New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-11-22

but h%lghness !" implored the count
ass. "If only you would use ii little
caution. Open defiance is its own de
feat"
Il am not ashamed of what | do
said Hedwig hotly.
ASHAMED! OF course not. Rut
things that are harmless in others in
your positi0n-you are young. You
should have friends. gayety. l am
She smiled grimly in the darkness
mot so old myself but that | can I'M
derStand."
Hedwig stood still. The old city was
preparing for sleep. In the place a
few lovers loitered, standing close, and
the faint tinkling of q bell told of the
blessed Sacrament being carried
through the streets to some bedside Of
the dying. The Princess Hedwig
bowed her head.
1t seemed to her. all at once, that
the world was full of Indebtedness and
death, and of separation, whict might
be worse than death.
Il wish | could help you, ~highncss,"
said the countess. Il should like to
see you happy. But happiness does
not come Of itself. We must fight for
It,"
"Ffght? What chance have | to
fight" Hedwig asked scornfully.
zone thing, of course, | could do"
pursued the countess. "On those days
when you wish to have tea with--his
royal %highness, l could arrange, per-
haps, to let you know If any member
OF the family intended going to his
apartments"
1t was Il moment before Hedwig
comprehended. Then she turned to
her h~aughtlly. "When l wish to have
tea with my COUSIN she said cOldly,
II shall do 1t openly, countess"
She left the balcony abruptly, ADAM
doning the countess to solitary fury,
the greater because triumph had
seemed so near. Alone, she went red
and white, bit her lips, behaved ac-
cording to all the time-hOnored ira
ditions. And even Swore-in n polite,
lady-in- waiting fashion, TO be sure
to get even.
Things were going very wrong for
Milky Larisch.
Perhaps, at the very first. he had
been in love with the princess, not the
wOman 1t had been rather like him
to fix on the unattainable and wOr.
ship 1t from afar. Because, for all the
friendliness of their growing intimacy,
IIedwig was still Il star. whose light
touched him, but whose warmth was
for him. He would have died
fighting for her with IL smile on his
lips. But he had no hope Of living
for her. unless, Of course, she should
happen to need him. which was most
unlikely. lie had no vanity whatever,
although in parade dress. with white
gloves, he hoped he cut n decent figure.
so she had been his star, and as cold
and remote. And then, that very
morning. Hedwig had been thrown.
Not ~badly-she was too expert for
self going, she had flung two strong
young arms around her horses neck,
and had almost succeeded in lighting
on her feet. 1t was not at all
dramatic.
But Nikky's heart had stopped beat
ing. He had lifted her up from where
she sat, half vexed and wholly
ashamed, and carried her to a chair.
That was all. But when it was all
over, and Hedwig was only a trife
wobbly and horribly Inundated,
Milky Larisch knew the truth about
himself, knew hat he was in love
with the granddaughter of his king,
and that under no conceivable circum-
stances would he ever be able to tell
her so. Knew, then. that happiness
and he had said a long farewell, and
would thereafter travel different
SO hat night he started out to think
ver Probably never before in
his life had he deliberately lone such
a thing. He had never, as a fact,
much Mt all. 1t had been his
habit to let the day take
of itself. Beyond minor prob
OF finance-minor because his in
was trifing-he had considered
little. In the last border war he had
distinguished himself only when it was
| matter of doing. not of thinking.
But he was young. and the night
vas crisp and beautiful. He took a
ong breath, and looked up al the stars.
After all, things might not be SO bad.
might refuse this marriage.
They were afraid that she would, or
Why have asked his help? When he
bought of King Karl, he drew himself
Up. and his heels rang hard on the
Karl! A hard man and q
rood king-that was Karl. And old.
from the full manhood of his twenty
hree years Milky surveyed Kari's al
nost forty. and considered 1t age.
1t was typical of Milky TO decide
hat he needed a hard walk. He
translated most Of his motions into
So he set of briskly, turn
ng into the crowded part of the city.
And here 1t was that Milky hap