Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-05-10

VerSlIy place.. lie possessed, ne Sdiu,
a paddock of which he had lost the
key, and which, being fastened to a
chest, he was unable to bring with him.
A large and heavy paddock, perhaps
the size of his palm.
When he left, he carried with him
a bundle of keys, tied In a brown
paper.
But he did not back to his chest.
He went instead to the thicket around
the old gate, which was still termed
the "Gate of the Noon" and there,
armed with a lantern, pursued his in
vestigations during a portion of the
night.
When he had finished, old Adelbert,
veteran of many wars, one-time patriot
and newly turned traitor, held in his
shaking hands the fate of the king
dome
>
The Countess Loschek was on her
way across the border. The arrange
ments were not of her making. Her
across the mountain to the town OF
Ar-on-Ar, and there to hire a motor.
had been altered by the arrival at the
castle, shortly after the permission
was given, of a machine.
"The matter of passports for. the
border is arranged, madame" Black
Humbert told her.
"T have my own passports" she said
proudly.
'They will not be necessary"
ST will have this interview at my
destination alone, or not at ALL"
He drew himself to his great height
and regarded her with cold eyes. 'As
you WISH" he said. "But 1t is prob.
ably not necessary to remind madame
that, whatever is discussed at this
meeting, no word must be mentioned OF
the committee, or It's plans"
Although he made no threat, she had
shivered. No, there must be no word
Of the committee, or of the terror that
drove her to Karl. For, If the worst
happened, If he failed her, and she
must do the thing they had set her to
do, Karl must never know. That card
she must play alone.
Everything hung on the result of her
visit. If Karl persisted, If he would
marry Hedwig In spite of the trouble
it would precipitate, then indeed she
was lost. If, on the other hand, he
was inclined to peace, if her story of
a tottering throne held his hand, she
would defy the committee of ten. Karl
himself would help her to escape,
might indeed hide her. 1t would not
be for long. Without Karl's support
the kings death would bring the ter
%rorists into control. They would have
other things to do than to hunt her
out. Their end would be gained with
out her. Let them steal the crown
prince, then. Let Hedwig fight for her
throne and lose it. Let the streets
run deep with blood and all the pande-
monium of hell break loose.
But If Karl failed her. She clinched
her teeth.
The countess did not sleep. She
was, with every fiber of her keen brain,
summoning her arguments. She would
need them, for she knew-none better
how great a handicap was hers.
She loved Karl, and he knew 1t. What
had been her strength had become her
weakness.
Yet she was composed enough when,
before the sun vas well up, the ma
chine drew up in the village before
! the inn where Mettlich had spent his
uneasy hours.
She had expected to go to the lodge,
but at nine o'clock that night Kari
came to her, knocking at the door of
her room and entering without waiting
for permission.
The room was small and cozy with
freight. Her scarlet cloak, flung owe
a chair, made a dash Of brilliant color.
Two lighted candles on a high carved
chest, and between them a plaster fig
ure of the Mother and Child, a built-in
bed with white curtains-that was the
room.
Before the open fire Olga Loschek
sat In her low chair. She wore still
her dark dress; and a veil, ready to be
donned at the m of a message
from Karl, trailed cross her knee, In
the freight she looked very young
young and weary. Karl, who had
come hardened to a scene, found her
appealing, almost pathetic.
She rose at his entrance and, after
a moment of surprise, smiled family.
But she said nothing, nor did Karl,
until he had lifted one of her ec!i
hands, and brushed 1t with his lips.
WELL" he said. "And again,
Olga"
"Once again."
She looked up at him. Yes, he was
changed. The old Karl would have
taken her in his arms. This new Kari
was urbane, smiling, uneasy.
'There is nothing wrong, rs there?"
he said. "Your note alarmed me. Not