The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-07-20
BY Percy Brebncr.
Copyright, 1918. by
Little. Brown & Co.
Continued from Our Last Issue. }

two masters In Syere," said. 81
was necessary to prove that I'M
possible"
| And he is gone" he laughed
afraid to stay with you and
afraid to come to me. A poo
sort Of fellow, evidently. Since
he is gone, Captain. you mus
act, for once, as seneschal, ano
be honored guest as we'll. W.
will feast tonight"
1 did not go with the Count
when he visited the Princess, MOI
dared l venture any attempt to
get a word with my lady. The
company which had come to the
the castle consisted almost en-.
tirely of men from Varna, and
they quickly seemed to take pos
session OF the place. met them
wherever l went.
In this dilemma / must put my
trust in O'Connell, and l con.
trived presently to get few mo.
ments with him alone. He was
to 60 to my lady in my stead as
soon as the banquet was served
wrote a hasty line for him to
give her. The kitchen maid
would guide them to the secre,
door, and they would make for
the frontier with all the speed
they could employ.
Steal horses, O'Connell, IL you
can. Some farmstead or some
woodcutter's dwelling may be
your opportunity. Keep to the
forest. 1t is desperate venture
but 1t must be made"
will she go without your"
"She must. You have my writ.
ten message and you must per.
suade her. l shall follow you to
the frontier. shall see to II
that the wine circulates freely to-
night; you shall have many good
hours before pursuit is thought
of. II ] can so contrive it, l will
help to lead that pursuit myself
and every hole that might serve
as hiding place shall be search
ed as we go, SO that we may be
delayed as much as possible"
1t suited me to be seneschal
as we'll as Captain that day; my
movements occasioned less COM
ment than they otherwise would
have done. | bullied servants
into activity to which they had
long been unaccustomed; | set
men of the Guard to work for
which they were never intended,
always with view that the way
of my lady's escape might be as
free as possible that evening.
And / ordered them extra drink
to compensate for their increased
labor, confident they would far
overstep the license / gave them
The castle should be a scene of
orgy tonight If l could make II
so, and played the good COM
rade to the Guard as had never
done before. l also got a word
with the kitchen maid and sent
her to her mistress.
Have you the key?"
She touched her dress near the
waist.
Keep it safe, and when the
Irishman O'Connell comes to-
night, go at once"
So laid my plans. testing their
worth at every point as far as |
could. A score of things might
happen which 1t was impossible
for me to foresee, but as twilight
gathered, I could think of moth
ing l had left undone.
1t was a large hall in which
the banquet was served, the tables
occupying only the upper end OF
it.
II called you guest. l should
more rightly have called you
host" said the Count, as he en-
tered the hall, land a most ex-
cellent host, indeed"
II fear, sir. it is after all only
rough festival with which Syere
welcomes a king and a lover"
answered.
Again a puzzled look came into
his face. l was ignorant of his
schemes, but he was evidently
not quite certain that | was pow
erless to upset them. I was con-
scious that he watched me all
through the feast.
We were only men at the
board. The Count was at the
center Of the table, and l had
kept place at the end nearest
the door for myself. Father An.
thony sat with US, against his
will, l fancy, for the Count urged
him to drink wine enough to put
some merriment into his face.
THE wine is good aud comes
from a full cellar" | said to those
about me. Kings property, nc
doubt, but for tonight I am sene.
schal and hold the keys"
This was the spirit that ap.
pealed to them.
"A toast" cried the Count
"Her Highness, Princess SUI.
anne"
In an instant we were all on
our feet to honor the toast, one
or two a little unsteady in their
rising, ] noted with satisfaction
| and we roared the Princess
mama until tho ya,,ItoA r,oe 800