Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-07-14

T M above 1T, one large
room, with window
NJ which jutted far out
over the narrow street.
Bu the tCt1,- In this room, which was
do,u Sophy reached by separate
sat. door In the left side Of
The porch and crazy flight of dozen
winding stairs, lived Sophy.
BY the widow she sat on the night
If the king. name day on low chair
The heavy figure of girl carrying
Iamp-a specimen of her landlords SUI
perfluous stock-stood unemployed on
the window sill. The room was dark,
for the path Of light from the illumina-
tons, which made the roadway below
white, threw hardly CLEAN on to Its
somber walls, but Sophy had no need
Of lamp and every need to save her
money. She sat in the gloom, busy in
thought, the fresh evening air breath
ing soft and cool on her brow from the
open window.
Suddenly she raised her head. There
was wild, quick volley Of cheering.
It came from the Golden Lion, whose
lights across the square sideways
craning Of her neck enabled her to see.
Then there was silence for few min
utes. Again the sound broke forth, and
with 1t confused shoutings Of name
she could not make out. Yes-what
was 1t? Observation-Disclosures! That was
her first hearing of the name.
Silence fell again, and she sank back
into her chair. The lights, the stir, the
reyelry, were not for her, nor the cheers
nor the shouts. A moment Of reaction
and lassitude came on her, n moment
when the present, the actual, Tapped
her around with Its dim, muddy flood
of vulgar necessity and sordid needs.
With sob, she bowed her head to meet
her hands-a sob that moaned fam
Inc Of life. of light, of love. go back
to your scullery, Sophy Grouchv' What
voice had said that? She sprang to her
feet with fists clinched and whispered
to the darkness, ''Now
In the street below Aistitch slapped
his thigh.
Sophy pushed her hair back from her
| heated forehead and looked out Of
the window. 70 the right. some twenty
yards away and just at the end Of the
street, she saw the figures of three
men. In the middle was one who
bulked like young Falstaff- Falstaf
with his pannch not grown. He was
ianked by two lean fellows who looked
| small beside him. She could not see
the faces plainly since the light from
the square was behind them. They
seemed to be standing there and look
ing past the sign of the Silver Cock
| along the street
A measured, military football sound
ed on her left. Turning her head, she
saw young man walking, with head
bent down and arms behind him. The
line of light struck full on him. He
was plain to see as by broadcast day.
He wore costume strange to her eyes
"a black sheepskin cap, sheepskin
tunic, leather breaches and high unpol-
ished boots-a rough, plain dress. Yet
a broad red ribbon crossed 1t, and a
star glittered on the breast. The only
!, weapon was short, curved scimitar.
/ 1t was. the ancient costume of the
bailiff of Volseni, the head of that clan
of shepherds who pastured their flocks
!, on the uplands. The Prince of Slayna
held the venerable Office and had been
to court in the dress appropriate to 1t.
He had refused to use his carriage,
sending his aids-de-camp home In 1t,
and walked now through the streets Of
the city which he had in charge. 1t
was constantly his habit thus to walk.
His friends praised his vigilance; his
foes reviled his prowling, spying tricks.
Sophy did not know the. dress, but
the face she knew. It had been but
lately before her dreaming eyes. She
had seen 1t In the flesh that morning
from the terrace of the Hotel de Paris.
The three came on from her right,
one of the lean men hanging back,
lurking little behind. They were un-
der her window now. The prince was
but. few yards away. Suddenly he
looked up, with start-he had become
aware Of their approach. But before
he saw them the three had melted to
one. With shrill cry of CONSERVATION
of uneasy courage oozing out-Ras-
tatz turned and fled back to the square,
heading at his top speed for the Golden
Lion. In the end he was unequal to
the encounter. Sterkoff. too, disappear.
ed, but Sophy knew the meaning Of
that. He had slipped into the shelter
of the porch. Her faculties were alert
now. She would not forget where
Sterkoff wasl Mistitch stood alone in
the center of the narrow street. his
huge frame barely leaving room for a
man to pass on either side.
For moment The prince stood STILL
looking at the giant. Then he stepped
briskly forward, and Sophy heard his
clear, inclsive tones cut the air:
"What extraordinary emergency has
compelled you to disobey my orders
Il 4 Till. q. +.