The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1910-05-02

tidiSOi ~ LIS duSe.
L RUBIN ! could not be that,
Tor the sufficient reason that | only
suspect it's existence. am not in
any sense part Of it. do not
know anything. l only feel. dare
say you realize that | do not love
Count Marlanx-that there is absolute
~ nothing in common between us ex-
cept name. We won't go into that.
p
Il am overjoyed to hear you say this
countess he said very seriously. Il
nave been so bold on occasion as TO
assertion your private ear. of course
that you could not by any freak of
nature happen to care for Count Mar
lanX, whom l know only by descrip-
ton. You have laughed at my so
called American wit. and you have
been most tolerant. Now, l feel that
l am justified. I'm UNNECESSARILY glad
to hear you confess that you do not
love your husband"
You have never tried to make love
| to me- she went on. That's what /
| like about you. l think most men are
| silly, not because | am so very young.
| but because my husband is SO ridicu-
lousy old. Don't you think SC? But.
never mind. see you are quite eager
to answer. That's enough. Take an
| other cigarette and-listen to what l
am going to say" He declined the
cigarette with a shake of his head.
| After a moment she went on reso-
lutely: las | said before. l do not
| know that my suspicious are correct.
l have not even breathed them to my
father. He would have laughed at me.
My husband is Graustarkian, even
as l am. but there is this distinction
between us-he despises Graustark,
While love her in every drop of my
blood. l know that in his heart he has
never ceased to brew evil for the
throne that disgraced him. He openly
expresses his hatred for the present
dynasty and has more than once said in
public gatherings that he could cheer
fully assist in it's utter destruction
That. of course. is commonly known il
Graustark, where he is scorned anG
derided. But he is not a man to serve
, his hatred with mere idle words anj
inaction.
Il am seeing you here in this bis
, room openly" she went on. for tn,
simple reason that if | am bein!
, watched this manner of meeting ma,
' be above suspicion. We may speal
p freely here, for we cannot be hear(
unless we raise our voices Don't be
4 tray surprise or CONSERVATION. TIL
q eyes of the wall may be better than it
y ears
e You don't mean to say you are be
e ing watched here in your father
r house?" he demanded.
Il 81 don't know. This do know-th
r count has many spies in Edelweis'
He is systematically apprised of ever,
;. thing that occurs at court. in the cit
or in the council chamber. Day befor
yesterday l saw his secretary in th
u streets. man who has been in his en-
IT ploy for FIVE years or more and WI
now pretends to be lawyer here. II
if name is Brutus. l spoke with hin
IS He said that he had left the count 81
u weeks ago in Vienna. determined
d set out for himself in his chosen Or
fession. He knows. of course. that
e am not and never have been in II
condolences Of my husband l aske
70 him if it was known in Edelweiss tn
1t he had served the count as secretar
He promptly handed me one of b
:" business cards on which he refers
re- himself as the former trusted and co
fdential secretary of Count Marian
. Now. l happen to know that he is st
" in my husbands service. or was no lon
- err ago than last week. He is here f
- purpose. as my husbands represer
alive. have not been asleep all the