Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1918-08-09
CHAPTER XlII-continued.

IL
The candle was at last lighted. It
burned fitfully, illuminating only tiny
zone in the darkness.
81 need a lantern" Bobby observed.
There's a draft here. 1t comes from
the other grating. Some time, when
you have time, I'd like to see what's
beyond it. / was kind of nervous
about going alone"
It was the old passage, then, OF
course. Old Adelbert stared as Bobby
took the candle and held it toward a
second grated door, like the first, but
taller.
A close examination revealed to old
Adelbert two things: First, that
brick-lined passage, apparently In good
repair, led beyond the grating. Sec
Ond, that it had been recently put In
order. No unused passage this, but
one kept in order and repair. For
what?
That evening Adelbert called to see
his friend, the lockSmith in the uni
yersity place. He possessed, he said,
a 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
the size of his palm.
When he left, he carried with him
q bundle Of Keys, tied in brown
paper.
But he did not back to his chest.
He went instead to the thicket around
the old gate, which was still termed
the "Gate of the Moon" and there,
armed with lantern, pursued his in
yestigations during portion OF the
night.
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 across the border. The arrange
ments were not of her making. Her
plan, which had been to go afoot
across the mountain to the town of
Ar-on-Ar. and there to hire a motor,
had been altered by the arrival at the
castle, shortly after the permission
was given, of machine.
''The matter of passports for the
border is arranged, madame" Black
Humbert told her.
ST have my own passports" she said
proudly.
"They will not be necessary"
ST will 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
you WISH" he said. "But it is prob
ably not necessary to remind madame
that, whatever is discussed at this
meeting, no word must be mentioned of
the committee, or it's plans"
Although he made no threat, she had
Ghivered. No, there must be no word
Of the committee, or of the terror that
drove her to Karl. For, if the worst
happened, if he failed her, and she
must do the thing they had set her to
do, Karl must never know. That card
she must play alone.
Everything hung on the result Of her
visit. If Karl persisted, if he would
marry Hedwig in spite Of the trouble
1t would precipitate, then indeed she
was lost. If, on the other hand, he
was inclined to peace, if her story OF
"a lettering throne held his hand, she
would defy the committee Of ten. Karl
himself would help her to escape,
might indeed hide her. 1t would not
be for long. Without Karl's support
the kings death would bring the ter
rorists into control. They would have
other things to do than to hunt her
out. Their end would be gained with
out her. Let them steal the crown
prince, then. Let Hedwig fight for her
throne and lose it. Let the streets
run deep with blood and all the pande-
monium of hell break loose.
But if Kari failed her. She clinched
her teeth.
The countess did not sleep. She
was, with every fiber of her keen brain,
Summoning her arguments. She would
need them, for she knew-none better
how great a handicap was hers.
She loved Karl, and he knew it. What
had been her strength had become her
weakness.
Yet she was composed enough when,
before the sun was well up, the ma
GssAas drew up la the village before