The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-12-05
CHAPTER vW--Continued.

The quay receded. red carpet and all.
Only the blare Of the band followed
them, and with the persistence Of
sound over water. followed them for
some time.
II was Hedwig who showed the most
depression on the trip, after all. Early
that morning she had attended mass
in the royal chapel. All the household
had beea there, and the king had been
wheeled In. and had sat in his box.
high In the wall, the door of which
opened from his private suite.
Looking up, Hedwig had seen his
gray old face set and rigid. The court
had worn black. and the chapel was
draped In crepe. She had fallen on
her knees and had tried dutifully TO
pray for the dead Hubert. But her
whole soul was crying out for help for
herself.
So now she sat very quiet, and Won
dered about things.
Prince Ferdinand William Otto sat
by the rail and watched the green
banks flying by.
When no one was looking, he broke
q flower from the bouquet and flung II
overheard. he pretended that It was a
boat. and was going down to Karnia,
filled with soldiers ready to fight.
But the thought OF soldiers brought
Milky to his mind. His face clouded.
"It's very strange about Milky" he
said. HE Is away somewhere. I wish
he had sent word he vas going"
Hedwig looked out over the river.
The archduchess glanced at Miss
Braithwaite. There is no newsf" she
asked, In an undertone.
"None," said Miss Braithwaite.
A sudden suspicion rose In Hedwig's
mind. and made her turn pale. What
II they had sent him away? Perhaps
they feared him enough for that! II
that were true, she would never know.
She knew the ways of the palace well
Anough for that. In q sort Of terror
she glanced around the group, so com
fortably disposed. Her mother vas
looking out, with her cool, impassive
gnze. Miss Braithweite knitted. The
countess, however, met her eyes, and
there was something strange In them
triumph and n bit of terror, too, had
she but 2ead them. For the countess
Ind put In her plea for q holiday and
had been refused.
The new fortress faced the high road
some five miles from the Karnian bor-
der. 1t stood on a blum over the river.
and was, as the crown prince decided,
not so unlike me desk, after all, exc
cept that IL had a moat around IL.
HedwIg and the countess went with
the party around the Notifications.
The archduchess and . ISIS Braithwaite
had sought n fire. Only the countess.
however seemed really interested.
Hedwig seemed more intent on the dis
tant line of the border than on any
thing else. She stood on a rampant
and stared out at II, looking very sad.
Even the drill-when ut n word all the
great guns rose apt peeped over the
edge at the valley below, and then
dropped backed again as II they had
seen enough-even this failed 10
her.
"I wish you would listen, Hedwig,"
said the crown prince, almost fretfully.
"It's so interesting. The enemy's SOL
diers would come up the river In boats,
and along that road on foot. And then
we would raise the guns and shoot at
them. And the guns would drop bacx
again. before the enemy had time to
aim at them"
But Hedwig's interest was so evil
IDENTIFY assumed that no turned 10 the
countess. The countess professed
smiling terror. and stood a little way
back from the guns, looking on. But
Prince Ferdinand William Otto at last
coaxed her to the top of the emplace-
ment.
There's q fine view up there" he
urged. "And the guns won't hurt you.
There's nothing in them"
To get mp II was necessary to climb
an iron ladder. Hedwig was already
there. About a dozen young officers
had helped her up. and ruined al
many pairs of white gloves. although
Hedwig could climb like q cat, and