The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1911-10-24
-Mus,' Mus,- 20 you say nus

Must! Mus.- 20 you say nuxs
To me?"
Eyes. must" she repeated steadily.
And by what authority. please,
do"
by that authority" She drew 3
tiny. filigreed gold box from her
bosom and cast 1t upon the table: the
prince stared at it, I'm the name OF
your soveroign-must!" she said
again.
The prince turned away and began
pacing back and forth across the
room with the parchment crumpled
I'm his hand. For minute or more
Isabel stood watching him
Thirteen minutes" Mr.. Grimm an
nounced ,oldly.
And now S-oke out an excited chat.
ter. babel OF French. English, Ital-
ian. Spanish; those masked and
cowled ones who had held silence for
so long all began talking at once. One
OF them snatched at the crumpIed
! compact In the princes hand. while
all crowded around him arguing. Mr..
Grimm sat perfectly still with the re-
volver barrel resting on his knees.
Eleven minutes," he announced
again.
Suddenly the prince turned violent.
ly on Miss Thorne Nth rage-distort.
ed face
DO you know whss Il means 70
you IL l do as you say" ne demanded
savagely. 1t means you Will be brand
ed as traitor. that your name. your
property"
III you will pardon me, your High.
ness she interrupted. the power
that l have used was given TO me to
use; l have used 1t. 1t is n matter
to be settled between me and my
government, and as far as It affects
my person is OF no consequence now.
You will destroy the compact"
Nine minutes" said Mr. Grimm
monotonously.
Again the babel broke out.
DO we understand that you want
to see the compact?" one OF the
cowied men asked suddenly OF Mr..
Grimm as he turned
NO. don't want to see Il. I'd pre-
fer rot to see it.
With hatred blazing in his eyes the
prince made his way toward the lamp,
holding parchment toward the blaze
There's nothing else TO be DONE
he exclaimed savagely.
Just moment. please" MT Grimm
interposed quickly. Miss Thorne. Is
that the compact7"
She glanced at II, nodded her head.
and then the flame caught the fringed
edge OF paper. 1t cracked, flashed.
famed. and at last. thing OF ashes,
was scattered on the floor Mr.. Grimm
rose
THAT is all. gentlemen" he an
nounced courteously. You are free to
go. You, your Highness, and Miss
Thorne. will accompany me-"
He held open the door and there
was almost scramble to get out.
| The prince and Miss Thorne waited
until the last:
And. Miss Thorne. n you will give
us lift in your car" Mr.. Grimm
suggested. 1T is now four minutes OF
\ three"
The automobile came in answer "a
signal. and the three In silence en-
tered IL. The car trembled and has
| Just begun to move when Grimm re-
membered something, and leaped ont.
Wait for mel" he called. There's
man locked in the coal-bin!"
He disappeared into the house, and
Miss Thorne. with q gasp OF horror
sank back in her seat with face like
chalk. The prince glanced uneasily
at his watch. then spoke CURLY to the
chauffeur.
Run the car up out OF danger;
there'n be an explosion there in .
moment"
They had gone perhaps a hundred
feet when the building they had jus:
left seemed to be lifted bodily from
the ground by great squirt OF fiamc
which tore through it's center, then
collapsed like a thing of cards. The
prince. unmoved. glanced around at
Miss Thorne; she lay in a dead fai2t
beside him
Go ahead" he commanded. BAL
timore."