Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-08-14


and dangerous
The colonel rose to his woman! She
feet and saluted. has taken ad-
vantage of the favor the king showed
her."
''And If died?" asked the king.
Stenovics shrugged his shoulders.
"Of course there would be no control
then" said he.
The king looked around. I'VE must
get her away from Praslok."
"Wil she Gomez" jeered the countess.
Not she! Will he LET her go? Not he!"
The king passed his hand weakly
across his brow. Then he rang bell
on the table. Lepage entered, and the
king babe him bring him the draft
which Natcheff had prescribed for his
nerves. Well might the unfortunate
man feel the need of it, between the
countess open eruption and the not less
formidable calm of Stenovics and Stat
nitz! And all his favorite dreams in
danger!
.'She won't leave him or he'll follow
her The woman has infatuated himp.
the countess persisted.
Pray. madame. let me think" said
the harassed and sick king. 1--WE must
open communications with Baroness
Dobraya.n
May suggest that the matter might
, prove urgent. sir?" said Stenovics.
every hour is full of danger" de.
clared the countess.
The king held up his hand for silence.
Then he took paper and pen and wrote
with his own hand some lines. He
signed the document and folded it.
His face was now firm and calmer.
The peril to his greatest hopes-per-
haps a sense of the precarious tenure
of his power seemed to impart to him
new promptness. decision alien to
his normal character Colonel STAFF
nitz!" he said in a tone of command
The colonel rose to his feet and sa-
luted. From an adviser In council he
became in moment a soldier on duty.
81 am about to intrust to you a duty
of great delicacy. choose you be-
cause. short of General Stenovics him
self, there is no man in whom have
such confidence. Tomorrow morning
you will go to Praslok and inform his
royal highness that you have COM
munication from me for Baroness Do
bravo. If the prince Is absent you will
see the baroness herself. If she is abb
sent you will follow her and find her.
The matter is urgent. You will tell her
! that it is my request that she at once
accompany you back here to the palace,
where l shall receive her and acquaint
her with my further wishes. If she
asks of these say that you are not en-
powered to tell her anything. She
must learn them from myself. If she
makes any demur about accompanying
you Immediately or if demur Is made
or delay suggested from any quarter
you will say that my request is COM
mand If that is not sufficient you will
produce this paper. 1t is an order I'M
der my hand addressed to you and di-
recting you TO arrest Baroness Do
bravo and escort her here to my pres
ence, Notwithstanding any objection or
resistance which any person whatever
will offer at his peril You will be
back here by tomorrow evening, with
the baroness In your charge. Do 1t
without employing the order for arrest
If possible. but do it anyhow and at all
costs. Do you understand"
Perfectly. sir. Am to take an es-
corfu
The answer to that question was anx-
iously considered--and awaited anx-
iously.
YES" said the king. you viii. The
precise force leave to your discretion.
1t should be large enough to make you
secure from hindrance by any act short
of open and armed resistance to my
commands"
Stafnitz saluted again and at sign
from the king resumed his seat. The
kings manner relaxed as he turned to
Stenovics. when we've got her here
we'll reason with her--she'll hear rea-
son-and persuade her that her health
will benefit by foreign trip. If neces-
sary shall. cause her to be deported.
She must be out of Kravonia In three
days unless she can clear herself from
all suspicion. I'll arrange that the
prince shan't come for his audience I'M
til she Is well out of Slayna. 1t is, Of
course, absolutely essential that no
word of this should pass the walls Of
this room. II once hint of 1t reached
Praslok the task of laying our hands
on the baroness might become Infinite.
ly more difficult"
Tho throo 1xyaro wall vloocod TI,oy
had come to fear Sophy. and on that
score alone would be right glad to see
the last of her. And when she had
gone there was fairer chance that
the prince, too, would go on his travels.
Whether he went after her or not they
cared little so that he went and the re-
cruiting and training at yolseni were
interrupted.
Again. she was to go before the audi
ence. That was another point The
peril of the audience remained. but
they had improved theirchanees. Per-
haps Stafnitzs brain was already busy
with the possibilities Of his mission and
his escort. The latter was to be large
enough to make him secure from hin
armed resistance to the kings COM
mands. If it We're impossible. as his
ma esty obviously considered. to con-
template such Resistance 1t was evil
IDENTITY no less impossible to reckon
/ what might happen as a consequence
of it.
The king rang his bell impatiently.
Il want my draft again. I'm very