The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-05-11
CHAPTER K.
The Committee Of Ten.

On the evening of the annual day or
mourning, the party returned from lhe
fortress. The archduchesS slept. The
crown prince talked, mostly to He'd
wig. and even she said little. After
n time the silence affected the boys
high spirits. He leaned back in his
chair on the deck of the launch, and
watched the flying landscape.
! 1t was almost dark when the launch
arrived at the quay. The red carpet
was still there. and another crowd.
| Had Prince Ferdinand William otto
been less taken up with finding one OF
| his kid gloves, which he had lost. he
would have noticed that there was a
scufTle going on ct the very edge OF
the red carpet, and that the beggar Of
the morning was being led away, be-
tween two policemen, while third.
running up the river bank, gingerly
| deposited a small round object in the
water. and stood back. 1t was merely
one of the small incidents of royal
outing, and was never published in
the papers. But Father Gregory,
whose old eyes We're far sighted, had
seen it all His hand-the hand of the
church-waS on the shoulder of the
crown prince as they landed.
The boy looked around for the little
girl Of the bouquet He took an i'm
mense interest in little girls, partly
because he seldom saw any. But she
was gone.
When the motor which had taken
them from the quay reached the PAL
ace, Hedwig reused the archduchess,
whose head had dropped forward on
her chest. Here we are, mother" she
said. You have had nice sleep"
But Annunciata muttered something
about being glad the wretched day was
over, and every one save Prince Ferdf-
nand William Otto seemed glad to get
back. The boy was depressed. He
felt, somehow, that they should have
enjoyed it, and that, having merely
endured it, they had failed him again.
The countess, having left her royal
mistress in the hands of her maids,
went to her own apartment. She was
not surprised, on looking into her mir
ror, to find herself haggard and worn
1t had been terrible day. Only q
second had separated that gaping lens
in her bag from the eyes of the oihcers
about. Never, in an adventurous HE.
had she felt 50 near to death. Even
now its cold breath chilled her.
However, that was over, well over.
She had done well, too. A dozen pic
lures of the fortress, of its guns. OK
even its mine chart as it hung on
wall, were in the bag. Its secrets, so
securely held, were hers, and would
be Karl's.
1t was a cunningly devised scheme.
Two bags, exactly alike as to appear
ance, had been made. One, which she
carried daily, was what it appeared to
be. The other contained q camera,
tiny but accurate, with fine lens.
When knob Of the fastening was
pressed, the watch slid aside and the
shutter snapped. The pictures when
enlarged had proved themselves per-
feet
Pleading fatigue, she dismissed her
maid and locked the doors. Then shs
opened the sliding panel, and unfaa-
tened the safe. The roll of film w&s
in her hand, ready to be deposited ul-
der the false bottom of her jewel case.
Within the security Of her 'oon.
the countess felt at ease. She even
sang q little, q bit of ballad from .ier
native mountains.
Still singing. she carried the jewel
case to her table, and sat down be-
fore 1t. Then she put hand to her
throat.
The lock had been forced.