Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1907-02-22

In the stone walks ! ,o,,'' below the the
on the still air In the Railways the
trusted guardsmen glided about like
specters or stood like statues. An hour
before the great edifice had been bright
and full of animation. Now 1t slum-
bered.
1t was o'clock. The breath of roses
scented the air; the gurgle Of fountains
was the only music that touched the
ear. Beverly Calhoun dlsmissng Aunt
Fanny, stepped from her window
out upon the great stone balcony. A
rich oriental dressing gown, loose and
comfortable, was her costume. Some
thing told her that sleep would be
long time coming, and an hour In the
warm, delightful atmosphere Of the
night was more attractive than the
close sleepless silence of her own room.
Every window along the balcony was
| dark, proving that the entire household
had retired to rest.
She was troubled The fear had en-
tered her head that the castle folk
were regretting the advent of Baldos,
that every one was questioning the wis
dom of his being in the position he
occupied through her devices. Her talk
with him did much to upset her tran
quillity. That he knew so much of the
fortress bore out the subtle suspicious
of Dangloss and perhaps others She
was troubled, not that she doubted
him, but that II anything went wrong
an accusation against him, however
unjust, would be difficult to overcome.
| And she would be to blame in large
degree
For many minutes she sat in the
dark shadow Of great pillar, her ell
bows upon the cool balustrade, staring
dreamily into the star studded vault
above. Far away In the air she could
see the tiny yellow lights of the monas-
terry, lonely sentinel on the mountain
top. From the heights near that abode
of peace and penitence an enemy
could destroy the fortress to the south.
Had not Baldos told her so? One big
gun would do the work If 1t could be
taken to that altitude. Baldos could
draw perfect map of the fortress.
He could tell precisely where the shells
should fall. And already the chief
men in Edelweiss were wondering who
he was and to what end he might util-
ize his knowledge. They were watch
ing him; they were warning her.
For the first time since she came to
the castle she felt a sense of loneliness,
q certain unhappiness. She could not
shake off the feeling that she was,
after all, alone in her belief in Baldos.
Her heart told her that the tall,
straightforward fellow she had met in
the hills was as honest as the day.
She was deceiving him, she realized,
but he was misleading no one OFF in
a distant part of the castle ground she
could see the long square shadow that
marked the location of the barracks
and mess room. There he was sleep
ing, confidently believing in her and
her power to save him from all harm.
Something in her soul cried out to him
that she would be stanch and true and
that he might sleep without a tremor
of apprehensiveness.
Suddenly she smiled nervously and
drew back into the shadow of the pill
lar. 1t occurred to her that he might
be looking across the moOnlit park,
looking directly at her through all that
shadOwy distance. She was conscious
of strange glow in her cheeks and a
quickening of the blood as she pulled
the folds of her gown across her bare
throat
mot the moon, nor the stars, nor the
light in st. Valentines, but the black
thing away off there on the earth"
said a soft voice behind her, and Bev-
erly started as if the supernatural had
approached her. She turned to face
the princess. who stood almost at her
side
"Yetive! How did you get hereP'
THAT is what you are looking at.
dear" went on Yetive as If completing
i her charge. why are you not In bedT'