The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1912-01-27

Must? Must1 Do you say mus,
to me?"
Yes. must" she repeated steadily.
And by what authority, please,
do"
by that authority" She drew a
tiny, filigreed gold box from her
bosom and cast it upon the table; the
prince stared at it. In the name Of
your sovereign-must." she said
| again.
The prince turned away and began
pacing back and forth across the
room with the parchment crumpIed
in his hand. For minute or more
Isabel stood watching him.
Thirteen minutesi" Mr.. Grimm an
nounced coldly.
And now broke 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 One
Of them snatched at the cr1mpled
compact in the princes hand, while
all crowded around him arguing. Mr..
Grimm sat perfectly still with the re-
voIver barrel resting on his knees.
Eleven minutesi" he announced
again
Suddenly the prince turned violent
~ on Miss Thorne with rage-distort-
ed face.
DO you know what It means to
you if I 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 I have used was given to me to
use; I have used H 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
mOnotonousIy
Again the babel broke out.
DO we understand that you want
to see the compact?" one of the
cowled 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 a 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 fame caught the frfnged
edge of paper. 1t cracked, flashed,
famed af oF
was scattered on the floor MI Grimm
rose
THAT is all, gentlemen he an
nOunced courteously. You are free to
60 You, your Highness, and Miss
ThOrne, will. accompany me-"
He held open the door and there
The prince and Miss Thorne waited
until the last.
And, Miss Thorne, If you Will give
US lift in your CARP Mr. Grimm
suggested 1T is now four minutes of
three
The automobile came in answer to
a 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 mel" he called. There's
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 CURLY to the
chauffeur.
run the car up out OF danger;
there'n 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 squirt of flame
which tore through its center, then
collapsed like a thing OF cards. The
prince. unmoved. glanced around at
Miss Thorne; she lay in a dead faint
beside him
go ahead" he commanded. BAL
firnnra