The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1907-05-30
lcontInned from Inst weel,l

/
In what manner may / be of serv
ice to your highness?" l asked pleas
antly, laying aside my gloves and crol
again. Il can easily give you my wore
of honor as a gentleman not to repor
| your presence here; but If | am forced
| to remain, certainly demand"
Desire" she corrected, the old fire
in her eyes.
Thank you. / desire, then, to know
the full reason; for | can not be {
| party to anything which may reflect
| upon the consulate. For myself, | dc
not care" What hare-brained escapadt
was now in the air?
The princess walked over to the
| mantel and rested her arms upon it
staring wide.eyed into the fire. Sew
| eral minutes passed. waited patient
| ly: but, to tell the truth, | was on fire
| with curiosity. At length my patience
was rewarded.
You have heard that am to marry
the Prince of Doppelldnn?" she began
l nodded.
Doubtless you have also heard OF
my determination not to marry him?'
she went on.
Again / nodded.
well, 1 am not going to marry
him
l was seized with the desire to laugh
but dared not What had all this to
do with my detention in the castle?
Betty said the princess, turning
imploringly to her companion (what a
/ changeD, you tell him"
"I?" The Honorable Betty drew
back.
Had they kidnapped old Doppel.
kim? wondered.)
Il can not tell him." cried her high
ness miserably, Il simply can not. You
must do it, Betty. 1t is now absolute
ly necessary that he should know
| everything; it is absolutely vital that
he be present. Perhaps heaven has
sent him. Do you understand? Now,
tell him!"
And, wonders to behold she who
but few minutes gone had been a
princess in everything, cold, seeing,
tranquil, she fed from the room. (De-
cidedly this was growing interesting.
What had they done0 Thus, the Hon
orable Betty Moore and his excel
lency, the American consul at Bar
scheit, were left staring into each 9th
er's eyes fully minute.
"You WILL of course, pledge me your
word of honor" She VINO had recent
ly been timid now become cool and
even-pulsed.
'If in pledging 1t l am asked to do
nothing to discredit my office. l am
not an Independent individual, "-smil-
ing to put her more at ease. q haven't
the least doubt that | would have COM
mitted any sort of folly had she re-
quired it of me.)
You have my word sir that you
will be asked to do nothing dishonor-
able. On the other hand, you will con-
fer a great favor upon her highness,
who is in deep trouble and is seeking a
way to escape it,
Command me-" said I promptly.
Her highness is being forced into
marriage with a man who is old enough
to be her grandfather. She holds him
in horror, and will go to any length to
make this marriage an lmpossibility.
For my part, l have tried to convince
her of the futility of resisting her
royal uncle's will" (Sensible little
Britisher) What she is about to do
will be known only TO four persons,
one of whom is downright rascal"
"a rascal?". slipped my lips, half
unconsciously. Il trust that | haven't
given you that impression" 1 added
eagerly "a rascal? The plot was
thickening to formidable opaqueness)
mo, no." she cried hastily, with a
fash of summer on her lips. (What
Is more charming than 'an English
woman with clear sense of the hui
morous?) You haven't given me that
impression at ALL"
THANK you" My vanity expanded
under the genial warmth of this knowl
edge. 1t was quite possible that she
looked upon me favorably.
ITO proceed. There is to be kind
of mock marriage here tonight and
you are to witness it" She watched
me sharply.
frowned.
Patience! Not literally a mock
marriage but the filling out of bogus
certificate"
II do not understand at all"
you have heard OF Hermann Stein
book, cashiered otiicer?'
Yes. | understand that he Is the
rascal to whom you refer"
well, this certificate is to be filled
out completely. To outwit the duke,
her highness commits"
"A forgery"
1T is terrible thing to do, but she
has gone too far to withdraw now.
She is to become the wife of Her.
mann Steinbock. She wishes TO show
the certificate to the duke"
But the banns have not been made
public"
THAT does not matter"
But why detain me?" / was grow.
ing restless. 1t was all folly. and no
good would come OF IL.
1T is necessary that a gentleman
should be present The caretaker is
not a gentleman. | have said that
Steinbock is a rascal AS 1 review the
events, | begin to look upon your ar.
rival as timely. steinbock is not re-
liable quantity"
Il begin to perceive"
He Is to receive 1000 crowns for
his part in the ceremony; then he is
to leave the country"
"Bnt the priests signature. the no.