The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-03-29

maid away with a sharp word, ant
now she was pacing the floor.
Hedwig, of all people!
She hated her. She had always
hated her. For her youth, first; later
when she saw how things. were going
for the accident that had made her 9
granddaughter to the king.
And KarlI
Even this last June, when Karl had
made his looked-for visit to the sum-
mer palace where the court had been
In residence, he had already had the
thing in mind. Even when his arms
had been about her, Olga Loschek, he
had been looking over her shoulder,
as it were, at Hedwig. He had had it
Karl was wicked. She loathed him
while she loved him.
Hedwig would marry Karl. She
might be troublesome, would indeed
almost certainly be troublesome.
Strangely enough, the countess hated
her the more for that. To value so
lightly the thing for which Olga
Loschek would have given her soul,
this in itself was hateful. But there
was more. The countess saw much
with her curiously wide, almost child
ishly bland eyes; it was only now that
it occurred to her to turn what she
knew of Hedwig and Milky to account.
She stopped pacing the floor. and
sat down. Suppose Hedwig and Milky
Larisch went away together? He'd
wig, she felt, would have the courage
even for that. That would stop things.
But Hedwig did not trust her. And
there was about Milky dog-like quail
ity of devotion, which warned her
that, the deeper his love for Hedwig,
the more unlikely he would be to
bring her to disgrace. Milky might
be difficult.
She must try for Hedwig's con-
fidencel But Karl! How to reach
him? Not with reproaches, not with
anger. She knew her man well. To
hold him off was the first thing. To
postpone the formal proposal, and gain
time. If the chancellor had been right, |
and things were as bad as they APP |
peared. the kings death would precipi- |
tate a crisis. Might, indeed, overturn |
the throne.
The king was very feeble. This |
affair of yesterday had told on him. |
The gossip Of the court was that the
day had seen a change for the worse.
His heart was conferred on the crown
prince.
All. here was another viewpoint.
Suppose the crown prince had not
come back? What would happen, with
the king dead, and no king? Chaos,
If course. A free hand to revolution.
9edwig fighting for her throne, and
Inevitably losing 1T.
But that was further than she cared
@ go Just then. She would finish GER
ain work that she had set out to do,
md then she was through. No longer
would dread and terror grip her in the
light hours.
But she would finish. Karl should
lever say she had failed him. She
lad In her possession papers for which
le waited or pretended to wait: data
ecured by means she did not care to
emember: plans and figures carefully
ompiled-a thousand deaths in one. If
hey were found on her. She would
ct them out of her hands at once.
1t was still but little after five. She
rought her papers together on her
mall mahogany desk, from such hid
1g places as women know-the Innings
oh ofc he froo nj a IL
Iippers, the secret pocket In nun;
nd having locked her doors, put
hem In order Her hands were
rembling, but she worked skillfuIly.
he was free until the dinner hour,
ut she had great deal to do. The
apers in order, she went to a panel
! the wall Of her dressing room, and,
liding it aside, revealed the safe in
hitch her Jewels we're kept. Not that
er Jewels were very valuable, but the {
afe was there, and she used it. s
The countess took out jewel-case,
mptied it, lifted its channels cushions,
nd took out small book. 1t was an Q
different hiding place, but long Inn t
lunity had made her careless. Re .
erring to the book, she wrote letter
! CODE 1t was, to all appearances, .
friendly letter referring to family b
i her native town, and asking that .
he recipient see that assistance be t
snt them before Thursday Of the fol-
wing week. The assistance was
pecined with much detail-at her ex- a
ense to send 20 many blankets, 20
ANY loaves Of bread, long list 9
Iavfng finished, shs destroyed, ~
urning. Z number Of papers, watch- c
e until the last A had turned from 4