The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1915-08-13

envelope-the best the Hotel Rit,
| could furnish her-she wrote simple
address: For the King, at the Roya.
Palace, to be delivered at twelve mid
night promptly"
In fault OF better messenger, Kitty
telephoned now to the bureau of tele
graphs and asked for reliable mes
senger. When presently he came she
entrusted this missive to him with
express instructions that he should
leave it in the hands of some chosen
servant of the king who would be
sure to deliver 1t at the hour OF mid
night of that very day.
The man listened respectfully, took
the mfssive, and started for the door
Passing, he almost ran against a gen
tleman in the hall, and dropped his en-
velope as he did SO.
Your pardon" exclaimed the gen,
tleman, raising his hat; and himself
picked up the envelope. The messen.
ger did not notice his fingers quickly
closing upon 1t, feeling it here and
there as he presented it to the bearer.
Relieved now of this care, and sat
1sfied that her plan would provide for
the safety of this priced possession
for that night at feasibility passed
on to other matters.
OF what use, after all, was half this
coin, while the Count Frederick still
retained the other half-taken from
her by force, by violence?
She stood for time, her fingers at
her lips, engaged in thought. II am
going direct to Count Frederick him.
self and ask him for the other half
of the coin. He knows the king has
given me his half-perhaps he will re-
lent and let me match the kings half
OF the Gretzhoffen COIN"
With her to think was to act. A
half hour later, ready robed for the
street, she was in her car and on her
way to the palace of Count Frederick.
They knew her at the counts palace
now-or thought they knew her-and
SO no questions were asked when she
applied at the door. Pending the COM
ing of the count, who was at home, as
she learned, she was shown to re-
ception room close to the entry door.
AS she sat here, she heard footsteps
approaching, heard voices in CONVEX
sation. She knew that Count Freder-
lex was there, but not alone.
Kitty listened shamelessly-for now
indeed all was fair in war for her in
case like this.
She heard Count Frederick address
his companion as "My Lord Minister
and again as "Danislaw," SO knew that
it was none other than the prime min
lister of Gretzhoffen with whom he
was conversing.
MY friend. she heard a hard, in
cisive voice declare, this ball tonight
is the browning mistake of the entire
year. 1t may mean the ruin of Gretz-
hoffen. / tell you, Count Frederick,
revolution is in the air. The people
are demanding the answer to all their
sufferings, to their poverty, their
anxieties. That answer, if we do not
use every means to change it, surely
will be written red!"
ooI What pan w yOa pA OpOoO, hlJ
lord minister? What can do?"
"One thing. Let me be blunt and |
brief-have the king sober tonight! l |
shame to say those words-but those |
are my words to you. Have our mon |
arch-whom we reverence-sober to- |
night If the people see him drunken,
f they find him careless, Indifferent,
in times like this-pouf!-re
tell you, and the answer written with
he pen of blood"
Count Frederick apparently paused |
1T this. There was hint of some
hing suppressed in his voice when at
ength he did reply.
my lord minister, I'll see the king!"
Kitty thought that now they clasped
lands. She heard the prime minister
departing, each giving the other for
nal words of courtesy.
Now she heard Frederick calling to
lis servants.
'Rubinoff, Franko-any of you ras-
you, Rubinoff. Go at once
o the apartments of the Count Sachio
nd ask him if he will join me at
nee"
Kitty, still trembling In suppressed
excitement, waited yet longer before
declaring herself. She heard Freder-
ok pacing up and down in the room,
luttering to himself-heard also after
II interminable interval the footsteps
f another in the hall-heard Freder-
tx greet him.
"Ah, Sachio, you are welcome in
eed. We have news for you, my
that may go well with !
ur plans
Command me, my dear Frederick"
Il ask you, my dear Sachio, to do
n easy, pleasant and interesting task. t
, Is no more than to go this after {
Don, to win in some fashion into the I
resence of King Michael the Second, s
III beloved monarch-whom we both {
then and there, by I
hat means shall seem most expedf- c
1T, to induce him to drink more wine
ian ever he did in one day in his life." s
Count Sachio laughed loud and long. b
For what purpose, my good Fred
'ick?" he inquired at length. a
For a plain and definite purpose! c
lsten AS you know, / have had my il
res on the throne of Gretzhoffen since Il