Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1918-02-09

which four horses drove abreast, Lnelr
panels painted by the great artists Of
the time; and one plain little vehicle,
very shabby, In which the royal chill
tlren of long ago had fled from a Kar-
MAN invasion.
In one corner, black and gold and
/ forbidding, was the Imposing hearse in
which the dead sovereigns of the coun-
try were taken to their long sleep in
the vaults under the cathedral. Good,
bad, and Indifferent, one after the
other. as their hour came, they had
taken their last journey in the old
catafalque. and had Joined their for
bears. Many they had been: men Of
iron, men Of blood. men Of flesh, men
Of water. And now they lay IN stone
crypts, and Of all the line only two
remained.
One and all, the royal. vehicles were
shrouded in sheets, except on one day
of each month when the sheets were
removed and the public admitted. But
on that morning the great hearse was
uncovered. and two men were, working,
one at the upholstery, which he was
brushing. The other was carefully oil
ing the wood OF the body. Save for
them. the wide and dusky loft was
empty.
The archduchess was having tea.
/ Her boudoir was crowded little
room. The archducless liked it be-
cause it was warm. The palace rooms
were mostly large and chilly. She had
a fire there on the warmest days in
spring. and liked to put the Goals on,
herself. She had them wrapped in
pieces Of paper so she would not soil
her hands.
This afternoon she was not alone.
Lounging at window was the lady
who was waiting at the time, the
Countess Loschek. Just now she was
getting rather a wigglng, but she was
remarkably calm.
1.-THE last three times" the arch
duchess said, stirring her tea, 'syou
have had sore throat. In my opinion,
you smoke too many cigarettes"
The Countess Loschek was thirty,
and very handsome, in an insolent
way. She was supposed to be the best
dressed woman at the court, and to
rule AnEunciata with an iron hand.
although it was known that they
quarreled great deal over small
things. especially over the coal fire.
Some said that the real thing that
held them together was resentment
that the little crown prince stood be-
tween the Princess Hedwig aud the
throne. Annunciata was not young,
but she, was younger than her dead
brother Hubert.
The countess yawned.
"Where is HedwiS?" demanded the
archduchess.
Her royal highness is in the nurs-
cry, probably"
''Why probabiy?n
"She goes there a great DEAL"
The archduchess eyed her. "Well.
out with it" she said. "There is
something seething In that wicked
brain of yours"
The countess shrugged her shoulders.
Not that she resented having a
wicked brain. She rather fancied the
idea. "She and young Lieutenant Lar
isch have tea squite frequently with
his royal highness."
Little foof!" said Annunciata. But
she frowned, and sat tapping her tea
cup with her spoon. She was just a
trifle afraid of Hedwig, and she was
mere anxious than she would have
cared to acknowledge. "How far do
you think the thing has gomez"
HE is quite mad about her."
Sand Hedwig--but she is silly
enough for anything. Do they meet
anywhere else2'' j
"At the riding school, believe. At
least, II"
Here maid entered and stood
waiting at the end of the screen.
Ills excellency, General Mettlich,s'
said the maid.
The archduchess nodded her august
head. and the maid retired. eco
away, Olga" said the archduchess.
"And you might" she suggested grim
", "gargle your throat"
The chancellor had passed trou-
bled night. Being old, like the king,
he required little sleep. And for most
Of the time between one o'clock and
his rising hour Of five he had lain in
his narrow camp bed and thought. He
had not conhded all his worries to the
king.
Evidences of renewed activity on the
part of the terrorists were many. In
the past month two Of his best secret
agents had disappeared. One had been
found the day before. stabbed in the
back. The chancellor had seen the
body--an unpleasant sight. But II
was not of the dead man that General
Mettlich thought. It was Of the other
The dead tell nothing. But the living,
under torture, tell many things. And
this man Haeckel, young as he was,
knew much that was vital.
AZ five General AIettlich had risen,
exercised before an open window with
an old pair of iron dumb bells. had fol
fomnd ftic with a fald hath and hot