Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1907-05-07

While the young princess was DEM
cared for by Yetives own maids in on
of the daintiest bedchambers of tn
castle Beverly was engaged in writing
brief but pointed letter to her Aun
Josephine, who was still in st. Peters
burg. She had persistently refused Il
visit Edelweiss, but had written many
imperative letters commanding hel
niece to return to the Russian capital
Beverly now was recalling her scat
tered wits in the effort to appease heI
aunt and her father at the same time
Major Calhoun emphatically had or
dered her to rejoin her aunt and start
for America at once. Yesterday Bev-
erly would have begun packing for
the trip home. Now she was eager to
remain in Graustark indefinitely. She
was so thrilled by joy and excitement
that she scarcely could hold the pen.
"Father says the United States pa
pers are full of awful war scares from
the Balkans. Are we part of the Bal
kans, YetiveY she asked. "He says I'm
to come right off home. Says he'll not
pay a nickel of ransom if the brigands
catch me, as they did Miss Stone and
that woman who had the baby. He
saws mother is worried half to death.
I'm just going to cable him that it's all
off, because he says if war breaks out
he's going to send my brother Dan over
here to get me. I'm having Aunt Jo-
sephine send him this cablegram from
st. Petersburg: They never fight In
Balkans. Just scare each other, Skip
headlines, father dear viii be home
soon Beverly How does that sound?
1t will cost a lot, but he brought it
upon his own head. And we're not in
the Balkans, anyway. Aunt Joe will
have a fit. Please call an A. D. I. boy, |
princess. / want to send this message
to st. Petersburg"
When Candace entered the princess |
boudoir half an hour later she was far
from being the timid youth who first |
came to the notice of the Graustark |
cabinet. She was now attired in one
Of Beverlys gowns, and It was most |
becoming to her. Her short, curly |
brown hair was done up properly; her
pink and white complexion was as
clear as cream, now that the dust of |
the road was gone; her dark eyes were
glowing with the wonder and interest |
Of nineteen years, and she was, all in
all, most enticing bit Of femininity.
"You are much more of a princess
now than when l first saw you,"
smiled Yetive, drawing her down upon
the cushions of the window seat be-
side her.
"But she was such a pretty boy"
protested Dagmar. "You don't know
how attractive you were in those"-
Candace blushed. "Oh, they were
awful, but they were comfortable. One
has to wear trousers if one intends to
be vagabond. l wore them for more
than a week"
"You shall tell us all about it," said
Yetive, holding the girls hand in hers.
'It must have been most interesting
week for you"
"Oh, there is not much to tell, your
said Candace, suddenly reti-
cent and shy. "Iy stepbrother = oh,
how hate him!-had condemned me to
die because he thought was helping
Dantan. And / was helping him, too,
all that l could. Old Bappo, master of
the stables, who has loved me for a
hundred years, he says, helped me to
escape from the palace at night. They
were to have seized me the next morn
ing. Bappo has been master of the
stables for more than forty years.
Dear old Bappo He procured the
me to the hills, where l
soon found my brother and his men.
We saw your scouts and talked to
them a day or two after / became a
Of the band. Bappo's boys are
with the band now. But my brother
Dantan shall tell you of that. | was
SO frightened l could not tell what was
going on. | have lived in the open air
for week, but l love it. Dantans |
friends are all heroes. You will love
them. Yesterday old Franz brought a
into the castle grounds. 1t |
told Captain Baldos of the plan to seize |
Gabriel, who was in the hills near your
city. Didn't you know of that? oh,
we knew it two days ago! Baldos
knew it yesterday. He met us at |
o'clock this morning-that is, part of |
Us. was sent ON with Franz so that |
| should not see bloodshed if it came |
10 the worst We were near the city |
gates, and Baldos came straight to us.
.sn't 1t funny that you never knew all |
hese things? Then at daybreak Bal
los insisted on bringing me here to
wait the news from the pass. 1t was
afer, and, besides, he said he had an
,ther object in coming back at once"
Beverly flushed warmly. The three
women were crowding about the mar
ator, eagerly drinking in her naive
tory.
1--WE came in through ole of the big
,ates and not through the underground
,assage. That was Il tib," said Can
lace. looking from one TO The other
With a perfectly delicious twinkle in
er eye. The conspirators gulped and
miled guildly. "Baldos says there is
very mean old man here who is tor
nenting the fairy princess-nOt the
cal princess, you know. He came
,ack to protect her, which was very
rave of him, am sure. Where is my
she asked, suddenly anxious.
"He is with friends. Don't be alarm
d, dear" said Yetive.
"He is changing clothes. too? He
eeds clothes worse than l needed
lese. Does he say positively that Ga
riel has been capturedT
"Yes. Did Won not know Of itI"