Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-04

3 FOR MAY 4. 1918
Where she had once been wiful and ironical,
was | the only one to note these subtle
changes in her. L doubt, however, if the
others were less puzzled than |. In fact,
Mrs. Titus was palpably perplexed and
there were times when caught her eying me
with distinct disapproval, as if she were
seeking in me the cause of her daughters
weaknesses.
| went up to have parting romp with
Rosemary on the last night of her stay with
me. The Countess paid little attention to
us. She sat over in the window and stared
out into the dusky shadows of the falling
night. My heart was sore. A sense of utter
loneliness settled down upon me.
Blake finally snatched Rosemary off to
bed. 1t was then that the Countess aroused
herself and came over to me, with sad little
smile on her lips.
Goodnight she said rather wistfully,
holding out her hand to me.
deliberately glanced at my watch @It's
only ten minutes past eight" | said re-
proachfully.
II know she said quietly. Goodnight"
CHAPTER XVIII. Speed the Parting Guest
RRITTON and set forth in the automo-
= bile Just at the break of dawn, crossing
the river few miles below the castle, and
running back to point on the right-hand
bank where we were to await the arrival of
the boat conveying the Countess and her
escort Her luggage, carefully disguised as
Grated merchandise, had gone to Triest by
fast express a couple of days before, sent in
my name and consigned to man who trans
farra6 tho chfproapt fn the c11cfr,6u nf
tain Yacht S commander.
1t was required of me that the distance of
one hundred and twenty miles through the
foothills of the Austrian Alps should be COW
cred and the passengers delivered at rail
way station fifty miles or more south of
Vienna before ten o clock that night There
they were to catch a train for a little seaport
on the upper Adriatic, the name of which l
was sworn never to reveal.
Bangs went to Vienna the night before
our departure, taking with him Helene
Marie Antoinette Louise. They were to
proceed by early morning train to this OBJ
scure seaport. Colingraft Titus elected to
accompany his sister the entire length of the
journey, with the faithful Blake and Rose
mary. Billy Smith was to meet us a few
miles outside the town for which we were
bound, with word of warning if there was.
anything sinister in the wind.
| heard afterward from Poopendyke that
the departure of the Countess and Rose
mary from the castle in the gray, forlorn
dawn of that historic fourteenth was at
tended by demonstration of grief on the
part of the four Schmicks that was far be-
yond his powers of description, and he pos
sesses wonderful ability to describe lacry-
NOSE situations. The elder Schmicks walled
and boo-hooed and proclaimed to the top
most turrets that the sun would never shine
again for either of them. Their sons sighed
SO prodigiously all the way down the river
that the boat rocked incidentally, during
the excitement, Jinko, who was to remain
behind and journey westward later on with
Mrs. Titus and Jasper, Jr., succeeded after
weeks of vain endeavor in smartly nipping
the calf of Hawkes. left leg, which sentenced
my impressive butler to an everlasting dread
of hydrophobia and temporary limp.
1t was nearing five o'clock when the boat
slipped into view round the tree-covered
point of land and headed straight for our
hiding place on the bank.
7 WILL not stop here to describe the first
stage of our journey through the narrow,
rocky byroads that ended eventually in the
broad, Alpine highway south and west of
Vienna. Let it be sufficient to say that we
jostled along for twelve or fifteen miles
without special incident; although we were
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