Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-07-17

quent oil lamps alone lit up the
Streetof the Fountain and st. Mi
chael's square. They reveled Shutdown
at the Hotel de Paris, whittier Max Won
Hollbrandt and dozen others had
hurried with the news of the evenings
great event. But here, on the borders
Of the old north quarter, all grew still
the Golden Lion empty, the townsmen
to their beds, the soldiers to barracks,
full of talk and fears and threats. Yet
a light still burned in the round room
In the keep of Suleiman's tower, and
the commandments servant still expect
ed his royal master. Peter Vassip,
sturdy son of Volseni, had no apprehen.
sions. but he was very sleepy, and he
and the sentries We're the only men
awake. Gone might as we'll be sol.
der at once!" he grumbled, for the men
Of the hills did not esteem the regular
army SO high as 1t rated itself.
The cemmandant fingered in the
Street of the Fountain. Sergius Stefan
oyitch was half Bourbon, but it was
the intellectual half. He had the
strong, concentrated, rather narrow
mind of a Bourbon of before the fam
lily decadence. On 1t his training at
Vienna had grated a military pre-
cision, perhaps pedantry, and no lit
tie added scorn Of what men called lib
erty and citizens called civil rights.
What rights had man against his
country? His country was In his king,
and to the King the army was his SUI
preme instrument. So ran his public
creed, his statesman's instinct. But
beside the Bourbon mother was the
Kravonian father, and behind him the
; long line of mingled and vacillating for
tunes which drew descent from Stefan,
lord OF Praslok, and famous reiver Of
lowlanl herds. In that stock the tenn
permanent was difrerent-indalent to
excess sometimes, ardent to madness
at others, moderate seldom.
And for any young man the fight in
/, the Enthusiastically illuminated night the
virgin with the broken lamp, near
touch of the scythe of death and girls
white face at the window? Behind the
commandments stern wrath--nay, be-
side, and soon before 1t, for the mo-
ment dazzling his angry eyes came
the bright CLEANS of romance.
He knew who lodged at the sign of
/ the Silver Cock. Marie Zerkovitch was
4 his friend, Zerkoyitch his Jealous fol-
1 lower The Journalist was back now
from the battlefelds of France aud was
writing articles for the Patriot, the
| leading paper Of Slavna. He was deep
In the princes confidence, and his lit
/ tie house on the south boulevard often
| received this distinguished guest. The
prince had been keen to hear from Fer
kovitch of the battles, from Marie of
the life in Paris. With Marie's tale
came the name and what she knew of
| the story Of Sophie de Gruche. Yet al
ways, In spite of her praises of her
friend, Marie had avoided any oppor-
/ tunity Of presenting her to the prince.
| Excuse on excuse she made, for his
| curiosity ranged around Casimir de
4 gayFss' ,hereayed lover. .Oh, | shall
4 meet her some day, oil the same," he
had said, laughing, and Marie doubted
whether her reluctance-a reluctance
to herself strange-had not missed its
mark, infiaming an interest which it
1 had meant to balk. Why this strange
reluctance? So far it was proved base
less. His first encounter with the lady
| of the red star asimirs poetical sobri-
auet had passed Marie's lips had been
snpremely fortunate.
Frpm the splash Of blood to the bro
! ken virgin. from the broken virgin to
the open window and the dark room,
behind, his restless glances sped. Then
came swift, impulsiye decision. lie
caught up the bronze figure and enter.
ed the porch. He knew Meyerstein's
shop and that from 1t no staircase led
to the upper floor The other door was
his mark, and he knocked on 1t, rails.
| ing first with cautious touch. then
more resolutely, the old brass hand
with Hospitality reckoning finger which
served for knocker Then he listened
4 for a footstep on the stairs. II she
4 tl az no tIYY.o