The Marshall republican., 1908-08-07
CHAPTER TWELVE

IN(A he grand duchess ad.
~ Joined IL. and. entering
a., y. ~ her dlsnay the girl saw her
no. her ~ ling gu u sofa. attended 10y
EIII.si iD.. the French maid.
Nhginiu's heart sank. She had sup.
pc.ed the grand duchess TO he IN the
white dra " lug room with the baroness
AMI the other guests OF the house.
Now there was 40 hope that she might
" left alone and unquestioned. And
the girl had longed TO he alone.
AT last" exclaimed n faint voice
from the sofa. II thought you would
never come"
III. princess stared. half dazed. I'M.
shI, 10 tear her mind from her private
sr,'s. Are you III. mother" she
s~..AAiuer-d. Hind you sent for me-
Il r.lnI. yer. near f~aintinr Ia the
dr.. ing room" the grand duchess IN.
sN,'eJ. "Ernestlne. you may leave Va
boH."
The fr.ncbwoman went out noise.
lesil!.
sdll Virginia did not speak. Could
IL Le that there had been another spy
be- ldes Egon Won Breltstein aud that
he mother already knew how the cas-.
tie VI cards had falleni Was Il the
N" ~ of defeat which had Frustrated
herr
Have you-did any one tell your"
thu girl faltered.
I've had u telegram-a horrible tele.
yi.m. oh. Virginia. ! AIN not young.
Us you are. am too old TO endure all
tbis. ! think you should not have sub.
jev,ri me to IT,"
The grand duchess voice was plain.
tive and pried among the girls sick
nerves like hot wire.
What do you mean, deari do not
Understand" she said duly. I'm NO
sorry you ARE III. II It's my fault In
Az, way r.
ticr mother pointed toward a writing
table The telegram In there she
murinired. 1T IL too dlstressing-too
humlllntlng."
Virginia picked up q crumpled tele.
graph form aud began 10 read the mes.
sag. which was dated London and
written In English:
SIM one making Inquiries here about
the Mowbrays. beg TO advise you to ex.
pl.. all at AT once or leave kronburg to
avoid almost certain complications.
LAMBERT.
Lady Lambert wa the wife Of the
ex.".nbussudor to the court OF Rhaetla
frosi Great Britain.
Tie princess tnIshed In silence.
Il NJ II hideousf' asked the grand
duchess. TO think TINT you aud !
should have deliberately placed our.
selves In such n position. We ure a.
run u NY, like detected ndyenturesses.
uni n' unless you ure now ready a.
tell N emperor all."
"NU' sud virginia hopelessly.
"Nhni. Not get: oh. my dear. then
you llusi bring matters 10 u crisis
~" an,ly--t0nighi even. It's evident
th:,i some eneln, perhaps some Jeal
Ous I'rison. has IN al work lehind
our Lacks. II H. ar you to turn the
tables upon him. aud there isn't al
hour Ia waste, From the FIRST you
meant 10 make some dramatic reveal,
t!0u Now the time has come
"Ah, ] meant meant" echoed vir
glnla, MI u sob breaking the Ice N
her voice. Nothing has turned gu
rs meant. You were right. dear:
was wrong. We ought never to hay,
coiAc 10 Rhurtia."
The grand duchess grew paler thar
before, She had been vaguely dis
tressed. Now she was sharply alarm
ed. II Virginia admitted that THU
great adventure should never hav,
been undertaken. then indeed the cart
must be quaklng under their feet.
Ought MOTTO have Gomez she re
peated piteously. what dreadful
thing has happenedT"
The princess stood with bent head
'Its hard to tell" she said. 'harde
almost than anything I ever had to de
But II must be done. Everything's q
an end. dear"
"what-you've told him, and he he
refused TO forgive"
HE knows nothing"
Fer heaven's sake. don't keep m
In suspense-
virgInia's lips were dry. He ash
ed me to he his wife," she said. "Ot
waIt-wait! Don't look happy. 70
don't understand. aud I didn't at frs
He had to explain. and he put th
thing as little extensively as he couit
Oh. mother, be thinks me only goo
enough to be his m~organatic wifsg'
The storm had burst ut last, and tn
princess fell on Der knees by the sof,
where. burning her face In her mott
er's LAP. she sobbed ss II parting wit
her youth.
There had always been mental an
t~empersmentai barriers between til
Dresden china lady and her daughte
but they loved each other. and neve
had ~ giri been 70 dear to her mott
er aa,sow. THE gFand duchess though
0t1e sumtDer day when Yisginia b.
kneit. beeide .her. sayipg, I'VE srs q
~ y haye N sdvenfure. you Ard \"
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