The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-03-11
 #THE PRINCE OF= #GR AUST K By George Barr McCutcheon5
Copyright, 1914, by Dodo Mead and Company

' (COnLinued. ]

1n Vienna shortly. The pleasure Is merely postponed.'
 Are you in earnest about this trip by motor tomorrow morning?'' de
 nanded Robin darkly. You marely cannot be-
 seeI am very much in earnest" she said decisively. Goodness, know ] shall not sleep wink tonight
 Nor I" said Robin gloomily. Sud denly his face frightened. A wild, reck- less aIeam shot into his eyes, and, to their amazement, he banged the table with his fist. By love, I know what I : shall do. I'll go with you!''
 No!" cried Bedelia, aghast. 'tIII cannot permit it, MT. Schmidt. Can't you understand? You-you are the man with whom I am supposed to be carrying on atrociousIy."
 tWell, I can tell you fat1y just what intend to do,' said he, setting his jaws. -T shai hire another car and Keep you in sight every foot of the way. Where you go. I go."
 Do you mean it ?'' she cried, a new thrill in her voice.
 T intend to see you every day. he declared. t'trom now till the end of tine''
 Really. MT. Schmidt, you''-
 ssn there is one thing I despise be- yond all reason, BedeIia. it is the name of Schmidt wish you wouldn't call me by that nane.''
 T can't just call you mister she demurred.
 "CaI1 me Rex for the present" said he. 'T will supply you with better one later on"
 May call him Rex?" she inquired of her companion.
 In moderator" said Mrs Gaston
 Very well, then Rex, have changed my mind. I shall not motor since you insist upon risking your neck in pur- suit of me. shall go by train in the morning. We will be in Vienna in two days. There shall say goodby to you. for I am going to Graustark, the new Blthers estate. Surely you will not follow me there''
 You sare very much mistaken shall be there as soon as you and shall stay just as long, provided MT. Blithers has no objections,'' said Robin, with more calmness than he had hoped to display in the face of her sudden thrust
 MT. William w BIithers arrived In EdeIweiss, the capital of Graustark, on the same day that the prince returned From his tour Of the world. AS a mat ter of fact, he travelled by special train and boat the, prince home by the mat ter of three hours. The procession of troopa, headed by the Royal Castle guard. it was announced, would pass the historic Hotel Regengetz at 5 in the afternoon, SO MT. Blithers had front seats on the extension porch fac ing the piatz.
 He had lost no time in his dash across the continent. In the 6rst l place, his agents in Paris made it quite clear to him that there was likely to be "ructions" in Graustark over the loan and the prospect of a plebeian princess being seated on the the throne whether the people liked it 1 or not, and in the second place Maud Applegate had left note on his desk | in the Paris offices, cool1y informing | him that she was likely to turn up In | Ede1weiss almost as soon as he. She 1 added an annoying postscript She said she was curious to see what sort l Of a place it was that he had been wasting his money on. To say that he was put out by | Maud's aggravating behavior would be stating the case with excessive | gent1eness. He was furious He sent | for the head of the detective agency | and gave him a blowing up that he l was never to forget. It appears that | the detectives had followed a false | lead and had been fooled by the wary | Maud in most humiliating manner | They hadn't the remotest notion l where she was and evinced great sur prise when informed in voice loud i enough to be heard half block away | that she was on her way to Graustark.
 VI, k NK~ to the Care de FEste and took the ex- press to Vienna He would see to the 1 loan first and to Maud afterward.
 Going back a day or two. it becomes necessary to report that while in Vii | emma the perverse Bede1ia played a shabby trick on the infatuated Robin. She stole away from the Bristol in the | middle of the night and was halfway to the Graustark frontier before he | was aware of her flight She left a note for him in which she said:
 Forgive me for running away like this. It is for the best. must have q few days | to myself, dear frfend-da.y5 for sober re- hectfon uninduenced by the presence of natural enemy to composure. And so am Having you in this ooward1y. graceless fashion. Do not think i'll of me give you my solemn promise that in few days F shall let you know where I may be | found if you choose to come to me Even own mind that our adventure has reached ffs climax You have said that you would accompany to Graustark. I am Ieav- ing tonight for that country, where shall remain in secIusion for few days before acQuainting you with my future plans. It fs not my intention to stop in EdeIweiss at present The newspapers proclaim a state of unrest there over the coming visit of Mir. B1ithers and the return of the prince, both of whom are very much in the public eye just now. prefer the quiet of the country to the excitement of the city, so shall seek soma remote village and give myself up to-shan say pray er- fI1I meditation2 Believe me, dear Rex, to De vour most devoted though whfnsfcM
 BEDELIA-
 CHAPTER XVIII.
 Nr BIithers In Graus1ar4<.