The Spectator., 1915-11-23

could furnish her-she wrote simple address: For the King. at the Royal 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 a 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 it at the hour of mid. | night of that very day.
 The man listened respectfully, took the missive, and started for the door. | Passing, he almost ran against a gen. yelope 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 it, feeling 1t here and there as he presented it to the bearer Relieved now of this care. and sat isfied that her plan would provide for | the safety of this prized 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. T 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 a re- ception room close to the entry door. AS she sat here, she heard footsteps sation. She knew that Count Freder- ick was there. but not alone. Kitty listened shamelessly-forn now | indeed all was fair in war for her in case like this.
 She heard Count Frederick address l his companion as My Lord Minister and again as ''Danislaw," so knew that it was none other than the prime min | ister of Gretzhoffen with whom he was conversing
 My friend" she heard hard, in- cisive voice declare. this ball tonight | Is the crowning mistake of the entire 1 year It may mean the ruin of Gretz- hoffen. l 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!"
 But what plan do you propose, my lord minister? What can I do?"
 One thing. Let me be blunt and brief-have the king sober tonight! 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. ! if they find him careless, indifferent, in times like this-pouf,- I tell you, and the answer written with the pen of blood"
 Count Frederick apparently paused at this. There was hint of some thing suppressed in his voice when at length he did reply.
 My lord minister, I'll see the king."
 Kitty thought that now they clasped hands. She heard the prime minister departing, each giving the other for nal words of courtesy.
 Now she heard Frederick calling to his servants.
 ''Rubinoff, Franko-any of you ras- cals-well, you, Rubinoff. Go at once to the apartments of the Count Sachio and ask him if he will join me at once"
 | hllly, Slll tlelHDlllS III suppICSoSu
 excitement. waited yet longer before declaring herself She heard Freder- ick pacing up and down in the room, muttering to himself-heard also after
 an interminable interval the footsteps
 of another in the hall-heard F~edar-
 ick greet him.
 "Ah, Sachio, you are welcome 'n-
 deed We have news for you, my
 friend-news that may go we'll with
 our plans"
 Command me, my dear Frederick. 5
 'I ask you, my dear Sachio. to do
 an easy, pleasant and interesting task.
 It is no more than to go this after
 noon, to win in some fashion into the
 presence of King Michael the Second,
 our beloved monarch-whom we both
 reverence!-and then and there, by
 what means shall seem most expedi-
 ent to induce him to drink more wine | than aver he did in one day in his life "