The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-08-10

! CAN'T just O. she
demurred.
Call me Rex for the present." said
he. II viii supply you with a better
n later on"
May / call him Rexf" she inquired
OF her companion.
I'm moderation" said Mrs. CASTOR.
Very well, then Rex. l have changed
my mind. | 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 | am going to Graustark,
b new Blithers estate. Surely you
will not follow me there"
You are very much mistaken. l
shall be there as soon as you and |
shall stay just as long, provided Mr..
Blithers has no objections" said
Robin. with more calmness than he
had hoped to display in the face Of her
sudden thrust.
Mr.. William w. Blithers arrived in
Edelweiss. 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 beat the prince home by the mat
ter Of three hours. The procession Of
troops. headed by the Royal Castle
guard. 1t was announced. would pass
the historic Hotel Regengetz at s in
the afternoon, so Mr.. Blithers had
front seats on the extension porch fac
ing the platz.
He had lost no time in his dash
across the continent. In the first
place, his agents In Paris made 1t
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 1t
or not. and in the second place Maud
Apologize had left a note on his desk
In the Paris Offices, coolly informing
him that she was likely to turn up In
Edelweiss almost as soon as he. She
added an annoying postscript. She
said she was curious to see what sort
Of a place 1t 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
gentleness. He was furious. He sem
for the head Of the detective agency
and gave him a blowing up that he
was v to forget. 1t appears that
the detectives had followed a false
lead and had been fooled by the wary
Maud in a most humiliating manner
They hadn't the remotest notion
where she was and evinced great sur
prise when informed in a voice loud
enough to be heard a half block away
that she was on her way to Graustark.
Then he dragged Mrs. Blithers off
to the Care de TEste and took the ex-
press to Vienna. He would see to the
loan first and to Maud afterward.
Going back a day or two, 1t becomes
necessary to report that while in VI
emma the perverse Bedelia played a
She stole away from the Bristol In the
middle Of the night and vas 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.
1t Is for the best. l must have a few days
to myself, dear ~friend-days for sober re-
Election uninfluenced by the presence of a
natural enemy to composure. And so 1 am
leaving you in this cowardly, graceless
fashion. Do not think Ill of me. l give
you my solemn promise hat in q few days
/ shall let you know where l may be
found II you choose to come to me. Even
then / may not be fully convinced In my
own mind hat our adventure has reached
Its climax. You have said that you would
accompany me to Graustark. / an leav-
ing tonight for that country, where i shall
remain in seclusion for a few days before
acquainting you with my future plans. 1t
Is not my intention to stop In Edelweiss
at present. The newspaper proclaim a
state of unrest there over the coming visit
Of Mr.. Blithers and the return of the
prince, both of whom are very much In
the public eye just now. i prefer the quiet
Of the country to the excitement Of the
city, 30 l shall seek some remote village
and give myself up to-shall i say prayer
full meditation? Believe me, dear Rex, to
be YOU most devoted though whimsical
BEDELIA.