The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-03-29
fContinued.l

N
 Please don't misunderstood me, MT. Smart" she said haughdly. s1 am not asking, for pity. l made my bed, and I shall lie in it. The only thing ask of you is-weII, kindness
 She seemed to falter again, and once more I was at her feet, fguratively speaking.
 You are in distress, in dread of something, madamei' I cried. "Consid- CT me your friend
 She shook her head ruefully. 'eYou poor man! You don't know what you are in for, I fear. Wait till I, have told you everything Three weeks ago I laid myself liable to imprisonment and heaven knows what else by abducting my little girl That is really what 1t comes to-abduction- The court has ordered my arrest, and all sorts of pc lice persons are searching high and low for me. Now don't you see your peril? If they find me here you will be in a dreadful predieament You will be charged with criminal com pIicity, or whatever it is called, and Oh, it will be frightfully unpleasant for you, MT. Smart!''
 My expression must have convicted me. She couldn't help seeing the dis. may in my face. So she went on quite hunb1y:
 .sOf course you have but to act at once and all may be we1l> for you. T. will go if you-if you command me ro''-
 I struck my knee forcibly What do you take me for, madame? Hang the consequences If you feel that you are safe here--that is, comparatively eafe-stay!'
 4,o, 4o4y.sl0Io rO41 of infn trouble with the law she murmured in distress. ] Fl really don't know what might happen to you Indeed, I do not"
 Suddenly q horrible thought struck me with stunning force
 Don't tell me that your-your hus- band is the man who owned this cas- tie up to q week ago. cried. Count James Hohendahl?'
 She shook her head. .sNo. He is not the man." Seeing that waited for her to go on, she resumed; T know Count James quite well, however. He is my husbands closest friend.
 .sGood heaven" said l. in quick alarm That conplieates matters, doesn't it? He may come here at any ~time.',
 Ut isn't likely, MT. Smart To be ,SO ! til I heard you had bought the castle before coming here myself We were h1 hiding at the house of a friend in Linz up to q week ago < May I Inquire, madame, said stiff ly, .thow you came to select my abode as your hiding place?
 ooh, I have forgotten to tell you that we lived here one whole summer Just after we were married. Count Hohen- dahl let us have the castle for our-our honeymoon. He was here great deal Of the time All sorts of horrid, nasty. sAobbish people were here to help us enjoy our honeymoon. I shall never forget that dreadful summer. Myyonly friends were the Schmicks- You see they were in the family ages and ages before was born
 ssThe family? What family ?"
 s@The Rothhoefen family, Haven t they told yoQ that my great-gran'd7 mother was rRothhoefen? Nog Well, she was. I belong to the third genera con of American born descendants. Doesn't it simplify matters. knowing this?"
 .Immensely," said I, in something of q daze.
 s.And so I came here. MT. Smart. where hundreds of my ancestors spent their honeymoons, most of them per haps as unhappi1y as l, and where l knew fellow countryman was to live for awhile in order. to get plot for pew story. You see, thought might be great help to you in the shape of suggestion
 She smiled very warmly, and I thought it was very neat way of put ting 1t. Naturally it would be quite impossible to put her out after hearing that she had already put herself out to some extent in order to assist me.
 ..I can supply the villain for your story if you need one, and I can give you oceans of ideas about noblemen. I am sorry that can't give you nices sweet heroine. People hate heroines after they are married and live un- happily. You
 ''The public taste is changing" in terrupted quickly. Unhappy mar riages are so common nowadays that the women who go into 'em are always heroines. People like to read about suffering and anguish among the rich, too. Besides, you are countess. That puts you near the first rank among heroines. Don't you think it would be proper at this point to tell me who you are?"
 She regarded me steadfastly for a moment, and then shook her head.