Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-23
TER XIV (Continued)

TER XIV (Continued)
lE end Of the fourth day, Captain
11ta Joined her at the supper table.
now discarded his Austrian uni
"a wore a rough suit OF WORKING
0lmilar to the peasant costume
has husband wore. He greeted
IAly, but she asked him no ques,
70 his absence, upon ,h0 her ar,,nnwp gunrn
u fn the man. which held her ~
Sft anxiety. But after he had
l the cloud which had hung, over
Il 6oemed to pass, and he leaned for-
~; smiling at her across the taole.
&6n have been obedient?" he asked
nat else is left for me?" she smiled
~ I've wondered where you were.
Il" he laughed. you missed me?
f{ ~ good. You wondered what
happen to you il / did not come
'S; n laughed as he lighted his cigar
E1@1$ S"I am not so easily to be lost, !
8 1fre YOU. l have been through DuRla
& {any soldiers have gone through the
q IoSa today--,nany this morning-lnany
" NE this afternoon
.j5s Yes, saw them
And the Russans?'
l3S He was silent for while, and then
II i60ka very quietly "They are coming
q HE made no sound and seemed to be
4 1r6aen into immobility by the import OF
~ ~ information.
tsThe Austrians have fortlncd tns
Y Stlser end of the Pass, but it is sald
s'16e Russians are in great numbers
FzgWeeping everything before tnen'-
v ss5tss,rxemysl-! Lemberg-H
e sIemberg has fallen. The tate OF
q rrxemvel hangs in the balance Eie
shfuseed. ''Tomorrow, perhaps, may see
e ~ Coesacks at Dukla Pass
4 NJ "a not wish to alarm you he said
kently. "Six hundred years have passed
+ over Schloss Szolnok. and it still STANDS
am not going to run away
3 sf3ut YOU can do nothing-agalnst SC
aThey will not bother us thlnk'
The Austrians, you see. nave paSsIIiii stIiie,';, ~
Z "a Javorina and Jagerhorn and mount
q 6I7R them upon the old emplacements or
q fks ruins, The defense will be inade
2 there where the gorge Is narrower. ~,
\ r.,-ss cks-," She whispered fearfully.
I I5e laughed easily. "Ah, Countess, l
+ a, not half-bad jailer, after all?"
s'The Cossacks !" she repeated
They shall not come mere
ssWhat can you do?'
s1The place is impregnable-sheer cIirs
} uson All sides-the causeway 200 meters
( long. / could pick them eff one by one
from the top of the keep win me
4 drawbridge up, we are as safe as thoush
We were in Vienna
.'But their artillery
.sThey will not think u.s. worth their
while In the armory there are SIX
repeating hunting rifles .if,, ana tour shIts Ge
broke eff and. rising. came over ana
etood beside her But we Will not think
Of unpleasant possibilities. 1t has been
1. oo long since have seen you-too long.
she let him take her hand and press
III 10 his lips, but tonight that con-
Ascension did not seem to be enough,
Z He fell to one knee beside her and would
4 have nut his arm about her waist II she
had not risen and struggled away from
Il ssYou forget Herr Hauptmann, the
dependence CT my position here-alone
mi&h you. Whatever our personal rela-
ttonS. delicacy for my feelings must
sMarishka ~ he broke in. What does
Z nan who loves as l do care for the
cunventicns of the sham world you ano
& 3eft SO far behind. l adore you AND
y Yo1 flout me-"
sFor shame! Would you care for me
I'M / were a woman without delicacy or
q GINnity? I beg CT you--
/ But he had held her by the hand ana
Il adore you-and you flout me--that
4 4 III. that know. Your indltterehhee rem &C.
II pnaddens me- Perhaps am not as other
Il men and must not be judged by otner
& lsndards than my own, which which, are re SUI SUI
4Sfs,,f for You. You know that II
10eship you-that by staying here -;
6ayE forgotten my duty to my country
y at time when I am most needed Does @
Z that mean nothing to you? can you De
Oallous to love like mine which lives
eniy in your happiness and hangs ing; uT9n Non
rtehka. Just one kiss. to tell me that
You care for me little. l Will be con-
she struggled in his grasp. her fear of
har strength,
iinee Hugh's; Never-never-as God
"one kiss, Marishka-''
She struggled free and struck him with
her cienched fist furiously, full in the
Yace. and then ran to the window, as he
released her, breathing hard, trembling;
but full of defiance The @ sudaeInss;s I l,r;ven %,
them both dumb, Marishka with terror;
0Orttx with chagrin at his mistake ana
anger at her temerity. He touched ms
: sfnred al her with eyes that burned with
blackfire in the pallor Of his face.
isYou have struck me-" he muttered
And then. with shrug. "Ihat was not
love tap Countess Strahni.
She could not speak for very terror OF
4 xhA conseuuenceS of the encounter. nuI
sfood watching him narrowly one hand
upon the window ledge beside tlg hea .,prs v,u
:sYou-you insulted me-" she gasped.
~ ssWhatever l have done, you nave re-
raaA me-" he muttered
4 she glanced out Of the window into the
4 black void beneath. 49,
+ tT-I am not afraid to die, Herr
4 0Oritz." she said.
81 He caught the meaning of her glance
and her poise by the window ledge, and
fheir Significance sobered him instantly.
ma drew back from her two or three
Usces and leaned heavily against an
Fam / SO repellent to you as that?'
- whispered.
L rs my lips-are mine" she said proudly
sls7 G,ve them willingly or not at all
+ y4la gaze fickered and fell before the
ElRh resolve that he read IN her race
~ ;Xnd her courage enthralled him.
AHerr Gott!" he muttered, you nave
never been so beautiful as now. Ma
q 3iShka !"
i She did not reply or move, but only
watched him steadily
He paced the floor stiffly. his hands
& hehind him, struggling for his selt-con-
s 4rol And the better instinct in him, the
III Of him that had made life possible
B {or Marishka at Schloss Szolnok, was
M slowly triumphant.
"A kiss means much or little he SAT-
/, " nnletly at last ITO me the consecra
~ ton Of a love which has leaped th'