The Dermott news., 1918-02-21

book she heSitatcd over. but at last, with q shrug of her shoulders she re- turned it to its hiding place in the iewe-Case.
 Coupled with her bitterness was a sense of relief. Only when the papers were destroyed had she realized thc weight they had been. She >ummorsd Minna, her maid, and dressed for the street Then, Miuua uceompanying her, she summoned her carriage and wen, shopping.
 She reached the palace again in time to dress for dinner. Somewhere on that excursion she had left the let ter, to he sent to it's destination over the border by special messenger that night.
 Prince Ferdinand William Otto. at Che moment of her return. WIS pre- pairing for bed. He washed himself, with OSkar standing by, holding a great soft towel. Even the towels were too large. And he brushed his teeth, and had two drinks of water, because stitliSh feeling in his throat persisted. And at last hc erawled up into the high bed that was so much too big for him, and had to crawl cut again, because he had forgotten his prayers.
 When everything was done. and the hour of putting out the light could no longer be delayed, he said good night to Oskar, who bowed There was great deal of lowing in Otto's world. Then. whisk! it was dark. with only the moon face of the cathedral clock for company. And as 1t was how twenty minutes past seven, the two hands dropped until it looked like n face with cruel mouth. and was really very poor company.
 Oskar. having bowed himself into the corridor and past the two sentries, reported to very great dignitary across the hall that his royal highness the Crown Prince Ferdinand William Otto was In bed And t'e dignitary had chance to go away and get his dinner.
 But alone in his great bed. the
 
 shamefaced tears. He was extremely ashamed of them. He felt that under no circumstances would his soldier father have behaved so. He reached out and secured one of the two clean folded handkerchiefs that were always placed on the bedside stand at night, and blew his nose very loudly. But he could not sleep.
 He gave Miss Braithwaite time to go to her sitting room. and for eight o'clock to pass. because once every hour, all night. q young gentleman of the court, appointed for this purpose and dubbed wet nurse" by jealous comrades, cautiously opened his door and made stealthy circuit of the room, to see that all was well.
 The crown prince got up. He neg lected to put on his bedroom slippers, of course. and in his bare feet he padded across the room to the study door. It was not entirely dark, A night light burned there. It stood on q table directly under the two crossed swords. Beneath the swords, in burnt wood frame, were the pictures of his father and mother. HedWis had given him Il wood-burninG outfit at Christmas. and he had done the work himself. It consisted of the royal arms. somewhat out of drawing and not exactly in the center of the frame. aud Il floral border of daisies, eA- tremely geometrieal, because he had drawn them in first with Il compass.
 The boy. however. gave the pictures only nasty glance and proceeded, in Il husineSslike manner, to carry straight chair to the cabinet, on the top shelf sat the old cloth dog. lts shoe-hutton eyes looked glazed with sleep, but its ears were quite alert Very cautiously the crown prince ua- locked the door. stepped preeartousIH to the lower shelf of the cabinet hung there by one royal hand, anu lifted the dog down.
 At nine o'clock the wet nurse took of his sword in another room and leaned it against n chair Then he examined his revolver. in accordance with formula prescribed by the old king. Then he went in and examined the room with tiashlight, and lis tened 10 the crown princes breathing. He had been croupy baby. And, at last, he turned the ilashlisht on to the bed. A pair of shoe-hutton eyes stared at him from the pillow.
 Well. I'm -,' said the wet nurse. And went out looking thoughtful 
 In Il shop where, that afternoon, the countess had purchased some Lyons silks, one of the clerks, Peter Niburg. was free at last. Al seven o'clock, having put away the last rolls of silk on the shelves behind him, and covered them with calico to keep on the dust; having given q tiHal glance If disduin at the clerk in the linens. across having reached under the counter for his ~ti6 black hat of good quality and i his siiver-topped cane; having donned i the hat and hung the stick to his arm i