Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1907-03-19

NJ Long after the departure OF LOtAl
I and Anguish the princess sat on th'
halcoay with Beverly and the Count
ess Dagmar. They did not talk much
I The mission OF these venturesom'
Young American husbands was fun o.
danger. Something in the air had told
I their wives that the first blows OF wal
I were 10 be struck before they looked
/ again upon the men they loved
Z II think we have been betrayed oy
\ some one" said Dagmar after an al.
I most interminable silence. Her com
psnion did NOT reply. The courieTs
saw that Gabriel knows where we are
weakest at the front and that he knows
our every movement. Yetive. there Is
a spy here after all"
-And that spy has access to the very
( heart OF our deliberations" added Bey-
erly pointedly. Il say this in behalf Of
the man whom yOu evidently suspect,
countess. He could not know these
things"
4 do not say that he does know,
Miss Calhoun, but it is not beyond rea-
son that be may be the go-between, the
means Of transferring information from
the main traitor to the messengers who
await outside our walls"
-Oh, I don't believe itF' cried Beverly
hotly.
Il wonder IL these things would have
happened IL Baldos had never come to
Edelweiss," mused the princess. As
though by common impulse. both OF
the Graustark women placed their
arms about Beverly.
"Ifs because we have so much at
stake, Beverly, dear" whispered Dag
mar. Forgive me If have hurt
you"
OF course Beverly sobbed a little in
the effort to convince them that she did
not care whom they accused il he
proved to be the right man In the end.
For an hour after midnight she sat
there and dreamed. Every one was
ready to turn against BaldOs. Even
she had been harsh toward him, for
had she not seen him relegated to the
most obnoxious of duties after prOmis-
ing him a far different life? And now
what was he thinking of her? His de-
scent from favor had followed upon
the disclosures which made plain to
each the identity of the other No
doubt he was attributing his degrada-
ton in sense to the fact that she no
longer relished his services, having
seen romantic little ideal shattered
by his firm assertions. OF course she
knew that General Marlanx was alone
instrumental In assigning him to the
unpleasant duty he now observed, but
how was BaldOs to know that she was
not the real power behind the Iron
Count?
A light drizzle began to fall, cold and
dlsagreeable. There we're no stars, no
moon. The ground below was black
with shadows, but shimmering In spots
touched by the feeble park lamps. She
retreated through her window, deter
mined to go to bed. Her rebellious
brain, however. refused to Danish him
from her thoughts. She wondered il
he were patrolling the castle grounds In
the rain in all that lonely darkness.
Seized by a sudden inspiration she
threw a gOssamer about her, grasped
an umbrella and ventured out upon the
balcony once more Guiltily she search
ed the night through the fine. drizzling
rain. Her ears listened eagerly for
the tread which was so well known to
her.
At last he strobe beneath a lamp not
far away He looked up, but of course
could not see her against the dark wall.
For long time he stood motionless be-
meath the light. She could not help see-
Ing that he was detected, tired, unhap-
py. His shoulders dropped, and there
was a general air of listlessness about
the figure which had once been so full
OF courage and Of hope. The post light
fell directly upon his face. 1t was
sOmber, despondent, strained He wore
the air Of a prisoner. Her heart went
out to him like flash. The debonair
knight of the black patch was no more
In his place there stood a sullen slave
TO discipline.
"BaldOsw she called softly her voice
penetrating the dripping air with the
clearness of a bell. He must have been
longing for the sound of 1t, for he start
ed and looked eagerly In her direction
His tall form Strengthened as he passed
his hand over his brow. 1t was but a
voice from his dream, he thought.
aren't you afraid you'll get wetT' ask
ed the same low, sweet voice, with the
suggestion of laugh behind 1t. With
long strides he crossed the pavement
and stood almost directly beneath her.
your highnessp' he exclaimed gen
tly, joyously. what are you doing out
| there?'
| Wondering. Baldos. Wondering
what you were thinking Of as you
stood under the lamp over there"
Il was thinking Of your highness." he
called up softly
mo. no." she protested.
II, too, was wondering wondering
what you were dreaming Of as you
slept, for you should be asleep at this
hour, your highness. instead Of stand.
ing out there In the rain"
'BaldOs," she called down tremulOus.
ly, "you don't like this work, do your
ut has nothing but darkness in 1t for
me. l never see the light of your eyes
never feel the
'Sh! You must not talk Ike that
It's not proper, and besides some onG
may be listening. The night has q
thousand ears-Or is it eyes? But lis
ten. Tomorrow you shall be restored to
your old duties. You surely cannot be
lieYe that had ANYTHING to do with