Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-05-11
"Yo,4 ,otl, pardon me for not rtstno,n

despairingly. "Oh, pshaw! You don't
understand, do you? Hospital-h-o-s-
pA-t..a-l," she spelt 1t out for him, and
Stili he shook his head. Others in the
motley retinue were smiling broadly.
Speak to him in your own language.
your highness, and he will be sure to
understand" ventured the patient.
" am speaking in MY mean, pre-.
fer to speak in English. Please tell
him to go to hospital" she said con-
fusedly. Raldos gave few jovial in
etructiens, and then the raggedest
eourtier of them all handed Beverly
into the carriage with grace that
amazed her.
"You are the most remarkable goat
hunters have ever seen," she remark
ed in sincere wonder.
"And you speak the most perfect
English I've ever heard" he replied.
"Oh, do you really think so? Miss
Grimes used to say was hopeless,
You know had IA tutor" she has.
fly explained. "Don't you think 1t
strange We've met no Axphain SOL
diersT' she went on, changing the SUBJ
tect abruptly,
1--WE are not yet out of the woods"
he said.
"That was purely American aphor-
ISM" she cried, looking at him intent.
". "Where did you learn all your
English7"
~ had a tutor" he answered easily.
"You are very odd person." she
sighed. 81 don't believe that you are
9 goat hunter at ALL"
" ! We're not goat hunter should
have starved long ago." he said. "Why
do you doubt me?''
"simply because you treat me one
moment as II / were princess and
the next as If were a child. Humble
goat hunters do not forget their sta
ton in life"
II have much to learn of the defer
ence due to queens" he said.
"That's just like The Mikado' or
'Pinafore,'" she exclaimed. 81 be-
lteve you are comic opera brigand or
q pirate chieftain, after all.a
y am lpwly outcast," he smiled.
NWelI, I've decided to take you into
Edelweiss and
pardon me, your highness," he said
firmly. THAT cannot be. ! shall not
60 to Hdelweiss."
nBut command you"-
Sits very kind Of you, but cannot
enter hospital-not even at Ganlook.
may as we'll confess that I am a
hunted man and that the instructions
are to take me dead or alive"
"ImpossibleW she gasped, involun-
tarlly shrinking from him.
II have wronged no man, yet I an
being hunted down as though I were
q beast" he said, his face turning bag
gard for the moment. 1.-THE hills Of
Graustark, the plateaus Of Axphain
and the valleys Of Dawsbergen are
Alive with men who are bent on end
ing my unhappy but inconvenient ex-
istence. It would be suicide for me to
enter aly one Of your towns or cities.
Even you could not protect me, |
fear"
"This sounds like dream. Oh, dear
me, you don't look like hardened
criminal" she cried.
II am the humble leader of the faith
ful band wig will die with me when
| the time comes. We are not criminals,
your highness. In return for what
service may have performed for you,
I implore you to question me no fur
Their. Let me be your slave up to the
walls of Ganlook, and then you may
forget Baldos, the goat hunter"
81 never can forget you" she cried,
touching his injured arm gently. "Will
| you forget the one that gave you this
wound?"
ut is very gentle wound. and 1 love
1t so that pray IT may never heal"
She looked away suddenly.
'tTell me one thing" she said, mist
coming over her eyes. "You say they
are hunting you to the death. Then
then your fault must be grievous one
Have you-have you killed man?
abe added hastily. He was silent fol-
long time.
II fear I have killed more than one
man." he said in low tones. Again she
shrank into the corner Of the coach
"History says that your father was @
brave soldier and fought in many bat
ties" he went on.
YES" she said, thinking of Major
George Calhoun.
HE killed men then, perhaps. as
have killed them" lie said.
"Oh, my father never killed q mani!
cried Beverly in devout horror.
"Yet Graustark reyeres his mighty
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