Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-15
CHAPTER xxIII-Continued.

The news that Princess Martha was in
the hands of the kings troops and was be-
ing brought to Sturatzberg had reached the
city early that morning, but the news was
not Immediately known to Frina Mavrodin
1t was being conveyed to her by trusted
messenger who had much to do on his way,
and the fact that she had lately kept much
at home accounted for her not hearing 1t
from any other source.
The days of waiting ever the longest
days to live through and the hours hao
dragged heavily for Frina Mavrodin since
Baron Petrescu had started for the nils.
Hardly anyone saw her except Hannah and
the old serving woman pitied her, judging
her distress by her own. She little knew
the terrible struggle which ragged in the
breast of this beautiful woman, how all
that was good and bad in her, all those
latent forces which lie in the heart OF every
one. sprang into life and fought equally Tor
the mastery. 1t was not the princess VINO
was first in her thoughts from dawn to
dark or whose image passed necessarily
through her restless dreams IL was hhs
man who was beside the princess, VINO had
fought despera tely for her whether he loNed
her cause or not, who was hourly under
the spell of her enchantment The po-
tency of that spell seemed TO grow the
more she thought of it, and all the charm
seemed to sink into nsgniticance. 1t was
not sufficient to win the love of this man.
And those waiting hours. too. are hours OF
danger. Troubles or desires. or Whatever
thoughts assail at such time lose thelr
proportion, and ldleness lends vitality to
the evil lying dormant. Was there no way
to win her desire? Between 1t and her
stood only the princess, an enemy to the
state. Might she not be swept OUT OF '.ie
way How easy such thing seemed to
be- She had only to speak few Woros 10
dash TO the ground all Martha S hopes OF
success Why not speak them! In love
and war all means are fair And then arose
the good in her. and she turned away In
borrow from the very thought or such
treachery.
1t was in fierce moment of her struggle
that the messenger arrived. Dumitru,
trayel-stained yet unweary, more keenly
alive now perhaps than he had even been
as Anton in the hills came to her.
what news? What news?" she cried,
springing up.
The worst, countess.
"Dead?'
No; the princess lives
Yes. yes; and those who are with her.:
Are on their way to the city, Dumltru
answered. We could not enter openly, we
had to delay and exercise the greatest care
Baron Petrescu will come tonight If posi-
BILE but extreme caution Is needed came
on. l am of no importance ana pass I'M
noticed | have visited a score or places IN
the city already. and l have much more TO
do before sunset.
Does Captain Ellerey return to. Sturatz-
bcrg?" asked Frina thoughtfully
Ave: and he is a man whose equal these
eyes are never likely to see again. He Is
fit to be king
"A king
Yes. a king. and though he be foreign
er | for one shout for him.
"A king Dumitru; tell me, does ne love
the prncess?'
..surely he must. since for her cause he
has shown no great affection. He will be
here to strike one more good blow for her.
and, loving her, may learn to love her
cause too We may yet triumph, countess:
But listen The princess has been delivered
by the brigands," and Dumitru told her the
whole story quickly.
Sturatzberg'' he went on, although 1t is
given out that she will not come until the
morning. The gates will be shut, and when
the streets are quiet they will be opened
again Not many soldiers are with her. and
those within the gates will hold all danger
cheap The city will be hushed and stlll,
but there are many who VIII not sleep A
signal will blaze forth in the darkness ana .h
a few may fall in the streets but the
princess will be free. You Will be ready TO
receive her, countess!
''Here?'
rs it not the safest refuge in Sturatz-
berg?" asked Dumitru. There are hiding
places here, and you are not suspect IN
the city"
And afterward?" said the countess.
Il know not small success in the city
would perhaps raise the country; the after
ward is for the princess to decide. She will
have to consider the welfare of those who
strike tonight You will be ready to receive
her, countess?
to pursue his way through the city, calling
men to arm and prepare, little dreaming
what thoughts troubled the beautlful woman
he had left.
ISOLATION in vanished at Dumitru's words.
Desmond Ellerey loved Martha. Dumitru
had said it, and had he not had ample OPP
portunity of judging? Now Martha was tn
come a fugitive to her house; her very life
perhaps lay in her hands How easy 1t
would be to speak the few words which
would tell her enemies where she was hid
den. and who would know, VINO would
guess that it was the Countess Mavrodin
who had betrayed her? Such specious ar
guments did the evil that was in her whis-
per in her ear, and she could not shut the
whisperings out. All day long her restless
ness increased. Her solitude became I'M
bearable She longed for the world of men
and women hungered to hear laughter and
the sound of voices-anything to distract
her from her thoughts. That evening she
to all seeming, ready to be fattered and to
fatter-a dangerous mood for such wom-
an to be In.
&c. all unconsciously, she was driven for
tempted and the greatest temptation Of all
was lying in wait for her.
She had shown such marked preference
for Captain Ellerey when he came to court
that a host Of her admirers had perforce to
stand sullenly aside Tonight they gath
cred round her, each one in his turn receiv-
ing some little favor which buried in OBJ
livion all past disappointments; such virtue
lies even In the least of beautiful woman's
fayors. Frina Mavrodin had always had
the subtle power of making her companion
Of the moment believe that he was the one
person in all the world she would wish to
have beside her, and this power she exer-
csed to the full tonight.
Lord Cloverton, covertly watching her.
was constrained to admire her, and even his
old blood tingled with a remembrance of
youth as he did so. But he did not ap-
proach her 1t was not his part to play the
tempter tonight. He had arranged other
wise. Presently he saw the king enter the
room alone, and look round in search of
some one. His eye fell upon Frina Mavro-
din, and he went toward her Perhaps, too,
in his veins the blood tingled a little.
AN hour of ease which SO seldom falls to
me renews my strength tonight, countess,
and youth and beauty draw me like lode
stone" said the king
Your majesty Is pleased to fatter me-
she answered with a sweeping curtsey.
THAT would indeed be impossible. l am
honored doubly so, II you will take my
hand in the dance"