Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-03-18

VI WVou. U IS fisILS sFOu1u, ana III
 the center of the dcmesne, on the top
 of the hill, stands fine modern cha
 tcau, the property of distant klnsman
 of Fritz's, the Count Stanislas yon Tar
 lenheim. Count Stanislas himself was
 8 student and recluse He seldom
 visited the house and had on Fritz's
 request very readily and courteously
 offered me it's hospitality for myself
 and my party. This, then, was our
 destination, chosen ostcnsibly for the
 sake of the boar hunting (for the wood was carefully preserved, and boars,
 once common all over Ruritania, were
 still to be found there in considerable
 numbers), really because it brought us within striking distance of the Duke
 of Strelsau's more magnificent dwell- Ing on the other side of the town. A
 large party of servants, with horses
 and luggage. started early in the morn-
 Ing. We followed at midday. travelling by train for thirty miles and. then
 mounting our horses to ride the re- u,
 We were a gallant party. Besides
 Sapt and Fritz, was accompanied by
 ten gentlemen. Every one of them had
 been carefully chosen and no less care
 fully sounded by my two friends. and
 all were devotedly attached to the per
 son of the king. They were told part
 of the truth. The attempt on my life
 in the summer house was revealed to
 them as spur to their loyalty and m
 indictment against Michael They were
 also informed that a friend of the
 kings was suspected to be forcibly
 confined within the castle of Zenda.
 His rescue was one of the objects of
 the expedition: but, it was added, the
 kings main desire was to carry into effect certain steps against his treach- erous brother. as to the precise nature of which they could not at present be further enlightened. Enough that the king commanded their services and
 would rely on their devotion when oc- casion arose to call for 1t. Young, we'll
 bred. brave and loyal. they asked no more. They were ready to prove their dutiful obedience and prayed for a fight as the best and most exhilarating mode of showing 1t.
 Thus the scene was shifted from Strelsau to the chateau of .Tarlenheim' and castle of Zenda which frowned at
 us across the valley. l tried to shift my thoughts also, to forget my love, and to bend all my energies to the task before me. It was to get the king out of the castle alive. Force was useless. In some trick lay the chance. and I had already all inkling of what we must do. But I was terribly ham, pered by the publicity which attended my movements. Michael must know by now of my expedition. and knew Michael too we'll to suppose that his eyes would be blinded by the feint of the boar hunt. He would understand very we'll what the real quarry was. That. however. must be risked-that and all it might mean. for sapt. no less than myself. recognized that the pres ent state of things had become unen- durable.
 And there was one, thing that dared to calculate on--not, as I now know. without warrant. It was this that Black Michael would not believe that meant we'll by the king. He could not appreciate-I will not say an honest man. for the thoughts of my own heart have been revealed-but a man acting honestly. He saw my op- portunity as had seen it. as Sept had seen it: he knew the princess-nay tand 1 declare that a sneaking sort of pity for him invaded mel. in his way he loved her. He would think that Sapt and Fritz could be brIbed. SO the bribe were large enough. Thinking thus. would he kill the king. my rival and my danger? Aye. verify, that he would. with as little compunction as he would kill rat. But he would Kill Rudolf Rassendyll first. if he could, and nothing but the certainty of being utterly damned by the release of the king alive and his restoration to the throne would drive him to throw away the trump card which he held in re- serve to balk the supposed game of the i in;pudent impostor Rassendyll. Mus Ing on all this as I rode along. took 
 Michael knew of my coming sure l enough. had not been In the house an hour when an imposing embassy l arrived from him. He did not quite I reach the impudence of sending my would be sssassins. hut he sent the other three of his famous Sir-the 1 fhree Ruritanisn gentlemen. Laucu- | rram. Krafs;e.n and Rupert Hentzau. A fine. strappIns trio they were. splen- iidly horsed and admirably equipped. I Young Rupert. who looked a dare iesil and could not have been mora than twenty-two or twenty-three. took the lesd and made us the neatest 'peech. wherein. my devoted subject md loving brother. Michael of Strel- sau. prayei me to pardon him for not 'aying his addresses in person and. further. for not putting his castle at ny disposal. the reason for both of | hese apparent aerclictions being that ,e snd several of his servants lay sick If scarlet fever and were in a very 'ad and also in very infectious state. 10 declared young Rupert with an in- 'obent smile on his curling upper lip md toss of his thick hair-he was a lsndsome villain. srd the gossip ran hst many a Isdy had troubled her ,eart for him slready. t