The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-06-28

prince drew a rather broken backe
"F," a weakened "W," and an irreg
uIar so" in the corner and proceede,
. to burn them in. He sat bent over tn
desk, the very tip of his tongue pro
truding, and worked conscientiousl,
and carefully. Between each lette
he burned a dot.
i Suddenly, Olga Loschek becam,
panic-stricken. She could not stay
and see this thing out Let them fol
low her and punish her. She could
not! She had done her part. The
governess lay In a 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 20" 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
oh haI ho
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?-
not to leave the palace.
The idea pleased him. 1t set him
to smiling, and his bright hair to
quivering with excitement. 1t was
nothing less than to go on the roof and
find the ball. And he would 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.
"Ill be back in q moment" he In
formed them. He was always on terms
Of great friendliness with the guard,
and he knew these men by sight. "Are
you going to be stationed here now?"
ne inquired pleasantly.
The two guards were at loss. But
,ne of them, who had son of his own,
ind hated the whole business, saluted
md replied that he knew not.
81 hope you are" said Ferdinand
William Otto, and went on.
The sentries regarded one another.
Let him go" said the one who was a
ather.
The other one moved uneasily. sour
riders cover no such contingency" he
nuttered. "And, besides, he will come
ack. I hope to God he does not
ONE back" he added stonily.
Five minutes to four.
The crown prince hurried. The cor ,
idors were almost empty. Here and
here he met servants, who stood stiff l.
gainst the wall until he had passed.
IN the marble staircase, leading up,
e met no one, nor on the upper floor.
lie was quite warm with running and
e paused in his fathers suite to mop
is face. Then he opened window
nd went out on the roof. From the
it looked extremely far to
ne ground.
Nevertheless, although his heart beat
trife fast, he was still determined.
climb which Milky with his long
gs had achieved in leap, took him
D to chimney. Below-it seemed
long way below-was the gutter.
here was a very considerable slant.
one sat down, like Milky, and slid,
i'd did not slide over the edge, one
lould fetch up in the gutter.
He felt a trif1e dizzy. But Nikky's
cory was, that if one is afraid to :
thing, better to do it and get over
ing afraid.
So the crown prince sat down on the
,ping roof behind the chimney and
Ithered his legs under him for a
de. Well for him that the ancient
ilders of the palace had been reck-
IS with lead, that the gutter was both
de and deep. Well for Milky, too,
lifting in the boudoir below and hard
iven between love and anxiety.
The crown prince, unaccustomed to
es. turned over halfway down, and
lied. He brought up with jerk
the gutter, quite safe, but extremely
phtened. He sat there for quite
v minutes. There was no ball In tie
hit. and the roof looked even sleeper pc
IN this point. XII
Being completely self-engrossed, he
,refore, he did not see that the roof
i another visitor. Had two visitors ba
a matter OF fact. One Of them wore