Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-07-26

nj dread in her heart. Marlanx,
Of all men. Why was he In ths
VI park at this hour Of the mighty
There could DO 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 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 heardf
Involuntarily she pcered over the rail
for q glimpse of Baldos. He had gone
out into the darkness missing the men
Mt the lamp post either 10y choice Or
through pure good fortune. A throp or
tnankfuness aasailcd her heart. Sha
was not thinking OF her position but
OF his.
Again she drew stcalthily away from
the rail- possessed of ridiculous reel
ing that her form was as plain TO the
vision as If It were broad daylight. The
tread of man impcllcd her to glance
below once more before fleeing to her
room. Marlanx was coming toward
the veranda. She fed swiftly, pausing
1T the window to lower the friendly
but forgotten umbrella From below
came the sibilant hiss Of a man seek
Ing to attract her attention. Once more
she stopped to listen. The "1llst!' was
repeated, and then her own name was
called softly, but imperatiyely. 1T was
beyond the power of woman TO keep
from laughing. It 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, Ii
did not seem so amusing. still, 1t gave
her an immense amount of satisfaction
TO slam the windows loudly. rs 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 a fool you've BEEN she
half sobbed, shrinking from the mirror
as If it were an accuser
She prepared for bed with frantic
haste. Just az she was about to scram-
bic in and hide her face in the pillows
q shocking thought came to her. The
next instant she was at the windows,
and the Stats were closed with a rattle
like volley of firearms. Then she
Jumped into bed. She wondered If the
windows We're locked. Out she sprang
again like fash, and her little bare
feet scurried across the room. first to
the windows and then to the door
NOW l reckon I'm safe" she muir
INJURED moment later, again getting
into bed. Il love TO go to sleep with
the rain pattering outside like that.
Oh, dear, I'm so sorry he has to walk
all night in this rain Poor fellow.
wonder where he is now. Goodness
It's raining cats and dogs
But in spite OF the rain she could not
60 to sleep. Vague fears began TO take
possession of her Something dreadful
told her that Count MarlanX was Oh
the balcony and at her window, not
withstanding the rGinpour. The fear
became oppressive. maddening. She
felt the mans presence almost as
strongly as If he We're in plain view.
He WINS 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 shlvered and waited fol-
the window to open, doing away time
and again, only to come back to wake
fitness with start
The next morning she confessed Il
herself that her fears had been silly
Her first act after breakfasting alone
In her room was to seek out Colone
QuinnoxP commander of the castle
guard. In her mind she was great.
troubled over the fate of the bolC
visitor Of the night before. There wa
warm, red glow in her face and I
quick beat in her heart as she crossed
the parade ground. Vagabond though
he was he had conquered where prince
had failed. Her better Judgment toll
her that she could be nothing to thi
debonair knight OF the road, yet he
heart stubbornly resisted all the arg'l
ments that her reason put forth.
Colone, Qulnnox ives pleasant, bu
lie could give Beverl? no promise o
len!ency In regard to Baldos. Instruc
lions had come to him from Genera
Marlanx, ard he could not set Their
aside Mt will. Her plea that he Nigh
once more be assigned to old tim
duties found the colonel regretf,illy OF
durate. Bal1os could not ride with he
again until Marlanx withdrew the o.
der which now obtained. Beverly swa
lowed her pride and resentment dipl'
matically, smiled her sweetest upo
tho distressed colonel and marched d.
family back to the castle. Down in he
rebellious, insulted heart she was col
cocting all sorts OF plans for reyeng
Chief among them was the terrib
overthrow of the Iron Count. Her wild
scope of vengeance even contemplate
the destruction Of Graustark IL her en-
could be obtained in no other way.
Full of these bittersweet thought
she came to the castle doors before 81
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