The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-12-19

heuu, me- expiuineu, swiftly. lie $1,000,
as many q nan has stood before, be.
tween love and loyalty to his king,
and he was q soldier. He had no
choice.
1t was terrible to him to see the
light die out Of her eyes. But ever
rs he told her Of the dangers that
comprised the child and possibly 9th.
ers Of the family, he saw that they
touched her remotely, II ut all.
All she said, when Milky finished,
was: II might have known It. OF
course they would get me, as they did
the Others" But a moment later she
rose and threw out her arms. "How
skillful they arel They Knew about
1t. 1t is all a part Of the plot. They
made you promise never to desert
Otto, so that their arrangements need
not be interfered with. Oh. I know
them, better than you do. They are
all cruel. It is the blood"
That evening the Princess Hedwig
went unannounced to her grnndfather's
apartment, and demanded to be al.
lowed to enter.
A gentleman In waiting bowed deep
ly, but stood before the door. "Your
highness must pardon my reminding
your highness," he said firmly, that
no one may enter his majesty's pres
ence without permission"
"Then 60 in," said Hedwig. In a
white rage. "and get the permission"
The gentleman In waiting went In,
very deliberately. because his dignity
was outraged. The moment he had
gone. however. Hedwig flung the door
open, and followed. standing. q figure
Of tragic defiance, inside the heavy
curtains Of the kings bedroom.
There Is no use saying you won't
see me, grandfather. For here I am"
They eyed each other. the one. It
must be told, a trifle uneasily. the
other desperately. Then into the
kings eyes came a fash of admiration,
and Just a CLEAN Of amusement.
$50 I perceive" he said. "Come
here, Hedwig."
|, A sister Of charity was standing by
the kings bed. She had cared for
him through many illnesses. In the
intervals she retired to her clolster and
read holy books and sewed for the
poor.
The sister went out, her black habit
dragging. but she did not sew. Some
time later she heard bitter crying In
the royal bed chamber, and the kings
tones. soothing now and very sad.
"Thers IL a higher duty than happi.
ness" he said. "There are greater
things than love. And one day you
will know this"
When she went in Hedwig had
and the old king. lying In his bed, was
looking at the portrait Of his dead
son.
The following morning the Countess
Loschek left for a holiday. She had
the choice Of but two alternatives, to
do as she had been commanded, for II
amounted to that, OF to die. The COM
mittee would not kill her, In case she
failed them. 1t would be unnecessary.
Enough that they place the letter and
the code In the hands OF the author
tiles, by some anonymous means. Well
enough she knew the chnncellor's in
flexible anger, and the ~Archduchess
Annunciata's cold rage. They would
sweep her away with a gesture, and
she would die the death OF all traitors.
A week! Time had been when a
week OF the dragging days ut the pal
ace had seemed eternity. Now the
hours flew. The gold clock on her
dressing table. a gift from the arch
duchess, marked them with flying
hands.
During h afternoon came n pack.
age, rather unskillfully tied with a gilt
cord. Opening II. the countess dis
closed n glove box Of wood. with a de-
sign OF rather shaky violets burnt into
the cover. Inside was a note:
I am very sorry you are sick. This Is
TO PIT your gloves in when you travel.
Please excuse the work. I have done II
In a hurry.
FERDINAND WILLIAM OTTO.
Suddenly the countess laughed. chok-
Ing hysterical laughter that alarmed
Mlnna horrible laughter, which left
her pnler than ever, and gasplng.
The old castle OF the Loscheks
looked grim and lnhospitable when she
reached II that night. Built during the
years when the unbellever overran
southern Europe, 1t stood In a COM
manding position over n valley. and a
steep, walled road led up to II.
But, Its ancient glory and good re-
pute departed, Its garrison gone. its
drawbridge and moat things Of the
past, Its very hangings and furnish
lngs moldering from long neglect. II
hung over the valley, a past menace.
IN empty threat.
To this dreary refuge the countess
had fed. She wanted the silence Of
Its still rooms In which to think.
wretched herself. Its wretchedness
called her. As the carriage WHICH had
brought her from the railway turned
into Its woods. and she breathed the
pungent odor Of pine and balsam, she
relaxed for the first time.
Why was she so hopeiessf She
could escape. She knew the woods