Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-04-18
CHAPTER xuI-continued.

CHAPTER xlii-continusd.
-
The candle was at last lighted. II
burned 1tfully, Illuminating only . tiny
sone In the darkness.
RI need q lantern" Bobby observed.
There's a draft here. 1t CONES from
the other grating. Some time. when
you have time, I'd like to sec what's
beyond It ! a kind of nervous
about going alone"
It was the old passage. then. of
course. Old Adelbert stared a. Bobby
took the candle and held 1t toward a
> second grated door. like the drst, but
caller.
A close examination revealed to old
-Adelbert two things: First, that a
tbricklined passage. apparently in good
repair, led beyond the grating. Sec
: ond, that 1t had been recently put In
order. No unused passage this. but
n kept In order and repair. For
what7
That evening Adelbert called to see
his friend, the locksnith in the uni.
versity place. He possessed, he said,
q paddock Of which he had lost the
'key, and which. being fastened to a
chest, he was unable to bring with him.
A large and heavy paddock, perhaps
che size Of his palm.
When he left, he carried with him
. bundle Of keys. tied In q brown
paper.
But he did not back to his chest.
He went instead to the thicket around
tte old gate, which was still termed
tie Gate Of the Moon," and there,
armed with a lantern, pursued his In.
vssdgations during a portion Of the
aight.
When he had finished, old Adelbert,
veteran Of many wars, one-time patriot
and newly turned traitor, held In his
shaking hands the fate Of the king
dom.
The Countess Loschek was on her
way acros the border. The arrange
Euents were not Of her making. Her
plan, which had been to 60 afoot
across the mountain to the town Of
Aron-Ar. and there to hire a motor,
had been altered by the arrival at the
castle, shortly after the permission
was given, Of q machine.
The matter Of passports for the
border IL arranged, madame" Black
Humbert told her.
Il have my own passports" she said
1proudly.
They will not be necessary"
Il viii have this interview at my
destination alone. or not at all"
He drew himself to his great height
.and regarded her with cold eyes. "As
ysu wish," he said. "But 1t Is prob.
ably not necessary to remind madame
that whatever 10 discussed at this
meeting, no word must be mentioned Of
. he committee or Its plans"
Although he made no threat, she had
4shivered. No, there must be no word
OF the committee, or Of the terror that
, Grove her TO Karl. For, II the worst
happened, Il he failed her, and she
mast do the thing they had set her to
d Karl must never know. That card
so must play alone.
Everything hung on the result Of her
,Nidt. II Karl persisted, II he would
SnaEry Hedwig in spite Of the trouble
II would p~recipitate, then indeed she
was lost. Il, on the other hand, he
was inclined to peace, II her story Of
q totterlng throne held his hand, she
would defy the committee Of ten. Karl
1imDelf would help her to escape,
night indeed hide her. 1t would not
- for long. Without Karl's support
Ia kings death would bring the ter.
forists into control. They would have
ether things to do than to hunt her
cut. Their end would be gained with.
ont her. Let them steal the crown
prince, then. Let Hedwig night for her
throne and lose Il Let the streets
Eun deep with blood and oil the pande-
'dnonlum Of he'll break loose.
Bat II Karl failed her. She clinched
Ahee teeth.
Tho countess did not bleep. She
'aWas, with every dber Of her keen brain,
'ssnmoning her arguments. She would
1eed them, for she knew-none better
now great . handicap was hers.
- loved Karl, and he knew Il. What
- been her strength had become her
weakness.
let aAs was composed enough when,
soaeees The sun was well mp, the ma.
'eAans drew up ID The village bsfart