The Washington herald., 1909-05-02
CHAPTER XII.
The King is Saved.

% Oll AN SAT lnS kluB, HIS eyes
closing not. The queen, wrapped
~ in the cloak stirred and muir
INJURED, and he started; but she was
quiet again. In her troubled sleep the
duchess uttered broken sob; the jes-
ter with chin upon chest, mildly
snored; but the kings ear was
pricked for only the one spot.
Heavier and heavier settled the
night; the dew dripped dripped, and
the damp AIR seeped amidst the pines
soaking, saturating. Smoothly the
moonlight arabesque slipped across
the brown pine-needle carpet; circle,
triangle and square succeeded by
square, triangle and circle. once out
of the mystic region surrounding the
little oasis came trotting a nimble
dog ~ shape, suddenly stopped, and
stared it's eyes shone green I'm the
duskiness. The king half arose.
threateningly, and the shape vanished
like wrath.
THROUGH the still hours sat the
king, wide-eyed, scarcely winking,
rarely moving mechanically seeing,
mechanically listening, ever numbly
thinking. The queen ftfully mur-
INJURED, the duchess moaned and shud-
dered the jester breathed gutterally;
steadily glided the night away.
The arabesque upon the matted
brown needles grew thin and ghostly,
and the moon, glimpsed through the
branches overhead, was descending
and halfway down the sky. A little
breeze sighed amidst the tree tops.
The moonlight pattern perceptiby
faded and around about the king the
forest depths waned from black 10
gray Birds twittered. The air, awak-
ened by the little freeze gently
searched amongst the stately trunks,
Weeping out the darkness of the
night and inviting i'm the freshness of
the morning.
The king waited The jester drew
up his knees, moved his head, raised
1t, and blinked about him. His eyes
were red and his large features were
coarsely notified by the dampness and
his CONSTRUCTED sleep. He caught the
kings gaze, and yawning 2, interroga-
lively lifted his brows. The king
wanly smiled.
81 am cold,' complained the queen,
from her wrapping
The Jester stifny shifted. to arise;
but quicker, the king sprang and knet
beside her.
"It is morning, pet" he said, eager
ly. "You have had a fine sleep DO
you want to get up? Come; let me
nelp you up, pet ne sun VIII warm
you"
The queen turned her face away,
and pouted.
mot you" she said. "Where is
that other mantle nice man with
the funny nose?"
"Sr Hugo2 He is here" replied
the king, sadly; and he gave place.
1--WE must be starting" declared Sir
Hugo. "Will the Lady Louise arise?'
The duchess was now sitting up, her
face swollen, and was rearranging her
hair No one noticed her.
"I am hungry" asserted the queen.
I'VE have a short distance TO go
first" soothed the Jester. Then we
will breakfast. Come"
TT HE queen, too, sat up and olsen
gagged herself from the cloak, and
throwing back the hood Of her dom
ino, surveyed her face In her hand
glass. She drew from her bosom a
rouge-jar, and with many a little
move and pose Of the head proceeded
to tint anew her cheeks. The others
patiently bided--the duchess with a
cold smile of disdain.
"Come!" said the jester, again, to
the queen.
He lifted her to her feet; and stoop-
ing picked up the cloak.
81 will take it," spoke the king; and
he did.