The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-08-03

property" said. 81 have some recol-
lection Of having seen it in your
handi"
She took it, examined it well and
then, with an artificial laugh, declared:
at certainly is not mine. 1 once
had bag very similar, but mine was
not of such good quality"
"Are you really quite certain, count
ess?' 1 demanded.
"Quite," she declared. "But why
trouble about that bag while there is a
| point much more important-the safety
and whereabouts of his imperial high
ness?" she went on in a great state of
! agitation. "Tell me, count, exactly
what occurred-as far as you know"
/ recounted to her the facts just as
/ they have already been written down.
/ and as did so 1 watched her face, no.
ticing upon it an expression full of sus-
/ picion Of myself. She was, it seemed
4 to me, undecided as to the exact extent
of my knowledge.
"HOw did you know that the young
mans name was Krahl?" she asked,
eagerly. you had perhaps met him
before-eh?"
The Search.
To this leading question maintained
sphinxlike silence. That the little
old woman who had so Unexpectedly
become a lady-in-waiting was playing
some desperate double game 1 felt
sure but its exact import was still an
enigma.
"In any case" she said, "would il
not be as well to return to the Neue
Schenke and make searchT
I smiled. Then, in order to let her
know that I was acquainted with tia
lian, the language she had spoken or
that Mell-remembered night in her OWE
conservatory, l exclaimed:
"Ahel allie vote con gil occhi apert
dream with ones eyes open.)
Her thin eyebrows narrowed, AM
!, with shrug of her shoulders tn
old woman replied:
: ''Dal false bene viene il vero male
= (From an affected good feeling com,
real evil.)
/ realized at that moment that the
II was more mystery in the affair thar
Us had yet conceived. His imperial his
ness was certainly missing, though I
nd female element of the affair had
TO- come eliminated by my recognition
ny her own handbag. She, too, had b.
IN in secret to the forester's house
'er with what object?
Half an hour later we were back
", the little house in the forest.
$ The guests had all returned to
as castle, and only Eckhardt, the pol
ed commissioner, remained, with a f
IN ester and his underlings. Alrea
search had been made in the surrouI
a. ing woods, but without result. OF
IS imperial highness there was no trac
$, In the long room, with its pitch-pil
st walls, and lit by oil lamps, the o
S. countess closely questioned Eckhar
IT as TO the result of his inquiries. b
st the police official, who had become fu
d of nervous fear, declared that he hs
been sent off by his highness, an
o had not since found any trace of hiI
4 He spoke of the little silk bag, I
i, course, and attached great important
lie TO it.
.e Within half an hour we had REQ
e. ganized the beaters from the neighbo
d hood and, with lanterns, set out aga
o. TO examine some woods to the ca
1t which had not been searched. AboI
n ten o'clock we set forth, the counte
IS accompanying US and walking we
Notwithstanding her age, though
could see that il was fearful ankle
t. that kept her active. To the men wi
lie us every inch of the mountain si'
was familiar, and for hours '
e. searched.
or A Startling Discovery.
Id Suddenly, not far away, a horn w
blown, followed by loud shouts. Quic
ne ly we approached the spot, and &c
I'd hardt and myself, as we came u
h looked upon strange scene. Close
e. the trunk of a great beech tree lay I
form of the crown prince, hatless, OF
h stretched upon his face.
lis Instantly I bent, tore open
ed shooting jacket, and to my great rell
le found that his heart was still beatir
&c He was, however, quite unconsciol
though there seemed no sign of
", struggle. AS he had left his hat a
gun in the house, it seemed that
in had gone forth only for a MONIES
And yet we were quite mile from I
is foresters house!
ed The countess had thrown herself L
on her knees and stroked his brow e
ID, derby when I announced that he W
st still living. By her actions saw tn
he she was filed by some bitter self
as proach.
With the lanterns shining arou
he him-surely a weird and remarkal
IS scene which would. if described by I
journalists, have caused a great Sc
en- sation in Europe-the crown prin
1 was brought slowly back to conscioi
to ness, until at last he sat up, dazed a
in wondering.