The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1910-03-18


embers creeping up to her face with
the insistence Of a maiden's flush He
gazed In rapt admiration, his heart
humping like fury i'm his great breast.
She was little more than girl, this
wife OF Old Marlanx, and yet how
wise. how clever. how brilliant she
was.
She was well named Ingomede the
Beautiful.
Does Baron Dangloss know this
man BrntusT' asked Tullis. arising to
stand beside her.
IL don't know she said thought
fully. Il have not spoken to him con-
corning Brutus. Perhaps he knows.
The baron j. very wise Let me tell
you how happen to know that Peter
Brutus is still serving Count Marlanx
and why 7 think his presence signifies
q crisis OF some Sort
Her voice. always low and even,
seemed lower still. I'm the first place.
i have q 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 Marlanx to
the town Of Balak. which is in Ak
phain, a 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 pro-
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 his mas
ter. Marlanx waited another day in
Balak. permitting Josepha's father, to
come on to Edelweiss with a message
for me and to see his daughter. He'-
"And Josepha's father saw Brutus in
Edelweiss?"
''No. But he did see him going into
Balak as he left for Edelweiss that
morning. He wore a disguise, but
Jacob says he could not be mistaken.
Moreover. he was accompanied by sew
eral men whom he recognized as Grau-
stark mountaineers and hunters OF
rather unsavory reputation. They left
Brutus at the gates Of Balak and went
off into the hills. All this happened
before I knew that Peter was living
In Edelweiss. When L saw him here
/ knew at once that his presence meant
something sinister. I 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 1mpris-
onment-yes, Imprisonment. I was
not permitted to leave the castle for
days at time during his absences"
"Surely you will not go back again.
he began holly.
"Shr She put a finger to her lips.
A manservant was quietly crossing
the hall just off the library. HE is
a new man. l do not like his appear
ance."
The servant disappeared through a
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, "and the
strange boxes that came overland to
the castle and later went away again
as secretly rs they came. Mr.. Tullis.
I am confident i'll my mind that those
boxes contained firearms and ammu-
milton. I have thought it all out Per
haps I am wrong, but it seems to me
that L can almost see those firearms
stored away in the caves and cabins
outside Of Edclwei.'s, ready for instant
use when the signal comes
God! An uprising. \ plot so huge
as thatr' he .rasped. amazed. 1t is for
tunate that he was not facing the door.
The same servant, passing once more.
might have seen the telltale consterna-
ton in his eyes. 1t cannot be posi-
BILE! why, Dangloss and his men
would have scented it long ago.
81 have not said that | am sure Of
anything, remember that. leave it
to you to annlyze. You have the fOun-
dation on which to work. I'd advise
you to waste no time. Something tells
me that the crisis is near at hand"
TO BE CONTINUED.