at Yetive. "and not as a
fighter in the ranks. | will fight till
leath for her. but not for Graustark."
CHAPTER XVI.
"~7Y Jove, 1 like that fellows
III coolness," said Lorry to Har-
| n ~ Anguish, after the meet
IL ing. Hes after my own
heart Why, he treats us as though we
were the suppliants, he the almsgiver.
He is playing a game. I'll admit, but
he does Il with an assurance that de
lights me-"
He is right about that darned old
fort" said Anguish. His knowledge
of such things proves conclusively that
he is no ordinary person"
"Yetive had a bit of talk with him
just now" said Lorry, with a refec-
tive smile. "She asked him point blank
II he knew who she was. He did not
hesitate a second. 1 remember seeing
you in the audience chamber recently
That was facer for Yetive. i assure
you that it was no fault OF mine that
you saw me- she replied. Then 1t must
have been your friend who rustled the
curtainsT said the COMPOUNDED buffer.
Yetive couldn't keep straight face.
| She laughed, aud then he laughed.
Some day you may learn more about
me- she said to him. L sincerely trust
that may. madam said he, and I'll
bet my hat he was enjoying it better
than either of us. OF course he knows
Yetive is the princess. It's his inten-
ton TO serve Beverly Calhoun, and he
couldn't do it if he were to confess that
he knows the truth. He's no fool"
Baldos was not long In preparing
plans for the changes in the fortress.
They embodied a temporary readJust-
ment of the armament and alterations
in the ammunition house. The gate
leading to the river was closed, and
the refuse from the fort was taken to
the bargeS by way of the main en-
trance. There were other changes sug-
gested for immediate consideration,
and then there was general plan for
the undermining Of the fortress at some
more convenient time. Baldos lacon-
ically observed that the equipment
was years behind the times. To the
amazement of the officials, he was
able to talk intelligently of forts In
all parts OF the world, revealing
wide and thorough knowledge and ex-
tensive inspection. He had seen Amer
lean as well as European Notifications.
The Graustark engineers went to work
at once to perfect the simple changes
he advised, leaving no stone unturned
to strengthen the place before an at
tack could be made
Two, three weeks went by, and the
new guard was becoming an old story
10 the castle and army folk. He rode
with Beverly every fair day, and he
looked at her window by night from
afar off in the somber barracks. She
could not dissipate the feeling that he
knew her to be other than the princess,
although he betrayed himself by no
word or sign. She was enjoying the
fun of 1t too intensely to expose it to
the risk of destruction by revealing
her true identity to him. Logically
that would mean the end of everything. |
No doubt he felt the same and kept
his counsel, but the game could not
Iac of fhof In
month or two more and Beverly would
have to think of her return to Wash |
ington.
His courage, his cool impudence, his !
subtle wit, charmed her more than she |
could express. Now she was begin
ming to study him from a standpoint
peculiarly and selfishly her own. Where |
recently she had sung his praise to Ye-
tive and others she now was strangely |
reticent. She was to understand an
other day why this change had come
over her. Stories Of his cleverness
came to her ears from Lorry and An
guish and even from Dangloss. She
was proud, vastly proud, of him in
these days.
The Iron Count alone discredited the
ability and the conscientiousness of
the "mountebank," as he named the
man who had put his nose out Of joint.
Beverly, seeing much Of Marlanx,
made the mistake of Gliding him
frankly and gayly about this aversion.
She even argued the guards case be-
fore the head Of the army. imprudently
pointing out many Of his superior quail
tiles in advocating his cause. The
count was learning forbearance in his
old age. He saw the wisdom Of pro-
crastination. Baldos was in favor, but
some day there would come time for
his undoing.
In the barracks he was acquiring
fame Reports went forth with unbias-
ed freedom. He established himself as
the best swordsman in the service, as
well as the most efficient marksman.
With the foils and sabers he easily
the foremost fencers in
high and low circles. He could ride