The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-05
ruxton King
Story OF Graustark. By George Barr McCuicheoi.
Copyright 1909 BY George Barr Meaeo Copyright 1902 BY Dsd Mead G.
CONTINUED from Yesterday. }

She leaned against the great carved
mantel post, tall. slender. lissom
creature, exquisiteIy gowned In rarest
Irish lace. her bare neck and shoulders
cleaning white against the dull tim
bers beyond, the faint glow from the
embers creeping up to her face with
the insistence of naiden's flush. He
gazed In rapt admiration, his heart
humping like fury In his great breast.
She was little more than a girl, this
wife Of old Marlanx, and yet how
wise, how clever, how brilliant she
was.
She was wen named Ingomeie the
Beautiful.
Does Baron Dangloss know this
man Brutns3 asked Tullis. arising to
stand beside her.
Il don't know" she said thought
fully. II have not spoken to him con-
corning Brutus. Peshaps he knows.
The baron is very wise. Let me tell
you how happen to know that Peter
Brutus is still serving Count Marianx
and why 1 think his presence signifies
a crisis Of some sort"
Her voice, always low and even.
seemed lower still. I'm the first place,
have a faithful friend in one of the
oldest retainers at Schloss Marlanx.
His daughter is my maid. She is here
with me now. The old man came to
see Josepha one day last week. He
had accompanied Count Maiianx to
~ pol Lab irh les A
phain, mile beyond the Graustark
line. Peter Brutus was with my hus-
band In Balak for two days. They
were closeted together from morning
till night in the house where Marlanx
was stopping. AT the end of two days
Brutus went away. but he carried
with him vast sum of money pre-
vided by my husband. 1t was given
out that he was on his way to Serros.
in Dawsbergen. where he expected TO
purchase a business block for hiSfmas-
ter. Marlanx waited another day in
Baiak. permitting Josepha's father to
come on to Edelweiss with a message
for me and to see his daughter. He
"And .Iosephas father saw Brutus In
Edelweiss;'
mo But he did see him going into
Balak as he left for Edelweiss that
! morning. He wore disguise. but
Jacob says he could not be mistaken.
Moreover, he was accompanied 10y sew
eral men whom he recognized as Grau-
stark mountaineers and hunters OF
rather unsasory reputation. They left
Brutus at the gates of Balak and went
of into the hills. All this happened
before knew that Peter was living
In Edelweiss. When | saw him here
I knew at once that his presence meant
| something sinister. can put many
things together that once puzzled me
the comings and goings of months, the
secret reports and consultations. the
queer looking men who came to the
castle. the long absences of my hus-
band and my-my own virtual impris-
onment-yes. imprisonment. was
not permitted to leave the castle for
days at time during his absences"
Surely you will not go back again."
he began hotly,
Ssh" She put finger to her lips.
A manservant was quietly crossing
the hall just OF the library. He Is
u new man. do not like his appear
ance.'
The servant disappeared through n
door at the end OF the hall. -
"Then there were the great sums of
money that my husband sent Off from
time to time" she continued, land the
strange boxes that came overland to
the castle and later went away again
as secretly as they came. Mr.. Tuliis.
am confident in my mind that those
boxes contained firearms and ammu-
milton. have thought it all out. Per-
| haps / am wrong, but 1t seems to me
that I can almost see those firearms
stored away in the caves and cabins
outside OF Edelweiss. ready for instant
use when the signal comes
God. An uprising. A plot so huge
as THAR he gasped, amazed. 1t Is for
tunate that he was not facing the door,
The same servant. passing once more.
might have seen the teiltale consterna-
ton in his eyes. ut cannot be posi-
BILE. Why. Dangloss and his men
would have scented it long ago"
Il have not said that am sure of
anything, remember that. | leave 1t
to you to analyze. You have the foun-
dalton on which to work. I'd advise
you TO waste no time. Something tells
me that the crisis is near at hand"