Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-05-26

| emperor flung ut him. THAT can be
your only excuse for such words"
81 am not mad. but | am old and
wise, your majesty. Today you have
made me feel that | am very old
Punish ne as you will for my frank
ness. My work for YOU and yours Is
nearly done Cheerfully will l sub.
nit to my dismissal II only this last
| effort In your service may save the
ship OF state from wreck. | would
not make an accusation which l could
not prove. And | can prove that the
two English ladies who have been
staying at Schloss Lyndalberg are not
the persons they pretend to be-"
"Who has been lying TO you?' cried
Leopold, who held between clinched
hands the temper he vowed not to lose
with this old man.
''To me, DO one. To your majesty, to
society in Kronburg, two adventures.
es have lied"
The emperor caught his breath. III
you were a young man l would kill
you Tor tnat, he Salu.
Il know you would AS it is, my
life is yours But before you take it,
for Gods sake, for your fathers sake,
bear me out!'
Leopold did not speak for moment.
but stared at the vanishing landscape,
which he saw through red haze.
"Very WELL" he said at last: Il will
hear you. because fear nothing you
can say
when | heard Of your majesty's ad-
miration for certain lady" the chan.
ceIlor began quickly lest the emperor
shoud change his mind, II looked for
her name and her mothers in Burke's
Peerage. There | found Lady Now
bray, widow OF dead baron of that
ilk, mother of a son still child and
Of one daughter, young woman with
many names and twenty-eight years.
This surprised me, as the Miss
Mowbray | had seen ut the birthday
ball looked no more than eighteen
and, | was told, confessed TO twenty.
The Mowbrays. | learned by a little
further research In Burke. were dis
tantly connected by marriage with the
family of Baumenburg Drippe. This
seemed an odd coincidence in the cir
cumstances. But, acting as duty bade
me act. wired to two persons-Baron
Won Sark, your majesty's ambassador
to Great Britain, and the crown prince
of Hungaria, the brother Of Princess
Virginia"
What did you telegraph" asked the
emperor Jelly.
Nothing compromising To your mai
esty. you may well believe. | inquired
of Adalbert If he had English rela-
tions. Lady Mowbray and daughter.
Helen. travelling in Rhaetia. and beg
ged that If so he would describe their
appearance by telegram. To Won Sark
said that particulars by wire concern
ing the widow Of Lord Mowbray and
daughter, Helen. would put me under
personal obligation. Both these mes
sages sent off night before last. Yes
terday | received Adalbert's answer,
this morning Won Sark's. They are
here" And the chancellor tapped the
breast Of his gray coat. ''Will your
majesty read them?"
IF you wish" replied Leopold at his
haughtiest and coolest.
The old man unbuttoned his coat and
produced Il coroneted pocketbook.
souvenir of friendship on his last birth
day from the emperor. Leopold saw 1t
and remembered, as the chancellor
hoped he would.
Here are the kilograms, your maj
esty," he said. THE first one Is from
the crown prince Of Hungaria."
Have no idea where Lady Mowbray
and daughter are travelling; may be
Rhaetia or north pole" Adalbert had
written, with characteristic flippancy.
Have seen neither for eight years
and scarcely know them. But Lady
NJ. tall. brown old party, with nose like
hobbyhorse; Helen dark, nose like
mothers. wears glasses"
With no betrayal Of feeling. Leopold
laid the telegram on the red plush
seat and unfolded the other.
Pardon delay" the Rhaetian am
bassador's message began. Have
been making inquiries. Lady Now
bray has been widow for ten years.
Not rich. During sons minority has
let her town and country houses.
Lives much abroad. Very high church,
intellectual, at present in Calcutta,
where daughter Helen, twenty-eight,
not pretty. is lately engaged to marry
middle aged judge Of some distinction"
"So"-and the emperor threw aside
the second bit Of paper-"it Is on such
slight grounds as these that man Of
the world can label two ladies 'ad-
venturesses'
The chancellor was bitterly disap.
pointed He had counted on the i'm.
preston which these kilograms must
make, and unless Leopold were act.
Ing 1t was now certain that love had
driven him out OF his senses.