The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1908-09-02

NJ
INV which he had deSignat-
ed as place of meet
ing. But no ladies an
swering to tho description hcAgave had
been seen there.
He returned ut once to the railway
station.
The telegram was still I'm the hands
OF the station master, TO whose care 1t
had been addressed. This diligrnt per-
son professed to have sent man
through the Orient express from end
to end calling for Miss Helen Now
bray, but calling I'm vain. He had no
theory more plausible to offer than
that the Indy had not started from
KroRburg or else that she had left the
train at Felgarde before her name lad
been cried. But certainly she would
not have had time to go far If she
were through passenger for the
Orient express stopped but ten min
utes at Felgarde.
1t was evident throughout the short
conversation that the excellent official
was on pins ana needles. Struck by
the empcror's features, which he had
so often seen I'm painting and photo.
the greatest man In Rhactia could he
travelling thus about the country in or
dinary morning dress and unattended.
Sure ut one instant that he must be
talking with the emperor sure the next
that he had boon deceived by like
ness, the poor fellow struggled against
his confusion in way that would
have amused Leopold i'm a different
mood.
With manner that cSSayed the diff
fcrcnt mean between reverence due to
royalty and common everyday polite
ness, good enough for an ordinary gen
tlcman, the station master volunteered
to ascertain whether the ladies de-
scribed had gone out and given up
their tickets. a few minutes of sus-
pcnsc dragged on. Then came the
news that no such persons had passed.
Here was n stumbling block Since
Helen MOwbray and her mothcr had
apparently not Travelled Ivy the Orient
express, whore had they gone on lcav-
Ing the hotel at KrOnburg? Had they,
after all, mislcd Baroness Won Lyndal
as to their Intentions for the purpose
or binding the emperor, or had they
simply changed their minds at the last
minute, ms women may? Could it be
possible that they had changed them
so completely as to return TO SchloSs
Lyndnlberg, or had they chosen to van
ish mysteriously through some back
door out of RhaCtia leaving no trace
which even a lover could find?
Leopold could not help recalling the
Chancellor's revelations, but dismissed
them as soon rs they had crcpt into his
brain. No matter where the clcw to
the tanglc might lie, lie told himself
that 1t was not in any act of which
Helen MowDray need he ashamed
He could think Of nothing more to do
but to go dismally back TO Kronburg
and await developments or, rather. To
stir them up 10y every means in his
power. This was the course he finally
chose. and just as he was about to
act upon his decision he remembered
his carelessly given promise to Count
Won Brcitstcin
There was a telephone in thc railway
station at Felgo"dc, and Leopold him
self called up chancellor at Kron.
burg.
MY friends are not here. I'm start
ing for KrOnburg as soon as possible,
either by the next train or by special"
he announced after n farnway squeak
had slgnined Count Won Brctstcin's
presence at the other end. al don't see
why you wish to know, but l would not
break my promise: that's all Goodby.
Eh? What was that you saldf'
"I have -curIous-piecc of-ncws,
for you" came over the wire in the
chanccllors voice. "Its--about tie
ladies"
What is it?" asked Leopold.
II hintCd that | had more informa.
tion which l could not give YOU then.
But / am in different position now.
You did not find your friends in the
Orient express"
mo-" said the emperor.
"They gave out that they were leav.
ing Rhaetia, but they haven't crossed
the frontier"
Thanks. That's exactly what want
ed to know"
You RENT cr Il certain person
whose name can't be mentioned over
the telephone buying n hunting lodge
near. the village of Insclcdcn, in the
Bucbcnwald, last year,"
"Yes; / remember very well. But
what has that to do with my friends?"
"The younger lady has gone there
without her mother, who remains in
Kronburg with the companion 1t
seems that the present owner of the
hunting lodge has been acquainted with
them for some time, though he was ig-
norant OF their masquerade. You see,
he knows them only under their real
mama The X0nnn Indy Is q Sinnnr I'm