River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1918-07-04


to burn them In. He sat bent over the
desk, the very tip Of his tongue pro-
truding, and worked conscientiously
and carefully. Between each letter
he burned dot.
Suddenly, Olga Loschek became
panic-stricken She could not stay,
and see this thing out. Let them fol-
low her and punish her. She could
mott! She had done her part. The
governess lay in drugged sleep. A
turn of the key, and the door to the
passage beyond which Oskar waited
would be closed off. Let follow what
must, she would not see it.
"Highness," she said, Lieutenant
Larisch will be here in moment. VIII
you permit me to go?"
Otto was off his chair in an instant.
Certainly" he said, his mind still on
the 80" which he was shading.
Old habit was strong in the countess.
Although the boys rank was numbered
by moments, although his life was pos
sibly to be counted by hours, she
turned at the doorway and swept him
curtsy. Then she went out, and
closed the door behind her.
The two sentries stood outside.
They were of the terroristS. She
knew, and they knew she knew. But
neither one made sign. They stared
ahead, and Olga Loschek went out be-
tween them.
The Crown Prince Ferdinand Will
liam Otto was only a small boy, for all
his title and dignity. And suddenly
he felt lonely. Left alone, he returned
to his expectations for the day, and
compared them with the facts. He
remembered other carnivals, with his
carriage moving through the streets,
and people showering him with fresh
flowers. He rather glowed at the
memory. Then he recalled that the
chancellor had said he needed fresh
air.
Something occurred to him, some
thing which combined fresh air with
action, yet kept to the letter Of his
promise-or was there a promise P
not to leave the palace.
The idea pleased him. It set him
to smiling, and his bright hair to
quivering with excitement. It was
nothing less than to go on the roof and
find the ball. And heNwould have to
hurry. Milky would be sure to return
soon.
He opened the door on to the great
corridor, and stepped out, saluting the
sentries, as he always did.
'I'll be back in a moment" he in.
formed them. He was always on terms
of great friendIiness with the guard,
and he knew these men by sight. Are
you going to be stationed here now"
he inquired pleasantly.
The two guards were at loss. But
one of them, who had son Of his own.
and hated the whole business, saluted
and replied that he knew not.
ST hope you are" said Ferdinand
William Otto, and went on.
The sentries regarded one another.
LET him gol" said the one who was
father.
The other one moved uneasily. sour
orders cover no such contingency" he
muttered. "And, besides, he will come
back. hope to God he does not
come back" he added stonily.
Five minutes to four.
The crown prince hurried. The cor
ridors were almost empty. Here and
there he met servants, who stood stiff
against the wall until he had passed.
On the marble staircase, leading up,
he met no one, nor on the upper floor.
He was quite warm with running and
he paused in his fathers suite to mop
his face. Then he opened a window
and went out on the roof. From the
balustrade, it looked extremely far to
the ground.
Nevertheless, although his heart beat
q trifle fast, he was still determined.
A climb which Milky with his long
legs had achieved in a leap, took him
up to chimney. Below-it seemed
a long way below-was the gutter.
There was a very considerable slant.
If one sat down, like Milky, and slid,
and did not slide over the edge, one
SllOulu I0ICn up ia tAO SOIS0As
He felt a triffe dizzy. But Nikky'S
theory was, that if one is afraid to
do a thing, better to do 1t and get over
being afraid.
So the crown prince sat down on the
sloping roof behind the chimney and
gathered his legs under him for a
slide. Well for him that the ancient
builders of the palace had been reck-
less with lead, that the gutter was both
wide and deep. Well for Milky, too,
waiting in the boudoir below and hard
driven between love and anxiety.
The crown prince, unaccustomed to
tiles. turned over halfway down, and
rolled. He brought up with a jerk
in the gutter, quite safe, but extremely
frightened. He sat there for quite
few minutes. There was no ball in
sieht. and the roof looked even sleeper
from this point.
Being completely self-engrossed,