The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-09-03

M above 1T, one large
GE room, with window
w which iutted far out
q over the narrow street.
Bv the eot,l- In this room, which was
doiO Sophy reached by separate
sat- door in the left side Of
the porch and a crazy flight Of dozen
winding stairs, lived Sophy.
BY the window she sat on the night
Of the kings name day on low chair.
The heavy figure of a girl carrying a
Tampa specimen of her landlords su.
perhuous stock-stood unemployed on
the window sill. The room was dark,
for the path of light from the illumina-
tions, which made the roadway below
white. threw hardly CLEAN on to Its
somber walls, but Sophy bad 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 a wild, quick volley of cheering
1t 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 II confused shoutlngs of n name
she could not make out. Yes-what
was it2 Mistitch--Mistitch! That was
her first hearing of the name.
Silence fell again, and she sank back
into her chair The lights, the stir, the
revelry, were not for her, nor the cheers
nor the shouts. A moment Of reaction
and lassitude came on her, moment
when the present the actual, Tapped
her around with its dim, muddy flood
Of vulgar necessity and sordid needs.
With u sob, she bowed her head to meet
her hands-a sob that moaned a fam
Inc of life, Of light, of love. go back
to your scullery, Sophy Grouch" What
voice had said that? She sprang to her
feet with fists cllnched and whispered
to the darkness, "Now
In the street below Mistltch slapped
his thigh.
Sophy pushed her hair back from her
| heated forehead and looked out Of
the window. To 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 a young Falstaff-Falstaff
with his paunch not grown. He was
| fanked 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 broadest day.
He wore a costume strange to her eyes
"a black sheepskin cap, a sheepslSin
tunic, leather breeches and high unpol-
ished boots-a rough, plain dress. Yet
broad red ribbon crossed It, and a
star glittered on the breast. The only
weapon was a short. curved scimitar
1t was the ancient costume of the
| bailiff of NolSeni, the head OF that clan
of shepherds who pastured their locis
on the uplands. The Prince Of Slavna
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 It,
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. II had been but
lately before her dreaming eyes. She
had seen II 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 n 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 was! Mistltch 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, incislve tones cut the air:
What extraordinary emergency has
compelled you to disobey my orders,
Captain MistitchT
81 wanted a breath OF fresh air" Mis-
fitch answered in an easy, insolent