River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1918-05-16


not necessary to contemplate violence.
There are other methods. The boy
could be taken over the border, and
hidden until the republic is firmly es-
tablfshed After that, he is unim-
portant."
The countess, still pale, looked at
him scornfully. "You do my intelli-
gence small honor"
''Where peaceful methods will avail,
our methods are peaceful, madame"
''It was, then, in peace that you muir
dered Prince Hubert?'
1.-THE errors Of the past are past"
Then, with new sternness: MAKE
no mistake. Whether through your
agency or another, countess, when the
cathedral bell rouSes the city to the
kings death, and the people wait in
the place for their new king to come
out on the balcony, he will not come"
The countess was not entirely bad.
Standing swaying and white-faced be-
fore the tribunal, she saw suddenly
the golden head of the little crown
prince, saw him smiling as he had
smiled that day in the sunlight, saw
him troubled and forlorn as he had
been when, that very evening, he had
left them to go to his lonely rooms
Perhaps she reached the biggest mo-
ment of her life then, when she folded
her arms and stared proudly at the
shrouded figures before her.
II will not do it," she said.
But Number Seven remained impaS-
sive. "a new idea, countess p he said
suavely. II can understand that your
heart recoils. But this thing is in
evitable, as have said. Whether you
or another-but perhaps with time to
think you may come to another con-
clusion. We make no threats. Our
position is, however, one of RESPONSE
bility. We are compelled to place the
future of the republic before every
other consideration"
THAT is a threat"
"We remember both our friends and
our enemies, madame. And we have
only friends and enemies. There is no
middle course. If you would like time
to think it over"
"How much time?" She clutched at
the words.
"Women vary" said Number Seven
mockingly. "Some determine quickly.
Others"
MAY / have month";
During which the king may die /!
Alas, madame, it is now you who do
us too little hOnor''
"a week?" begged the countess
desperately.
The leader glanced along the line.
| One head after another nodded slow
| ly.
"a week it is, madame. Comrade
Five!"
The one who had brought her came
| forward with the bandage.
''At the end of one week, madame,
a iacre will, as tonight, be waiting
in the Street of the Wise Virgins"
"And these papers?"
Son the day the republic Of Ii
vonia is established, madame, they Will
be returned to YOU"
He bowed, and returned to his chair.
Save for the movements of the man
who placed the bandage over her eyes,
there was absolute silence in the
room.
. . .
Prince Ferdinand William Otto was
supremacy happy. Three quite delight
full things had happened. First, Mix
ky had returned. He said he felt per-
fectly well, but the crown prince
| thought he looked as though he had
been i'll, and glanced frequently at
Nikky's cigarette during the riding
hour. Second, Hedwig did not come
to the riding lesson, and he had Mix
ky to himself. Third, he, Prince
Ferdinand William Otto, was on the
eve of birthday.
This last, however, was not unmixed
happiness. For the one day the
sentence of exile was to be removed
so that he might lunch with the king,
and he was to have strawberry jam
with his tea, some that Miss Braith'
Waite's sister had sent from England.
But to offset all this, he was to re-
ceive delegation of citizens.
HedWig was not at the riding
school that morning. This relieved
Prince Ferdinand William Otto, whose
views as to Milky were entirely sell
fish, but Milky himself had unaccount-
ably lost his high spirit Of the morn
ing. He played, of course, as he al
ways did. And even taught the crown
prince how to hang over the edge of
his saddle, while his horse was canter-
ing, so that bullets would not strike
him.
They rode and ,frolicked, yelled a
bit, got two ponies and whacked polo
ball over the tan bark, until the
crown prince was sweating royalty and
was gloriously flushed.
81 don't know when ] have been so
happy" he said, dragging out his hand
kerchief and hopping his face. tits
great deal pleasanter without He'd
wig, isn't it,"
While they played, overhead the
o.uoo+ hoorco xuoC randy OF Last Tfq