Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1908-10-16

house she orten threw 4 @ssEscal
glance at the grim silhouette against
the northern sky and smiled.
'Can you see, old bear?" she would
ask gayly. Are you spying over theref
Do you think yourself all wise and all
powerful? Do you see what's in my
mind now. and do you guess partly
why I've taken all this trouble? Are
hacking your brain for some way
Of spelling my little plans? But you
can't do it, you know. It's too late.
There's nothing you can do except sit
still and growl and glare at your own
claws. which woman has clipped.
How do you like the outlook. old bear?
Do you lie awake at night and study
how to save your scheme for the en-
peror's marriage? All your grumpy old
life you've despised women. but now
you're beginning at last to find out
that. powerful as you are. there are
some things woman with tact and
money. nice houses and good natured
husband can do which the highest
statesman in the land can't undo
How soon shall make you admit that.
Chancellor Bear?'
Thus the baroness, standing at her
drawing room window, would amuse
herself in odd moments when she was
not arranging original and elaborate
entertainments for her guests. And
she congratulated herself particularly
on having had the forethought to in
vite Egon Won Breitstein, the chancel-
lor's half brother.
There was a barrier Of thirty-si
years difference in age between the
two, and they had never been friends
In the true sense Of the word, for the
old man was temperamentally unable
to sympathize with the tastes or un-
derstand the temptations Of the young
err brother, and the younger man was
mentally unable to appreciate the quail
titles Of the elder.
Nevertheless it was rumored ut court
that Iron Heart had more than once
used the gay aud good looking captain
of cavalry for a catspaw In pulling
some very big and hot chestnuts out Of
the fire. At all events, Handsome
Egon" $50 known among his followers),
"the chancellor's jackal" (thus nick
named by his enemies), would have
found difficulty in keeping up appear
ances without the allowance granted
by his powerful half brother. The Ill
assorted pair were often In commune
cation. and the baroness liked to think
that news fresh from Lyndalberg must
sooner or later be waited like a wind
blown scent of roses across the water
to Schloss Breitstein.
She was still less displeased than sur
prised. therefore, when. the emperor
having been three days at Lyndalberg,
with two more days Of his visit to run,
an urgent message arrived for Captain
von Breitstein from his brother.
Poor old Lorenz was wrestling with
his enemy, govt, it appeared. and wish
ed for Egon's immediate presence.
Such summons could not be neg
lected. Egon's whole future depended
upon his half brothers caprice. he hint
ed to the baroness in asking leave to
desert her pleasant party for few
I hours So Of course she sent the chan
cellor her regrets. with the baron's,
and Egon went of charged with a
friendly message from the emperor as
we'll.
When the captain Of cavalry had set
out from Lyndalberg to Schloss Brett
stein by the shortest way-across the
| loko In q omork J3<<1o ,nn<ou I,oo%
promising to be back in time for din
ner and concert, the baroness spent
all her energy in getting up an i'm
promptu riding party, which would
give Leopold the chance of another
tete-a-tete with Miss Mowbray.
Already many such chances had been
arranged, so cleverly as not to excite
gossip, and ii the Irritation, destined
by the hostess to disgust Leopold with
his chancellor's matrimonial projects.
did not advance by leaps and bounds
It was certainly not the fault Of Baron.
ess Won Lyndal
"Egon has been told to use his eyes
and ears for all they're worth at Lyn.
dalberg. and now he's called upon to
hand in his first report" she said to
herself when the younger Won Brett
stein was OF on bis mission across the
lake.
| But for once, at least. the ''chan.
cellor's jackaI' was wronged by IN
| Just suspicion. He arrived at Schloss
Breitstein ignorant Of his brothers mo-
tive in sending for him, though he
shrewdly suspected 1t to be something
quite different from the one alleged.
The chancellor was In his study, a
deep Widowed tower room, with
! walls hook lined noarlv IN fhe crosa