The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1912-04-25
] tried to thank him. bat hs would

eosooo 10 arrange, he declared Il
ooVes did fancy thoss iovelsss royal
0asriaees. They are very little better
ea1a false Ones" Then he laughed.
Vel ME about this one Of yours" he
~: the true faets' - you called
0a0."
- told him In detail Of the supper
= ~ garden. the astonishing sccusa-
- - the Spencer woman and Of what
0sv concerning her In America.
suppose you have your own notion
- % this woman's modvsy he said.
Tea" l answered
DO you care to give it to msr'
bet him see my hesitation.
"Weli, l think it is not. entirely re-
veage." l said.
1T might even be that she is only
playing the cards some one else has
6eeit her he said significantly. Il
oaW the lady this afternoon In the
pask. rather fancy almost any man
would be quite willing to have her
claim him as her husband"
"And therefore her story will be very
generally accepted" l said.
"Doubtless. It's far easier to accept
1t than 10 disbelieve it,"
consequently II it please you, sire,
let my betrothal to her royal hiShness
remain secret until this wOman's claim
has been thoroughly disproved."
Frederick thought a moment. You
are entirely right" he said. But If it
TO al
could laugh at this woman. could
simply pronounce her morganatic and
| you would be quite free to marry Deh-
ra al once"
But shook my head Il must bring
Dehra a clean record said; land l
have no fault to find with that decree.
But for 1t | would not be here, though,
neither would Nine Spencer" added
Inadvertently.
The king stared at me.
"You don't think she knows the de.
cree" he exclaimed.
II think she never heard Of the laws
| of the Dalbergs," | answered II
mean that 1t was my being here that
brought her."
Again the king smiled.
"What you mean Is that she would
not be here but for the fact that by
lawful wife and l powerless to inter
fere"
| made no answer. I was rather
anxious for him to pursue the premise
| to its conclusion,
"You see whore hat deduction
leads" he went On. only Dehra and
Lotzen know the laws Of our house"
II ask your majesty to observe that
I have made no deduction" said.
BE stopped short and looked at me
q moment
"If wsrs quits SURE that Lotsen
were the instigator Of this plot
would remove him utterly from the
line Of succession and banish him
from the kingdom"
thought It q prepse tims for ms ta
be very Quist
in the meantime, however. shall
send that internal woman packing
over the border by the quickest route. u
he said vehemsntly.
81 trust not, SIRE" I said "As gov
ernor Of Dornlits l gave orders this
morning that she b. not permitted to
leave the capital"
But she's an American subject"
he exclaimed. "She can't b held
prisoner"
III she's my wife she's subject of
your majesty"
True. but why Do you want to
keep her hersr
TO give time to Investigate her do
ings since I became an archduke," l
said. II may not marry Dehra in the
face Of that certificate and old Hen
rvs decree, and, since the alderman
Is dead, only through Madeline Spen-
Ger herself can the falsity of her
claim be shown. Every moment here
she must act her part and be under
our constant surveillance. Some time
she IL sure to make slip or forget
her lines. But let her be at large,
and with plenty of funds at her com
mand she will be will-o-thewisp.
to be followed over the world for
years, and her slips will be few and
very far between and with no one
there to note them"
Very good" said Frederick. Keep
her or send her, as you see f1t, only
don't embroil me with America II you
can avoid It,"
There II no danger" assured him.
Courtney says he will not interfere so
long as she claims to be my wife"
Frederick laughed. ''Courtney's a
friend" he said heartily.
None better lives" replied.
Then the portieres parted and the
princess stood in the doorway. Fred
erlck saw her.
Come in, your highness," he said.
She crossed to him and patted his
cheek.
Have you been nice to ArmandY
she asked.
He seemed to think SO. I told him
he might have you"
You dear old father"' she exclaim-