The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1916-02-04

LII LaulC 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 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.
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 it, feeling it here and
| there as he presented it to the bearer
Relieved now Of this care, and sat-
! ished that her plan would provide for
the safety Of this priced possession
for that night at feasibility passed
| on to other matters.
VI TAoS 00Os dALCI O1ls WAS Hall ILLS
coin, while the Count Frederick still
| retained the other half-taken from
her by force, by violence?
She stood for a 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 a 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 UlIn-
lister Of GretZhoffen with whom ne
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. I 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 [ do?"
"One thing Let me be blunt and
brief-have the king sober tonight! I
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 s-pouf!-revolution
tell you, and the answer written with
the pen Of blood"
Count Frederick apparently paused
at this. There was a 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, Rubiloff. Go at once
to the apartments of the Count Sachio
once"
Kitty, still trembling in suppressed
excitement, waited yet longer before
declaring herself She heard Freder-
lex pacing up and down in the room,
muttering to himself-heard also after
an interminab1e interval the footsteps
Of another in the hall--heard Freder-
lex greet him.
"Ah, Sachio, you are welcome in
deed. We have news for you, my
friend-news that may go well with
our plans"
Command me, nay dear Frederick"
II ask you, my dear Sachio, to dc
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 mouarch-whom we both
reverence!-andt then and there, by
what means shall seem most exped1-
ent, to induce him to drink more wine
than ever he did in one day in his life"
Count Sachio laughed loud and long.
"For what purpose, my good Fred
erick?" he inquired at length.
For plain and definite purpose!
Listen. AS you know, I have had my