The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-04-05
CHAPTER V.-Continued.

4
Mother, you cannot look back, an
and remember your own life, and al
low me to be w,etched. You can
notl"
Hedwig began to cry.
The archduchess hated tears, ant
her softer moments were only mo
ments. 'fDry your eyes, and don't be
silly" she said coldly. "You have al
ways known that something of thu
sort was inevitable"
She moved toward the door. The
two princesses and her lady in wait.
: ing remained still until she had left
the table. Then they fell in behind
her, and the little procession moved to
the stuffy boudoir, for coffee. But
Hilda slipped her arm around her sis
ter's waist, and the touch comforted
Hedwig.
He may be very NICE Hilda volun-
ileered cautiously. perhaps it is Karl.
| am quite mad about Karl, myself"
Hedwig, however, was beyond listen
Ing. She went slowly to window,
end stood gazing out Looming against
the skyline, in the very center Of the
place, was the heroic figure of her dead
grandmother. She fell TO wondering
about these royal women who had pre-
coded. Her mother, frankly unhappy
in her marriage, permanently embit-
tered; her grandmother. Hedwig had
never seen the king young. She could
not picture him as lover. To her
he was a fine and lonely figure. But
romantic? Had he ever been roman,
tic?
She slipped out onto the balcony
and closed the curtains behind her.
IS her eyes grew accustomed to the
darkness she saw that there was some
one below, under the trees. Her heart |
beat rapidly. In a moment she was |
certain. It was Milky down there, |
Milky, gazing up at her as a<child may |
look at a star. With a quick gesture |
Hedwig drew the curtain back. A
thin ray of light fell on her, on her
slim bare arms. on her light draperies,
on her young face. He had wanted
TO see her, and he should see her. Then
she dropped the curtain, and twisted
Der hands together lest, in spite of
her, they reach out toward him.
Did she fancy it, or did the figure
salute her? Then came the quick ring
IF heels on the old stone pavement. .
She knew his footsteps, even as she
knew every vibrant, eager infection of
his voice. He went away across the
square, like one who, having bent his :
rnee to a saint, turns back to the bust !
iess of the world.
In the boudoir the archduchess had
acked up some knitting to soothe her i
angled nerves. "You may play now, :
filda," she said.
Annunciata dozed, and Hilda played
oftly. The countess opportunity had ,
ONE. She put down the dreary en-
robbery with which she filled the !,
rearier evenings, and moved to the !.
rindow. She walked quietly, like y
at. 81
Her first words to Hedwig were q
lose Of Peter Niburg as he linked q
rms with his enemy and started down =.
he street. "a fine night, highness," =
le said. q
Hedwig raised her eyes to the stars. n
It is very lovely" Fl
"A night to spend out-of-doors, In h,
cad of being shut up" She II,
afshed her sentence with a shrug of al
lie shoulders. OIL
Hedwig was not fond of the count
IS. She did not know why. The al
nth being, of course, that between m
lem lay the barrier Of her own in N
,cence. When the countess arm tb
uched hers, she drew aside. Sc
Tonight" said the lady in waiting We
.eamily, II should like to be in a ar
otor, speeding over mountain roads. or
come from the mountains, you know. DIR
nd l miss them"
Hedwig moved, a little impatientiy, In
it as the countess went on, she lis sb
ned. After all, Milky, too, came as
ON the mountains. And because she III
as sorry for the countess, who was ov
,mesick, and perhaps because just W,
en- she had to speak to some one, Nj
e turned to her at last with the thing hi
at filled her mind. wi
'This marriage she said bitterly. an
) it talked about? Am | the only ST
q in the palace who has not known he
out it?' an
"No, highness, had heard nothing. W.
course, there are always rumors." ro
"As to the other, the matter my