The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1915-12-24
CHAPTER xxx.
katharine.

!, | NdLhdTt1e.
5 Two were alone once more, two
. whom fate had SO strangely cast to
} gether in such scenes The tumult had
ceased. Quiet and order now obtained
: within those ancient walls. Those twa
were alone in the great throneroom OF
the kingdom, for the nobleman had
signifed that such was his wish.
Ii He turned toward her now gravely
and held out his hands She placed
hers in his, trembling
WAS it true?" she whispered. Did
they indeed and indeed--did they call
you-the king? Or, how can be hap
Ply at that. Now, must go back-I
must leave youi"
"You shall never go." said the quiet
voice OF the man who confronted her.
You shall never leave me now"
But how? You are the king? II
has been confirmed. The scripts were
true-what we thought was true"
Il am the kingi Yes, but how shall
I rule alone? You shall sit beside me,
for tbs you have taught me how a
king should rule. Liberty and JUS
tice-those words were strangers to
my ears until you spoke them Think
you could go on in this business now,
this solemn undertaking which must
assume, and miss your counsel in the
future? You shall be as much queen
as / am king in establishing those
principles in this kingdom"
But l cannot, l am an unknown
woman. / am of no birth. | am not
| your"
Again he laid his fingers upon her
| lips lightly
"Cease!" said he; do not say that
word. Michael, himself, my father,
perhaps was of no lofty lineage so far
as traced kings could be named He
himself came from where he grew
he seized the reins of power-and he
gave the people such liberty and jus
tices as then was possible. Am / bet
ter than he? Was he better tian you?
am /? Say no more, think 10 more
that word which you were about to
name"
Again he held out to her his hands,
and now, in spite of all she could do
she could not withhold her own-could
not withdraw them, so firmly clasped
were they now. Trembling, weeping,
she looked up into his eyes.
1T is all clear" said he to her at
length. 1T was Grahame, my unfaith-
full bodyguard, who had the knowl-
edge of these things, and who be-
trayed US by that knowledge. He
got the coins from Boris Roleau.
-
thanks lit was through his treach=
cry that / lost the coin at the time
that | was in your country, on the
errand of the Gretzhoffen loan. He
stole that coin. He must have lost or
pawned half of it, or sold it. At least,
that is how you found it. So thank
him, for SO much as that.
"As for Roleau-the son of that
faithful servant of my father-he shall
be honored by US both, because he
has given loyalty. l myself have
grieved that once l was cruel to him
that 1 struck him even-after the old
fashion of our rulers here. Not again
shall that occur. Roleau, your friend,
my servant-he shall be captain of the
Imperial Guard. l have told him so
much as that.
What curse attends these treas
uresi See now, out of all these who
have been about me, two have been
son of that man who
was faithful to our earlier king, and
you! You fought ne, yes, but you
ought fair. You kept your word
you hcnored your own parole-you al
ways will do so. / trust your word
Is l trust the beating of my own heart
You then shall be-you are-my
Iueeni'
She could not answer, and still he
vent on slowly: Ahead of us is co,y
esponsibility-for both of US. We -
erve for liberty and justice"
He led her gently to the great
hrone of Gretzhoffen, which stood be-
ore them now. They bowed before
81 give you my faith, Katharine"
aid he, simply. DO you love me?"
81 do said she, so low he could
carce catch the words.
And even in these words spoken
here, the one to the other, in the 81
snce of the great throne chamber of
lie kingdom, their plighted troth
seEed as the words of the priest and
lie roar of the great organ and the
tier applause Of the assembled multi
ldes, who hailed them as sa"sors Of
lie land.
He gave her a hand now Up the
cps to the great throne itself, and
owed to her as she dropped back
pom the great seat of power.
God do so to me and more also"
i'd he solemnly, ''if ever / betray
EN- or you
L'ENvOI.
Under the sea there sped from the
tie kingdom of Gretzhoffen to the
eat republic of America a message
FRIED in the electric spark which
lited the world. 1t was directed to
e editor of the Daily Star in Kitty
avs own city, and it was enough to
We even Billy Cutler. city editcs
use for at least moment.
well, good Lcr1." said he, "who'ti
put en- the society page? Boys, tt
wers were total lossand 50 an
Here is an alias and an alihii Lis
AZ" He read from the little yellow 7