Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-07-31

Take care! Take care. You'll upset
the flowers. prince!,'
The king started. He looked around
at his companions. Then he struck u
hand bell on the table before him. Lee
page appeared.
"Lepage. whom did you address as
prince just now?''
. !: ! ! !: ;
"Count Alexis. sir" <~G
"Why?" NM ~
''The count insisted" A "
Don't do 1t again! It's ~ \
absurd! Go away!' ~ J
A dull red patched VE&8T7
Count tess Ellenburg's KRIS
cheeks. Lids brooded
low over the eyes of
Stafnitz and Of Ste
movies. 1t was very
AWKWARD little scene. epagc,
The kings irritation had ,chOm did
got the better of him you a a.
for the moment. What aTess as
would the kindred of pTtNcs
the exalted princess "
have said? The King turned to Count
ess Elienburg and forced smile.
.'The question of reproof is one for
you. countess" he said frigidly. "And
now about the baroness No. mean
wanted to ask If my wishes have
been communicated to the Prince of
Slavna.s
1.-THE prince has received them. sir.
He read them in the presence of my
messenger and requested leave to send
his answer in writing. unless he might
wait on your majesty"
"There are reasons why / had better
not see him just now. Ask him to
write. but very soon. The matter isn't
one for delay" The king rose from his
seat.
"Your majesty still wishes me to
send for Baroness DsAraya?"
The king reflected for moment and
answered simply, NO"
His brief word broke up the confer
ence. 1t had already lasted longer than
suaye and reassuring DR.. Natcheff
would have advised. The men went
away with smile. all Of them. the
king. Stenoyics. Stafnitz. round faced
Markart. each smiling according to the
quality OF each. their smiles answering
to Max Won Hollbrandt's shrug of the
shoulders. There are things which bring
men to what painful youth was taught
to call the least common denominator.
A horse race does it. prize fight. a
cricket match. battle, too. in some
sort Equally eficacious very often.
though 1t is to be recorded with reluc-
lance. is strong Irritation with MI
proper issue obvious.
The matter was grave. yet all the
men laughed. The matter was grave,
and Countess Ellenburg did not laugh
Was that what Stafnitz called her
views and her temperament? In part
no doubt. Besides. men will laugh at
the side issues of the grayest affairs:
It Is not generally the case with wo
man Added again to this. perhaps
Countess Ellenburg knew more or di-
vined more. Among giarlng diversity
there was perhaps something. an atom,
OF similarity between her and Sophy-
not the something which refuses. but
the something which couples high con
ditions with assent The thousandth
chance Is to most men negligible. To
most women 1t is no worse than the
tenth. Their sense Of mathematical
odds Is sorely and sometimes magnif-
Gently imperfect
1t had flashed across Countess Ellen.
burg's mind that maybe Sopl,y.. too
played for big stake. or. rather. lived
for 1t and so would die. The men had
not thought of that. TO them the vio-
lent Irritation had Its obvious end and
Its passing Inconvenience 1t might de-
lay the princes departure for awhile
1t might make his marriage more Ell.
tirely an affair of duty and of state.
With this idea they smiled and shrug
ged The whole business came under
the head which in their thoughts and
their confidential conversations they
would style nonsense.
1t was not so with the countess Dis
concerted by that episode of Lepage
and young Alexis. more moved by the
sudden appearance Of Baroness Do
bravo as factor in the game. she re-
turned to prayer.
What now was the form and matter
Of her prayer? The form must go un-
formulated and the words unconiec-
tured. Yet she prayed SO long that she
must have succeeded In putting good
face on her petitions.
1t is probable that she prayed for
others as she prayed for herself. She
prayed that the Prince of Slavna and the
Baroness Dobraya might escape temp.
tation.
Or that II they fell Again 1t was
not for her to dictate to Heaven. Heav.
en- had Its ways OF dealing with such
sinners.
Yet through all her prayers must
have echoed the words. ITS ahsurd!'
She prayed again most likely against
being suspected Of Wishing that the
man who uttered them. her husband,
might soon be dead.
The king dead and the prince slave
to love-to the idle hours of an un.
profitable love! 1t was fine vision
and needed vast deal of covering
with the veil Of prayer.
H.I.