The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times., 1918-11-21

the story started new train Vi
thought. Milky drew long brenth'
After all. there was stIll hope that the
early morning shooting would have an
other target than himself.
Karl sat down. md his face relaxed
II was stern. but no longer horrible
Tell me this Nlburg's story" he com
manded.
"He was walking through the old
city" Milky commenced, when three
men fell on him. One, large one
knocked him insensible and then went
through his pockets. The others
| "Strange! said Kari. IF he was
insenslble. how does he know nll thlsT'
ut was his story, SIRE" Milky ex'
planned. But he colored. "A com
panion. who was with him. ran away
"This companion" Karl querled'
"a dark. heavy fellow, was IT.
"No. Rather pale man, blond.
A" Milky checked himself.
But Karl was all suavity. So he
said, while Niburg was unconscious
the large man took the 'cttcr, which
was sealcd, mngically opened II, oN'
tracted Its contents, replaced hem
with-this. and then sealed 1t again
The king turned without hnStc to n
drawer In his desk. and opened 1t. He
was smiling. When he faced about
again, Milky saw that he held II re-
volvcr In his hand. Save that the
agent had taken n step forward. moth.
Ing In the room had changed. And
yet. for Milky everything had changed
Milky had been reckless fool. but
he was brave enough. He smiled, II
better smile than Kurl's twisted one
II have n fancy" said King Karl
Keep back, Kaiser Now, my friend
you will give me the packet Of cigar.
cite papers you carry"
Resistance would do no good. Milky
brought them out, and 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 nre wrong. Why, for
instance. have you come here ut all?
You have my man-but that | shall
take up later. We will first have the
letter"
But here Milky stood firm. Let them
find the letter. lie 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,
curious because one Of the actors was
Karl of Karnia himself. He seemed
curiously lonth 10 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
Even while he was struggling, Milky
was thinking. Let them get the letter,
II they must. Things would nj least
be no worse than before. But he re-
solved that no violence would tenr
from him the place whore the messen.
ger was hidden. Until they had got
that. he had n chance for life.
They searched his cap last. Milky,
painting after that strange struggle,
saw Kaiser take It from the lining OF
his cap. and pass II to the king.
karl took II. The smile was gone
now, and something ugly and terrible
had taken It's place. But that, too,
faded us he looked ut the letter.
II was blank piece of note prper.
=
With the approach of the anniver.
sary of his sons death, the king grew
increasingly restless. Each year he de-.
termined to put away this old grief,
and each year as his bodily weakness
Increased he found II harder 10 do so.
On other years he had had the crown
prince with him us much as possible
on this drenry day OF days. But the
crown prince was exilcd, In disgrace.
Not even for the comfort Of his sinnll
presence could stern discipline be re-
laXed.
Annunciata wns not much comfort to
him. They had always differed, more
or less, the truth being, perhaps TINT
she was too much like the king ever
TO sympathize 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 fundamen.
tai similarity at fault. Against her
father the archduchess held her nm.
happy marriage.
And now, secretly willing that He'd.
wig should marry Karl, she was ready
to annoy him by objecting to II.
On the day after her conversation
with General Mettlich. she visited the
king. II was afternoon. The king hud
spent the morning In his study. prop.
ped with pillows rs was always the
case now. working with seer, tary.
The secretary was gone when she en-.
tered. and he sat alone.
He had passed trying day. Once