Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-05-02
By Mary
Roberts Rinehart

met the council In session. and had
had, because OF their growing alarm.
rather his own way with them.
But although he had pointed to the
kings condition and theirs-as an
argument for immediate marriage-he
failed. The thing would be done. but
properly and in good time. Karl left
them 10 . bad temper. we'll concealed.
and had the pleasure Of being Kissed
through the streets.
But he comf0rted himself with the
thought of Hedwig. He had taken her
In his arms before he left. and she had
made no resistance. She had even. In
view Of all that was at stake. made .
desperate effort to return his kiss. and
found herself trembling afterward.
In two weeks he was to return to
her, and he whispered that to her.
On the day after the dinner party
Otto went to 4 hospital with Miss
Braithwaite. It was the custom of the
palace to send the flowers from its
spectacular functions to the hospitals,
and the crow prince delighted In
these errands.
So they went, escorted by the func-
tionaries Of the hospital. past the mill.
tary wards, where soldiers In shabby |
uniforms sat on benches In the spring
sunshine, to the general wards beyond. I
The crown prince was almost hidden
behind the armful he carried. Miss
Braithwaite had all she could hold.
A co~nvalescent patient. in slippers
many sizes too large for him, wheeled
the remainder In a barrow. and almost
upset the barrow In his excitement.
Through long corridors into wards
fresh scrubbed against his arrival,
with white counterpanes- exactly
square, and patients forbidden to move
and disturb the geometrical exactness
Of the beds, went Prince Ferdinand
William Otto. At each bed he stopped,
selected a flower, and held 1t out.
Some there were who reached out, and
took 1t with a smile. Others lay still,
and saw neither boy nor blossom.
"They sleep, highness," the nurse
would say.
"But their eyes are open."
"They are very weary, and resting"
In such cases he placed the flower
on the pillow, and went on.
One such, however, lying with Va.
, cant eyes fixed on the ceiling, turned
and glanced at the boy, and into his
empty gaze crept a faint intelligence.
It was not much. He seemed to Ques-
ton with his eyes. That was all. As
the little procession moved on, how.
> ever, he raised himself on his elbow.
; "Who was that"
: The ward, which might have been
interested, was busy keeping Its COW
{ ers straight and in following the pro.
D gress of the party. For the man had
not spoken before.
! 1.-THE crown prince"
The sick man lay back and closed
: his eyes. Soon he slept. His comrade
8 in the next bed beckoned to q sister.
HE has spoken" he said. "Either
. he RECEIVERS, or-he dies"
But Haeckel did not die. He lived
0 to do his part In the coming crisis,
a to prove that even the great hands Of
Black Humbert on his throat were
9 not SO strong as his own young spirit
u lived, indeed. to confront the terrorist
q as one risen from the dead. But that
. day he lay and slept, by curious irony
y the flower from Karl's banquet in q
cup Of water beside him.
I On the day before the carnival. He'd
wig had q visitor. none other than the
= Countess Loschek. Hedwig, all hel
Y color gone now. her high spirit crushed
. her heart torn into fragments ant
!. neatly distributed between Milky. who
had most Of 1t, the crow prince, ant
= the old king. Hedwig, having giver
her permission to come, greeted hel
- politely but without enthusiasm.
70 "Highnessl" said the countess sur
:. veying her, may I speak to you frank
~"
= "Please do" Hedwig replied
= Everybody does, anyhow. Especial,
:. when 1t IL something disagreeable."
y Olga Loschek watched her warily
She knew the family ~ only the out
slider could know It; knew that He'd
~ wig, who would have disclaimed tn
fact, was like her mother In som
things, notably in q disposition to b
~ mild until q certain moment. submil
ee sive. wen acquiescent, and then sud
denly to become. as It were. o royalt
q. and grow cold, naughty. But II He'd
Of wig was driven in those days, 60 wa
:. the countess. desperate and driven {
y. desperate methods.
Il a,n presuming. highness, on you
IT. mothers kindness 10 me. and you
own"
ler swell. 60 on" said Hedwtg resigi
eddy. But the next words brought be
m up In her chair.
ie' Are you going to allow your III
30. to be ruined1" was what the COUNTIES
said.
DE- CAREFUL Hedwig had thrown up hi
head and looked At her with hosti
10 eyer. But the next moment she hs
forgotten she was q princess, and u
her granddaughter to the king. and remer
The bered only that she was q woman, o.
md terror.stricken. Nhe flung ont b,