The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-09-17

there. At the last moment Zerkovltch
| decided TO remain In Slavna, at least
until the court made Its promised move
to Dobrava. Reassuring as DIR. Nat
chef was, II would do no harm to have
a friendly pair of eyes and ears I'm the
capital so long as the king remained in
residence. Thus the two ladies' were
accompanied only by Peter Vassip
whom the prince had sent to escort
them. They set out in u heavy travel
ing carriage at 10 In the morning, reck-
oning to reach the castle before even
ing fell Their progress would never
be rapid and for the last five miles ex-
ceedingly slow. They left the capital
in complete tranquility, and when So
ply settled her bill at the sign of the
Silver Cock and bade farewell TO old
Meyerstein, her landlord, he expressed
the hope that she would soon be back,
though, indeed, his poor house was, he
feared, no flt quarters for the Baroness
Dobrava.
81 don't know whether / shall come
back here, but can never forget your
house. / shall always love It in my
memory" said Sophy.
Max Won Hollbrandt bad obtained
leave of absence from his legation and
had accompanied the prince to Pras-
lok. The two were friends, having
many tastes In common and, not least,
the taste for soldering. Besides hav-
ing the pleasure Of his company the
prince looked to obtain valuable aid
from Max in the task on which he was
engaged. The young German was
amused and delighted with his expedi-
ton. Praslok is primitive old place.
1t stands on an abrupt mound or knob
Of ground by the roadside. So steep
and sudden is the ascent that II was
necessary TO build a massive causeway
OF wood-an inclined plane-to lead up
from the road TO the gate OF the square
tower which forms the front of the
building. The causeway has crossbars
at short intervals to give foothold to
the horses which In old days were
stabbed within the walls. Recently,
however, modern stables had been built
on the other side OF the road, and It
had become the custom to mount the
causeway and enter the castle on foot
Within, the arrangements were
quaint and very simple. Besides the
tower already mentioned, which con-
tanned the dining room and two bed
rooms above 1t, the whole building
strictly conditioned by the shape Of the
hill on which II stood. consisted of
three rows of small rooms on the
ground floor. In one row lived the
prince and his male guests, in the sec
ond the servants. In the third the
guard. The ladies were to be accom-
modated in the tower above the dining
room. The rows of rooms opened on
covered walk, or cloister, which ran
round the inner court of the castle. The
whole was solidly built Of gray stone
a businesslike old hill fortress, strong
by reason Of its massive masonry and
OF the position in which 1t stood. Con-
sidered as modern residence 1t had to
be treated humorously, so Max declar-
ed, and found much pleasure in It from
that point Of view. The prince, always
Indifferent to physical comfort and ever
averse from luxury, probably did not
realize how much his ancestral strong
hold demanded of his guests indul-
gence. Old Vassip Peters father, was
major domo-always In his sheepskin
coat and high boots. His old wife was
cook. Half dozen servants completed
the establishment, and of these three
were grooms. The horses, In fact,
seemed to Max the only creatures
whose comfort were at all on modern
footing. But the prince was entirely
satisfied and never so happy anywhere
as at Praslok. He loved the simple,
hardy life. He loved even more, though
perhaps less consciously, the sense of
being among friends. He would not
yield an inch to court popularity in
Slavna, but his heart went out to meet
the unsought devotion Of Volseni, the
mountain town, and its surrounding
villages. Distant and self restrained In
Slavna, here he was open, gay and full
Of an almost boyish ardor.
IT'S worth coming here just to see
its effect on you,' Max told him as the
two rode back together from Volsenl
on the day Of Sophy's arrival. They
had been at work, and the recruiting
promised we'll
The prince laughed gayly. Coming
here from Slayna is like fresh air after
an oven," he said. mo need to watch
your tongue or other peoples! You can
laugh when you like and frown when
you like without dozen people asking
what's your motive for doing It,"
but really you shouldn't have cho-
sen a diplomatist for your companion,
sir, II you feel like that"
II haven't" he smiled "Ive left the
diplomatist down there and brought
the soldier up. And now that the ladies
are coming
"Ah, now we must watch our tongues
little bit! Nine. Zerkovitch is very
pretty, and the baroness might make
me absolutely poeticalw
Least prying of men, yet Max Won
Hollbrandt could not resist sending
with this speech glance at his com
panion. The visit of the baroness COM