The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1916-01-28

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me-"
1--WE are all distressed, excellency,"
said the woman. I'VE know not what
there may be yonder. Perhaps this
moment the two kingdoms may be at
war. But what can do to make your
excellency more comfortablei"
She was willing enough to curry ia
vor with favorite OF the king.
Tell me Margot," demanded Kitty
Gray, about this country here. am a
stranger from far country, and
know very little of this land and OF
it. customs. Is it an old land. this Of
Gretzhoffen. Margot?"
More immemorially old. your excel
lency, than most people have ever
dreamed OF. The first kings OF GretZ-
hoffeD date back so far In history that
almost they merge into myths. The
Oldest Kingdoms Of Europe are not %
old as this little one"
Does the history OF this country
date back 30 far as the middle ageB?"
"Oh, easily. We are very old"
smiled Margot.
Those also were times Of war and
bloodshed, were they not? Why. Mar.
got, in those days they tortured pris-
oners, did they not?"
Not only prisoners. excellency. but
many others. II a king wished news
or money II an official wished confes-
sion of a crime-if a bishop desired
confession Of faith from heretic-the
torture chamber was the place to get
such results"
But not here, Margot-surely not
here?"
Surely. | can give warrant for eV-
cry word have told you, excellency
The tradition is that the old torture
der-under the corner tower OF the
palace-where the embellishments ran
in. There is corridor which leads
yonder, down below, into the vaults.
| would not go there for all the world.
Few of us know the wGy, indeed
have never been there. We folk OF
Gretzhoffen palace-we are wise
enough not to ask too many questions,
or to learn too many truths. Besides,
| should die with terror to think Of
what spirits must haunt such a place.
But. excellency," she concluded, let
us speak OF more pleasant things"
Would you take me yonder. Mar
got?" asked Kitty.
The woman crossed herself devoutly.
Not on my life" said she. Never
in the world! II 1t be true that the
chambers are there, let others prove
the truth. l do not know"
1T was but fancy" said Kitty,
turning to her couch and feignins
WEAKNESS. Il will call you, Margot."
Kitty listened until her footballs had
quite died away; then, swiftly. she en-
gagged herself upon the errAnd which
all this time she had been planning.
She stole from her own apartments
into the hall, passed along 1t toward
the farther corner where stood the tow
er, until she came to another stair.
Arrived upon this floor. she found her
self unnoticed-that part Of the pal
ace was deserted.
Trusting only to general sense
Of direction, she passed on and down
finding her own way through tha
labyrinth Of passages, until at length
she had reached the subterranean
vaults which lay beneath the main ed
- h. 1T
About cher now lay dampness, 81.
lence The gloom OF it all weighed
heavily upon even her stout soul, used
as she was by this time to terrors.
But still she pushed on, the little can
die which she had brought with her
lighting the gloom at least family.
She could not tell now where she
was. Only there came to her the
vague conviction that II there were
secrets in the palace this was the
way to find them. Therefore she fol
lowed such passageways as opened
| from time to time ahead
There were walls OF rock now on
each side OF her, whether Of heavy
masonry or hewn granite she could
not tell, her light flickered so family
on them But at length she found her
self at the end OF the winding pass
ageway. A heavy door stood before
her.
Kitty flashed her light this way and
that to see II she could find trace OF
any other visitors. The dust OF the
floor lay unbroken. Dust, fine, impal
pable, lay on the great metal latchet
Of the door itself. There was a lock,
yes, vast and cumbersome affair OF
iron. She tried it. 1t did not yield.
Where then was the key, If there was
one?
With no special plan, she cast her
light here and there along the wall.
She found at last, near to the jamb of
the heavy door. an iron prong project.
ing from the wall, on it vast and
rusty bit OF ron-the key.
With all her strength she twisted
the great key At length she felt the
! lock turn, Weld. One moment she