Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-09-13
CHAPTER VIM.
THE SOCIALISTS.

| THE SOCIALISTS.
"HE ceiling spun and the gasligh
separated itself into hundre'
flames before the gaze Of tn
4 amazed Hermann. "You salt
he was dead" he gasped to Grumbach
$50 l am to the world, to you and Il
all who knew me-" quietly.
"Why have you returned7 The duk'
will hang you"
perhaps l am fool. perhaps an
willing to pay the penalty Of my crime
At least that was uppermost. I hav'
learned that her highness has beer
found, and the rope Is not made tina
will ut my neck. VIII you denounc'
me, brother?"
"IY'
"Why not? Five thousand crown!
still hang over me-"
"Blocd money for met No, Hans"
Besides, have made a will. A
my death you will be rich"
"Rich"
Eyes. Hermann. am worth 200.00t
crowns"
Hermann breathed with effort.
"But riches are not everything"
Sometimes they are little enough,
Hans agreed.
"Oh, why did you do it,"
Have l not told you, Hermann
There Is nothing more to be added
Then, with rising passion: Nothing
more now that my heart is blistered
and SCARED with regret and remorse
God knows that have repented and
repented. l went to war because
wanted to be killed. They shot me
here and here and here. and this saber
cut would have split the skull Of any
other man. But 1t was willed that
should come back here"
"My poor brother! You must fly.
The chancellor Is suspicious"
II know that. But since you, my
brother, failed to identify me certainly
his excellency will not. And you will
not betray me when tell you that
have returned principally to find out
whence came those thousand crowns"
"Ah. Find that out. Hans; yes. yes!'
Hermann began to look more like him.
self. But what was your part"
Mine? | was to tell where her
highness and her nurse were to be at
certain hour of the day. nothing
more My running away was the ex-
preston of my guilt; otherwise they
would never have connected me with
the abduction"
Hans rose.
"Hans. have you no other greetingT
Hermann asked. spreading out his
arms.
The wanderers face beamed. and
the brothers embraced.
"You forgive me, then. HERMANN
Must I not. little Hans? You are
all that Is left me Of the blood. True,
/ swore that If ever l saw you again
I should curse you"
"And what has become Of the prin'
cipal cause-Tekla"
bah! So is fat and homely and the
mother of seven squalllng children"
"What q world! To think that Tex
Ia should be at the bottom Of all this
tangle!"
A rap on the door startled them.
Hans slowly opened the door. Car
michael stood outside.
"Ah. captain"' Hans shook Car
michael by the hand and drew him In
to the room.
Hermann passed into the hall and
softly closed the door after him. 1t
was better that the American should
not see the emotion which still FLU
mined his face.
whats the good word. captain" in
quired Hans.
Carmichael put in a counter query.
What was your brother doing hereT'
81 have told him who I am"
"Was It wise?"
Hermann sleeps soundly. He will
hlk neither In his sleep nor In his wax
Ing hours. He has forgiven me-"
"For what?" thoughtlessly.
"The time for explanations has not
yet come. captain"
Pardon me. Grumbach. But came
to bring you the invitation to the MILL
tary ball"
The broad white envelope emblazon-
ed with the royal arms fascinated
Hans, not by its resplendency. but BY
Ae possibilities which it afforded.
Thank you. It was very good Of
you"
ut was n pleasure. comrade. What
do you say to an hour or two at the
Black Eagle? Well drown our sor-
rows together"
The Black Eagle was lively, as usual,
and there were some familiar faces.
The vintner was there. and so was
Gretchen. Carmichael hailed her.
Her serene highness will not marry
The king Of Jugendheit.
"Oh, indeed" said Goldberg, bowling
with riGicule. "Slnce when did hel
serene highness make you her con
ilant?"
Her serene highness told me 80 her
self"
4 roar of laughter went up. for the
majority Of them thought that Gretch-
On was indulging in little pleasantly
Hobo. So you are on speaking
terms with her highness? Herr Gold,
berg laughed.
"Is there anything strange In this
fact:" she asked.
"S,range!" echoed Herr Goldberg.
Since when did goose girls become In
innate with her serene highness."
Does not your socialism teach that
we are all eQual?"
The yintner thumpcd with his stein
In approval, and others initiated him.
Goldberg was no ordinary fool. BE
sidestepped defeat by IN assumption
Of frankness.
Tell us about 1t. Tell us under
what circumstances you met her high
ness. Every one knows that this mar
riage Is to take place"
Gretchen nodded. Nevertheless. her
highness has changed her mind" AND
she recounted picturesquely her adven-
ture in the royal gardens. and all hung
on her words In kind Of maze.