The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-08-06

l must seem awfully foolish and IDIOT
to you, but-but it, too late now t
back out, isn't it,"
did not mean to say it, but I di
and l said it with some conviction
"It is! You must be protected"
"Thank you, thank you!" she cried
clasping and unclasping her little hands
l found myself wondering if the brut
had dared to strike her on that soft
pink cheek.
Suddenly horrible thought strucl
me with stunning force.
"Don't tell me that your--your hus
band is the man who owned this castle
up to week ago." cried. "Count
James Hohendahl2"
She shook her head. emo. He is moi
the man." Seeing that l waited for hel
to go on, she resumed: "I know Count
James quite well, however. He is my
husband s closest friend" "
"Good heaven" said I, in quick
alarm. "That complicates matters
doesn't itf He may come here at any
time"
"It isn't likely, Mr.. Smart. To be
perfectly honest with you, waited un-
til heard you had bought the castle
before coming here myself. We were in
hiding at the house of friend in Linz
up to week ago. l did not think it
right or fair to subject them to the
notoriety or the peril that was sure to
follow if the officers took it into their
heads to look for me there. The day
you bought the castle, I decided that it
was the safest place for me to stay
until the danger blows over, or until
father can arrange to smuggle me out
Of this awful country. That very night
we were brought here in motor. Dear
Did Conrad and Mrs. Schmick took me
n. They have been perfectly adorable,
Ill Of them"
"May I enquire, madam" said
tiffly, Chow you came to select my
lbode as your hiding place'"
"Oh, have forgotten to tell you
hat we lived here one whole summer
ust after we were married. Count
lohendahl let us have the castle for our
our honeymoon. He was here a great
eal of the time. All sorts of horrid.
asty, snobbish people were here to help
s enjoy our honeymoon. shall never
orget that dreadful summer. My only
riends were the Schmicks. Every one
lse ignored and despised me, and they
Ill borrowed, won or stole money from
ne. was compelled to play bridge for
trociously high stakes without know
ng one card from the other. But, as
ay, the Schmicks loved me. You see
hey were in the family ages and ages
efore l was born"
"The familyf What familyi"
"The Rothhoefen family. Haven It
hey told you that my great grand
lother was Rothhoefeni Noi Well, |
he was. l belong to the third genera
on of American-born descendants.
'oesn't it simplify matters, knowing
1isfn
"Immensely," said I, in something
{ a daze.
"And so I came here, Mr.. Smart,
here hundreds of my ancestors spent
leir honeymoons, most of them perhaps
unhappily as I, and where I knew a
'llow-countryman was to live for
While in order to get a plot for
wv story. You see, thought I might
great help to you in the shape of
She smiled very warmly, and I
ought it very neat way of putting
Naturally it would be quite impossi-
e to put her out after hearing that
e had already put herself out to some
tent in order to assist me. |
81 can supply the villain for your
ory if you need one, and I can give
u oceans of ideas about noblemen.
a sorry that I can't give you nice,
rect heroine. People hate heroines af-
they are married and live un-
ppily. YOU" a
"The public taste is changing" I in
'rupted quickly. "Unhappy marriages !.
so common nowadays that the II
men WIN 10 intn Iom arn nlurn ..n 0