Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1915-12-17


broken She felt quicklv at her bosom
and at her waist for the bit OF coin
which she he'd brought away from
Count Fredericks room. II was gone!
At some time during her journey from
Count Frederick's palace to this place
-lGng or short whe ther it had been
she could not tell-the coin had been
taken from her
Kitty sprang to the sill of the little
window and peered out for an in
stant but her held was too feeble.
She sank back, not seeing what would
have given her great JOY to see,
Apparently some eye had caught
sight of her face, brief as had been its
] appearance. In truth, Roleau, hound
like, had run his game to earth. 1t
was he who had caught sight of her
just for an instant. Later she heard
once more the tinklirg of some falling
object upon the floor She picked it
up--it was a substt initial file, which
evidently had been flung through the
window by someone having the intent
to aid her. This thought gave her hope.
I Almost as soon as she grasped 1t she
fell to work at the bars which had re-
strained her.
Meantime, at the scene from which
she had been so unceremoniously alb.
stracted but now, Count Frederick re-
manned still bordering on the strange
events which had been brought home
so close to him. He was too much
preoccupied in his concern over the
young womans disappearance to note
carefully anything else that went on
about him. When one of his house
hold placed q message in his hand, for
the time he ga2ed at it, scarce com
pretending that it came from the roy
al palace.
Since he had left unattended the
servant of Count Sachio, whom he
had found in his own room, the latter
seized the present opportunity to es-
cape from the place and to find his
own master, Count Sachio himself
who waited for him impatiently
enough at the rendezvous which had
been established
"Well, WELL then, Bartel exclaimed
the count, why the delay? What's
wrong? You are not going to tell me
the same story that Rudolph brought
you have not failed?"
The shamefaced look of the other
gave him his own answer Count
Sachio himself gave way to hearty
curses of all incompetence.
"The count retained one-half the
coin," went on the unfortunate mes
senger. Il don't know which it was.
The girl-the young American-got
the other piece. | saw her pick it up.
But she did not get BOTH | don't
know which one she did get, but
know that each has one-half-the
count and the girl. She must have
been carried away by some other
man. heard her scream, then all was
silent"
80 all escaped you? 1t is another
matter what | myself may have done
as to the girl and the coin-they es.
capped you?"
yes, excellency, naturally could
not prevent the man from escaping,
and the count himself allowed the
other man to do So
what other man,
"Roleau, they called him-the girls
servant-he follows her like dog
and fights like one"
$50, there were two others present
beside yourself?"
yes, it seemed as though everyone
interested in the coin came all at
once"
Naturally the competition asks
quick work Of all of us. And we will
act quickly. Tell me, what happened
them"
The Count Frederick allowed her
to escape-strangely, he seemed to
have small resentment for her after |
all. Nor did he have too much for |
Roleau, whom he must have ranked
wholly faithless servant He did not |
punish him-but even sent him off
after the girl Excellency, my word
for it, he seemed to miss the girl as
much as the coin-did Count Fred
erick."
Follow them then, Rartel Follow
Roleau-if you can find him-he will
lead you to the girl, wherever she may
be. For myself, cannot guess
1t was this counsel, followed dill
gently by the unhappy messenger of
Count Sachio, which resulted in a
quick shifting of the forces of Kitty's
enemies. 1t was true Roleau had
gained access to point within sight
tried to be of aid to her--still hoped
she soon would be able to aid herself.
But here he was surprised by these
emissaries of Count Sacho-it was
none less than the nobleman himself
who led the forces now.
Therefore when, after all her toll
Kitty at length managed to make her
escape through the barred WINDOW, 1t
was but to find herself once more a
prisoner-Roleau once more a prisoner
with her! The fact of captivity had
not changed only the phases of cap
tigity. She and her ally had only ex-
changed captors. Who her last prison
guardian had been Kitty could not
tell. Now, without doubt, she was
once mere to be subjected to the scant
courtesy of the nobleman of Grahof-
fen.
CHAPTER XVII.
The Counterfeit Coin.
Count Frederick finally aroused