The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1906-09-07

thinking of him, my dear child We
nave wcightier things to annoy u.s."
Goodness, how you talk! He isn't
annoying. Oh, forgive me, Yetive. for
l am the silliest, addle patedest goose
in the kingdom! And you are so trou-
bled. But do you know that he is be-
ing watched? They suspect him. So
did 1 mt first; I'll admit it, But |
dont-now. Have you read the note
1 gave to you out there?"
''Yes, dear It's just as 1 expected.
He has known from the beginning.
He knew when he caught Dagmar and
me spying behind that abominable
curtain. But don't worry me any long
er about him, please. Wait here with
me until we have reports from the
troops. I shall not sleep until l know
what those fires meant. Forget Baldos
for an hour or two for my sake"
you dear old princess; I'm an awful
brute, sure 'nough. I'll forget him for
ever for your sake. 1t won't be hard
either. He's just a mere guard Pooh!
He's no prince"
Whereupon, REINFORCED by Mrs. An
guish and the Countess Halfont, she
proceeded to devote herself to the task
OF soothing and amusing the distressed
CIrincess while the soldiers of Grau-
NSstark ransacked the moonlit hills. The
night passed, and the next day was far
on its way to sunset before the scouts
came in with tidings. No trace Of the
mysterious signalers had been found
The embers of the half dozen fires
were discovered. but their builders
were gone. The search took in miles
OF territory, but 1t was unavailing
Not even Al struggler was found. The
so called troupe Of actors. around
whom suspicion centered. had been
swallowed by tie capacious solitude OF
the hills. Riders from the frontier
posts to the south came I'm with the
report that all was quiet in the threat
ened district. Dawsbergen was lying
quiescent, but with the readiness Of d
skulking dog.
There was absolutely no solution to
the mystery connected with the fires
on the mountain sides. Baldos was
questioned privately and earnestly by
Lorry and Dangloss. His reply was
simple. but it furnished food for re-
Election and at the same time no little
lit Is my belief. Mr.. Lorry, that the
fires were built by brigands and not
by your military foes. 1 have seen
these fires in the north, near Axphain,
and they We're invariably meant to es-
tablish communication between sepa-
rated squads OF robbers. all belonging
to one band. My friends and on
more than one occasion narrowly es-
capped disaster by prying into the af-
fairs Of these signalers. take 1t that
the squads have been operating in the
south and were brought together last
night by means Of the fires Doubtless
they have some big project Of their
own sort on foot"
That night the city looked for a rep
etition of the fires, but the mountains
We're black from dusk till dawn. Word
reached the castle late in the evening
from GanloOk that an Axphainian no.
bleman and his followers would reach
A9idelweiss the next day. The visit was
n friendly but an important one. The
Eobleman was no other than the young
Duke Of MizroX, intimate friend of the
unfortunate Prince LorenZ who met
his death at the hand Of Prince Ga
which opposed the vengeful plans Of
Princess Volga. His arrival In Edel
weiss was awaited with deep anxiety,
for it was suspected that his news
would be of the most important char
acter..
Beverly Calhoun sat on the balcony
with the princess long after midnight
The sky was black with the clouds of
an approaching storm. The air was
heavy with foreboding silence. Twice
from their darkened corner near the
pillar they saw Baldos as he paced
steadily past the castle on patrol, with
Haddan at his side. Dreamily the
Awatchers In the cool balcony looked
k1down upon the somber park and its
occasional glrardsman. Neither was in
the mood to talk. AS they rose at last
to go to their rooms something whizzed
through the air and dropped with a
slight thud In the center Of the balcony.
The two young women started back in
alarm. A faint light from Beverly's
window filtered across the stone floor.
Don't touch 1t, Beverly" cried the
princess as the girl started forward
with an eager exclamation. But Bev-
erly had been thinking of the very OBJ
ject that now quivered before her in
the dull light, saucy, aggressive and
jaunty as 1t was the night when she
saw it for the first time.
A long, slim red feather bobbed to
and fro as If saluting her with soldierly
fidelity. It's base was an orange, into
which 1t had been stuck by the hand
that tossed il from below Beverly
grasped 1t with more ecstasy than wis.
dom and then rushed to the stone rail
Ting. Yetive looking on in amazement