The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1911-09-07
-Must' Must. % you say u,ns

Must! Must? 20 you say mns
to me?"
"Yes. must" she repeated steadily.
And by what authority. please,
do"
by that authority" She drew q
tiny. fligreed gold box from her
bosom and cast 1t upon the table; the
| prince stared at it, in the name Of
your soYereign-must!" she said
/ again.
| The prince turned away and began
pacing back and forth across the
room with the parchment crumpled
in his hand. For a minute or more
Isabel stood watching him.
Thirteen minutes!" Mr.. Grimm an
nounced soldly.
And nov Sroke out an excited chat.
ter, a babel Of French, English, Ital-
ian, Spanish; those masked and
cowled ones who had held silence for
so long all began talking at once. OnS
of them snatched at the crumrIed
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 ~;ta rage-distort-
ed face.
DO you know whS,t 1t means to
you if do as you say" he demanded
savagely. 1T means you Will be brand
ed as traitor. that your name. your
property"
IF you will pardon me, your High
ness" she interrupted, the power
that ! have used was given to me to
use; | have used 1t. 1t is a 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
mo, ! don't want to see it. 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" Mr. Grimm
interposed quickly Miss Thorne. Is
that the compact?"
She glanced at it, 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 q scramble to get out.
The prince and Miss Thorne waited
until the last.
And, Miss Thorne, If you viii give
US a lift in your carr" Mr.. Grimm
suggested. 1T is now four minutes Of
three"
The automobile came in answer to
signal, and the three in silence en-
tered it. The car trembled and has
just begun to move when Grimm re-
membered something, and leaped out.
Wait for me-" he called. There's
a'man locked in the coal-bin!"
He disappeared into the house, and
Miss Thorne, with a gasp of horror
sank back in her seat with face like
chalk. The prince glanced uneasily
at his watch, then spoke curtly to the
chauffeur.
Run the car up out Of danger;
therell be an explosion there in a
moment"
They had gone perhaps a hundred
feet when the building they had just
left seemed to be lifted bodily from
the ground by a great spurt of fame
which tore through it's center, then
collapsed like thing of cards. The
prince, unmoved, glanced around at
Miss Thorne; she lay in a dead faint
beside him
Go ahead" he commanded BAL
timore."