The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-04-05

mother referred to-" Hedwig held he
head very high, "I-she was unjust
Am / never to have any friends?"
Friends, highness? One may have
friends, of course. 1t is not friendship
they fear
"What then?"
"a lover" said the countess softly
ut is impossible to see Captain Lar
iseh in your presence, and not
realize
go on"
"And not realize, highness, that he
is in love with you"
"HOw sillyl' said the Princess He'd
wig. with glowing eyes.
'But highness !" implored the count
ess. IF only you would use a little
caution. Open defiance is its own de-
feat"
81 am not ashamed of what l do"
said Hedwig holly.
Ashamed! OF course not. But
things that are harmless in others in
your position-you are young. You
should have friends, gayety. 1 am"
she smiled grimly in the darkness,
mot SO old myself but that 1 can I'M
derseand."
Hedwig stood still. The old city was
for sleep. In the place
few lovers loitered, standing close, and
the faint tinkling of bell told of the
Blessed Sacrament being carried
through the streets to some bedside of
the dying. The Princess Hedwig
bowed her head.
1t seemed to her, all at once, that |
he world was full of wretchedness and |
ieath, and of separation, which might |
De worse than death.
81 wish I could help you, highness,"
laid the countess. Il should like to
zee you happy. But happiness does
lot come of itself. We must fight for
t."
Slight? What chance have to
lght?" Hedwig asked scornfully.
"One thing, of course, I could do"
ursued the countess. son those days
7hen you wish to have tea with-hiss
oval highness, I could arrange, per-
APPS, to let you know if any member
the family intended going to his ,
partments."
1t was a moment before Hedwig '
Then she turned TO
er haughtily. "When 1 wish to have
"a with my cousin" she said colby,
shall do it openly, countess"
She left the balcony abruptly, aban-
ming the countess to solitary fury, ;,
e greater because triumph had
emed so near. Alone, she went red 9
Id white, bit her lips, behaved &C
riding to all the time-honored tras q
tons. And even swore-in polite, 2
dy-in-waiting fashion, to be sure
get even.
Things were going very wrong for
kky Larisch.
Perhaps, at the very first, he had
en- in love with the princess, not the
IMAM. 1t had been rather like him
fix on the unattainable and wor-
ip it from afar. Because, for all the
endIiness of their growing intimacy,
,dwig was still a star, whose light
lched him, but whose warmth was
t for him. He would have died
hting for her with smile on his
s. But he had no hope Of living n
; her, unless, of course, she should 7
open to need him, which was most
likely. He had no vanity whatever, q
hough in parade dress, with white
yes, he hoped he cut decent figure.
20 she had been his star, and as cold Z
/ remote. And then, that very
rning, Hedwig had been thrown. {,
t badly-she was too expert for "A
t. AS matter of fact, feeling her Y
{ going, she had flung two strong N
ing arms around her horses neck, W
| had almost succeeded in lighting C
her feet. 1t was not at all s
matte.
tut Nikky's heart had stopped beat
He had lifted her up from where
sat, half vexed and wholly In
AIMED, and carried her to chair.
1T was all. But when it was all
r, and Hedwig was only a trifle gu
3b1y and horribly Inundated, a
ky Larisch knew the truth about wi
lself, knew that he was In love sti
h the granddaughter Of his king,
that under no conceivable circum- Be
nces would he ever be able to tell abb
so. Knew, then, that happiness
he had said long farewell, and Ro
lid thereafter travel different
DIS. rel
0 that night he started out to think qu'