Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-26
HAVOC,
Author Of The Moving Finger" Tho Illup.
Rious Prince" 'sTho Lost
Ambassador" etc.
CHAPTER XXXvII-Continued
&. PHILLIPS 0pPENnElm
tCcpgrisAt. 1910. 1e1l. y I4<t1.. Brown
and Company

That night another proof Of the popu-
lar feeling, absolutely spontaneous, broke
out in one of the least expected places.
Louise was encored for her wonderful
and instead Of repeating it she came
alone on the stage after q few ninuteS'
absence, dressed in Servian national
dress. For a short time the costume was
not recognized. Then the music-the ma
tional hymn of Servia-and the recoilec-
ton Of her parentage brought the thing
home to the audience. They did not even
wait for her to finish In the middle OF
her song the applause broke like crash
Of thunder. From the packed gallery to
the stalls they cleered her wildly, madly.
A dozen times she came before the cur
tain. It seemed impossible that they
would. ever let her go. Directly she turned
to leave the stage the uproar broke out
again. The manager at last insisted upon
it that she should speak few words. She
stood in the center Of the stage. amid q
silence as complete as the previous APP
plause had been unanimous. Her voice
reached easily to every place in the house.
II thank you all very much" she said.
Il am very happy, indeed, to be in Lon
don. because it is the capital city of the
most generous country in the worid-the
country that Is always ready to protect
and help her weaker neighbors. / am
Servian. and l. love my country, and
therefore," she added. with a little break
in her voice. therefore / love you all. !"
It was nearly midnight before the audi
ence was got rid of. and the Streets of
London had not been so impossible Tor
years. Crowds made their way to the
front of Buckingham Palace and on to the
war office, where men were working late.
Everything seemed to denote that the
spirit of the country was reused. The
papers next morning made immense cap
ital of the incident. and for the following
twenty-four hours suspense throughout
the country was almost at fever height
1t was known that the cabinet council
had been SSitting for six hours. 1t was
known. too. that without the least COM
motion. with scarcely any movements of
ships that could be called directly threat
ening, the greatest naval force which the
world had ever known was assembling off
Dover. The stock markets We're wildly
excited. Laverick. back again In his Of
flee. found that his return to his accus-
toned haunts occasioned scarcely any
! comment More startling events were
shaping themselves. His own remarkable
adventure remained, curiously enough. al
most undiScuSSed.
He left the Office shortly before his
usual time, notwithstanding the rush OF
house in Theobald Square. Zoe was ly-
ing on the sofa. still white. but eager to
declare that the pain had gone and that
she was no longer suffering.
cit Is too absurd she declared, smiling,
my having this nurse here Really,
there is nothing whatever the matter with
me. should have gone to the theater.
but you see it is no use.
She passed him the letter which she had
been reading and which contained her
somewhat curt dismissal. He laughed as
he tore it into pieces.
Are you so sorry. Zoe? Is the stage
so wonderful place that ., you could not
bear to think of leaving it 2?
She shook her head.
'1t Is not that" she whispered. .'You
know that it is not that.
He smiled as he took her confidently
into his arms.
There is q much more arduous life in
front of you, DEAR" he said. You have
to come and look after me for the rest of
your days. A bachelor who marrfes as
late in life as do, you know, is a trying
sort OF person"
She shrank away little.
you don't mean it, she murmured.
"You know very well that I mean 1t,
he answered kissing her. Il think you
knew from the very first that sooner or
later you were doomed to become my
wife,
She sighed family and half closed her
eyes. For the moment she had forgotten
everything. She was absolutely and COM
pletely happy.
Later on he made her dress and come
out to dinner. and afterward, as they
sat talking. he laid an evening paper be-
fore her.
Zoe" he declared. ''the best thing that
cOulQ mas HdppGuCu. lou Will IfOt NC
| foolish, dear, about it. / know. Remem-
Der the alternative-and read that"
She glanced at the few lines which an
nounced the finding of Arthur Morrison In
| house in Bloomsbury Square. The police
| had apparently tracked him down, and he
| had shot himself at the final moment. The
details of his last few hours were indie
scribable. Zoe shuddered and her eyes
| filled with tears. She smiled bravely in
| his face. however.
1T is terrible" she whispered. simply.
"but, after all. he was no relation OF
mine and he tried to do you frightful
| injury. When / think Of that find 1t
hard even to be sorry"
There was, indeed, almost q pitiiess look
| in her face as she folded up the paper,
| as though she felt something of that COM
mon instinct of her sex which transforms
| a gentle woman SO quickly into hard,
merciless creature when the being whom
she loves is threatened.
Laverick smiled.
LET us go out into the streets" he said,
land hear what all this excitement Is
about
They bought late edition and there it
was at last in black and white. An ulti-
matum had been presented at Berlin ana
Vienna Certain treaty rights which nad
been broken with regard to Austria's ac-
ton in the east were insisted upon py
Great Britain. 1t was demanded thaI
Austria should cease the mobilization OF
her troops upon the Servian frontier and
renounce all rights to protectorate over
that country, whose independence Great
Britain felt called upon. from that time
forward, to guarantee. 1t was furtner
Etr0V