Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1915-08-13

just IN time TO see the form OF d
man disappear around the bow of
the boat. Realizing the bag con-
tanned only her handkerchief and
half an American dollar, and that
the coin is safe in her stocking, Kit
ty locks the portfolio and retires for
the night. She sees no more of the
strange foreigner and arrives at
Gretzhoffen in fine spirit and with
the coin safely tucked away.
On investigating, with the help OF
the American Consul, Kitty finds
that the kingdom of Gretzhoffen is
very poor little municipality, ruled
by puppet king, Michael II, who
is under the power of a supposed
friend, Count Frederick. Frederick,
in reality, is the pretender to the
throne occupied by the puppet and
uses Michael, under the gulse OF
friendship, to further his own plans
and ascend the throne OF GretzhOf-
fen. The financial straights Of the
little kingdom are due to the fact
that gold scripts and jewels belong
ing to Michael's father, the old King
Michael the First, have been miss
ing since the death Of the Old KING,
and the only clue to the missing
valuabIes is half of a broken coin,
DIV 70 q
present king by an old servant OF
Michael the First, on his, the ser
wants deathbed,
Michael the puppet, has after a
fashion, tried to locate the other haH
of the coin. which would enable him
to find the hidden scripts, etc, not
from any love he bears for Gretz-
hoffen, but so he would have more
money to spend on his loose living,
which has, with his eXtrayagant par
ties, friends, etc, put the kingdom in
it's present state Of bankruptcy.
Count Frederick, knowing of the
coin and it's value, procures it
through the aid of his valet and ac-
complise, Grahame, and determines to
find the other half, dethrOne Michael
and ascend the throne, a rich ruler
OF Gretzh0ffen.
Kitty learns only a part of this,
but realizes that this Count Freder-
lex is the one she has to work
against and that he will give her
no little trouble Thanking the Con-
sui for the information, she bids him
good-day and strikes out for the
hotel
In the meantime, RolIeau, the
foreigner who followed Kitty on her
trip and is in reality, a hireIing of
the INSCRIPTIONS Frederick, reports
to his employer with the bag he has
obtained from Kitty on board the
liner Frederick who has a violent
temper, is greatly angered at find
ing the bag minus the precious half
coin and beats the cringing ROlleau
until great welts rise on his flesh;
ROlleau although brute in strength,
takes Frederick's beating like a
child, and with strange expression
on his bleeding face, leaves the
room Frederick, quickly forgetting
Rolleau, sets out to find another way
tn oct the coin
Kitty, in a taxi on her way home,
sees a man stagger from the back
door Of a fashionable house, trying
to cover his bloOd-stained face with
his coat sleeve, and stopping her
car near the man, she gets out and
tries to help him. Not recognizing
him and plying him, she takes the
stranger to her home and cares for
his wounds.
The next day Kitty takes him for
a ride and ne waits upon her in
hang-dog way. AS they ride down
boulevard RolleaU suddenly becomes
consumed with rage and Kitty, look
ing in the direction he has his eyes
riVeted, sees in an open car, the
face Of her Old-time enemy, Hugo
LoubeQue, the international spy, who
in reality is-The Count Frederick.
News Budget $3.50 per year.