Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-04-05

first were A~nnunc1ata, dedW1g, ana
the countess, and at the last moment
Otto had salvaged Miss Braithwaite
from the second ar, and begged a
place for her with him. A police agent
sat beside the chauffeur. Also another
car just ahead, contained other
DEPARTURE plain black motor, with
out the royal arms.
In the second machine followed a
part of the suite, Hedwig's lady in
waiting, two gentlemen of the court,
In parade dress, and Father Gregory,
come from his monastery at Ethel to
visit his old friend, the king.
AT the landing stage a small crowd
had gathered on seeing the red carpet
laid and the gilt ropes put up, which
indicated a royal visit. A small girl,
with a hastily secured bouquet in her
hot hands, stood n%ervously waiting. In
Difference to the anniversary, the flow
ers were tied with a black ribbon.
Annunciata grumbled when she saw
the crowd, and the occupants of the
first car looked them over carefully. It
remained for Hedwig to spy the black
ribbon. In the confusion, she slipped
yer to the little girl, who went quite
white with excitement. "They are
lovely" Hedwig whispered, "but please
take off the black ribbon" The child
eyed her ~anxiously. "It will come to
pieces, highness."
stake the ribbon from your hair. It
will be beautiful"
Which was donel But, as was not
unnatural, the child forgot her speech,
and merely thrust the bouquet, tied
with a large pink bow, into the hands
of Prince Ferdinand William Otto.
"Here," she said. 1t was, perhaps,
the briefest, and therefore the most
agreeable presentation speech the
crown prince had ever heard.
The quay receded, red carpet and all.
Only the blare Of the band followed
then, and with the persistence of
sound over water, followed them for
some time.
It 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 been 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.
p ice Ferdinand William Otto sat
by the rail and watched the green
banks flying by.
When no one vas looking, he broke
q flower from the bouquet and flung it
overheard. He pretended that it was q
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.
HIt's very strange about Milky" he
said. HE is away somewhere. I wish
he had sent word he was going"
Hedwig looked out over the river.
The archduchess glanced at Miss
Brafthwaite. "There is no news?" she
asked, In an undertone.
"None," said MISS B%raithwaite.
A sudden suspicion rose in Hedwig's
mind, and made her turn pale. What
If they had sent him away? Perhaps
they feared him enough for thatl If
that were true, she would never know.
She knew the ways of the palace well
enough for that. In a sort of terror
she glanced around the group, so COM
fortably disposed. Her mother vas
looking out, with her cool, Nmpassive
gaze. Miss Braithwaite knitted. The
countess, however, met her eyes, and
there was something strange in them
triumph and a bit of terror, too, had
she but read them. For the countess
had put in her plea for a holiday and
had been refused.
The new fortress faced the high road
some five miles from the Karnian Dor
der. It stood on a bluff over the river,
uh0 was, "a AN N1O0A PiinNC QCNA0ChS
not so unlike the desk, after all, ex-
cept that 1t had a moat around it.
Hedwig and the countess went with
the party around the Notifications.
The archduchess and Miss B~raithwaite
had sought a 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 it, looking very sad.
Even the drill-when at a word all the
great guns rose and peeped over the
edge at the valley below, and then
dropped backed again as If they had
seen enough-even this failed to rouse
her.
81 wish you would listen, Hedwig,"
said the crow prince, almost fretfuily.
TITS so interesting. The enemy's SOL