Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1918-04-19

the story started new train OF
thought. Milky drew long breath.
After all. there was still hope that the
early morning shooting would have an
other target than himself.
Karl sat down. and his face relaxed.
It was stern. but no longer horrible.
Tell me this Niburg's story" he com
mandec
HE was walking through the old
city" N!'Sky commenced. when three
men fell Ga him. One. large one,
knocked him insenslble and then went
through his pockets. The others"
stranger said Karl. '1f he was
insensible. how does he know all this?"
1T was his story, SIRE, Milky ex-
planned. But he colored. "A COM
panion. who was with him, ran away"
This companion" Karl queried.
"A dark, heavy fellow. was III"
"No. Rather a pale man. blond.
A." Milky checked himself.
But Karl was all suaylty. 80" he
said. while Nihurg was unconscious
the large man took the letter, which
was sealed. magically. opened 1t, ex-
tracted its contents. replaced them
with--this, and then sealed 1t again !"
The king turned without haste TO
drawer in his desk. and opened 1t. He
was smiling. When he faced about
again. Milky saw that he held a re-
volver in his hand. Save that the
agent had taken a step forward, moth
ing In the room had changed And
yet, for Milky everything had changed,
Milky had been a reckless fool. but
he was brave enough. He smiled.
better smile than Karl's twisted one.
Il have fancy" said King Karl,
TO manage this matter for myself,
Keep back Kaiser. Now. my friend.
you will give me the packet OF cigar
cite papers you carry"
Resistance would do no good. Nikky
brought them out, aud Karl's twisted
smile grew broader as he compared
them with the ones the envelope had
contained.
you see" he said, ''you show the
hand of the novice. You should have
thrown these away. But, of course.
all your methods are wrong. Why. for
| instance. have you come here at alt?
| You have my man-hut that ] shall
take up later. We will hrst have the
letter"
But here Milky stood firm. Let them
find the letter. He would not help
them. But again he cursed himself
There had been thousand hiding
places along the road--but he must
bring the discriminating thing With him.
and thus condemn himself
Now commenced curious scene.
Karl Of Karnia himself He seemed
curiously Ioath to bring in assistance.
did Karl. or perhaps the novelty OF
the affair appealed to him. And Nix.
| ky's resistance to search. with That
revolver so close. was short lived.
Lven while he was struggling, Milky
vas thinking. Let them get the letter,
II they must Things would at least
be no worse than before But he re-
solved that no Violence would tear
from him the place wlereIthe messen-
ger was hidden. Until they had got
that. he had chance for life.
They searched his cap last Milky.
painting after that strange struggle,
saw Kaiser take 1t from the lining or
his cap, and pass II to the king.
Karl took 1t. The smile was gone
now, and something ugly and terrible
had taken Its place. PAT that, TOO,
faded as he looked at the letter.
Ii was blank piece of aote paper.
With the approach of the annlyer-
sary of bis sons death, the king grew
| Increasingly restless. Each year he de-
termned to pat away this old grief,
and each year. as his bodily weakness
increased. he found it harder 10 do so.
On other years be had had TIE crown
tprince with him as much as possible
on this dreary day Of days. But the
crown prince was exlled, in disgrace.
Not even for the comfort Of his small
presence could stern discipline be re-
Taxed.
Annunciata was not mucn comfort TO
him. They had always differed, more
or less, the 1ruth being, perhaps, that
size was too much ike the king ever
to kympathize fully with him. Both
were arrogant. determined obstinate.
And those qualities, which age was be-
ginning to soften in the king. were
now, in Annunciata. in full strength
and blooming.
But there was more than funa~.hen-
tai similarity at fault. Against her
father the archduehess held her I'M
happy marriage.
And now, secretly willing that He'd
wig should marry Kari, she was ready
10 annoy him by objeetlng to It.
on the day after her conversation
with General Mettlich. she visited the
king. 1t was afternoon. The king had
spent the morning in his study, prop
ped with pillows as was always the
case now. working Wits a aecrs tsry.
Tie secretary was gone when she en-
Z t.,11 ana Ia cat afana