Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-07-17

Then. Ga~!iIls AWAY her tears, She
/ pushed hack tine dark curtains ami
/ would have passed on into the room
lad not the quick gesture brought her
! arm into contact with the buttons and
! gold braid on a mans breast.
/ Instantly She realized That some one
Was hiding there, Soma one dressed in
Il military coat. anl her first impulse
was for q. :... t...HG TO escape IN
/ recognized Eat cn second thoughts
! she chaH-sel her MIND.
! Whoe}cr it was had in all probabi.L
/ ty hidden himself for the purpose of
! spyinG AMI was already aware that
! Miss MoWbray had rushed into the
/ house weeping after a tcte-a-tete with
! the emperor in the garden. Perhaps he
, had even caught Il word or two of her
sObbing ejaculation. No: she must not
run away and leave the outcome Of
| this affair to chance. She must see
with whom she had to deal that she
| might know what was best to do
She had taken Il step into the room,
! but quick as light she turned, pulled
away the screen of curtains and faced
| Captain Won Breitstein.
1t vas trying moment for him, and
IT, siyl's look stripped him OF all his
| light audacity. She had come to the
window by n different path from the
one he had watched; therefore she had
taken him unawarcs before he had
time to escape, as he had planned He
was caught fairly and must save him.
self as best he could without prepara-
| ton
If her rcproach forestalled his ex-
cuse he was lost He must step into
the breach at whatever risk. There
| was no time to weigh words. He must
| let loose the first that spranS to his
lips.
| Il See what you think Of me-" he
said. Il see you think l was watching
you. swear l wasn't, though knew
you were in the garden with-the en-
peror. Wait-you must listen. You
must hear my justification. I was
sent to this room to fetch you. For
your sake. how could go back and
say you had disappeared-togethe l
looked out into the garden and saw
yOu-with him. saw from your man.
ner that-he had made you suffer.
was half mad with rage, guessing
guessing something which one word
you let drop as you came III told me
had happened. He is my sovereign,
but-he has insulted you. Let me be
your knight, as in days Of old. Let
me defend YOU, for l love YOU.
waited here to tell you this as you
came, so that If you would we might
announce an engagement
| If Virginia's eyes had been daggers
he would have fallen at her feet pierre
ell to the heart. For one long second
she looked Mt him without speaking,
her face eloquent. Then she went by
him with the proud bearing Of queen.
Egon was stricken dumb. Duly he
watched her move across the room to
| door which led into corridor. He
heard the whisper Of her satin dress
and saw the changing lights and shad-
ows on Its creamy folds under the
| crystal chandeliers; he saw the white
reflection, like spirit, mirrored deep
under the polished surface Of the floor.
| Never had she been more beautiful,
but she was beautiful In his eyes no
longer. He had hurt her pride, but she
had stabbed his vanity. and to wound
Egon Won Breitstein's vanity was to
strike at his life. He hated the girl,
hated her so sharply that his nerves
ached with the intensity of his hatred,
and the only relief he could have
would be through reprisal.
He had not been able to deceive her
She knew that he had been spying,
and 1t was fortunate for his future, he
realized already, that she had broken
with the emperor. He must do all he
could. and do 1t quickly, to prevent a
reconciliation lest she should work him
injury.
AS for his hastily stammered pro.
posal. it was good thing that the
girl had not taken him at his word,
for the chancellor had not given him
permission to speak, and II she had
accepted him he might have had to
wriggle out Of his engagement. Still,
he could not forgive her scorn Of him.
"Lorcnz shall help me to pay her for
this:' he said furiously to himself, too
angry to mourn over lost hopes, lost
opportunities. "He will know how to
punish her. And between us she shall
suffer-"