Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-05-11

motives. But, when you know ali the condi.
tons. you may, as know you can. be Of
assistance to me in a dispassionate capacity.
just as one good fellow giving another a lift.
without entering too deeply into the intricate
equations of the underlying values. Z,
I, Hallam, am royalist. Further am
count. My name is Jan, and Nieff is an as
sumed name. have been officially chosen
by the nobility of Grodnia as an emissary
to carry out delicate and difficult piece Of
detective work, diplomacy, and propaganda,
the stake Of which is throne for my queen,
decent government for my people, and, Incl
dentally. the greatest happiness of mans
existence for myself. You need not par
ticipate in any royalst conspiracies. will
do what can in that direction alone If you
can aid me toward one thing-and I am
certain that with your experience as Jour.
nalist your unusual perception. your init.
mate acquaintance with New York and your
understanding of affairs in Grodnia you can
be Of Unreasonable assistance"
And what Is this one thing you think I
can do for your"
Find Princess sabina. now the rightful
queen Of Grodnia."
Hallam had set himself for something that
might affect Sabina. But the shot had come
too squarely to leave even him composed
"Well-Ill be switched" exclaimed Hal.
lam.
Does It surprise you, my friend that -
that some one-should be seeking the mis-.
sing heir to a kingdom? Queens are not
usually suffered to disappear at will. The
destinies Of many hang directly upon her.
not to say that, in this instance. tho happi.
ness Of an entire nation rests with her safety.
her win, and her yet undetermined chances"
ut is all quite plausible and regular.
have no doubt. But, even should I know
where the princess might be- would not
feel It right to interfere. It would be TAX
ing sides-hslping one faction against the
other. And have no stomach. after what
I've seen, for playing any hand in the horri-
BILE game. which, matter who wins, al.
ways ruins tho poor, the innocent, and the
feeble" said Hallam
quite right. Should harm como to the
princess, any reverses to her adversaries,
you would no doubt suffer conscientious
pangs II you had been instrumental toward
such an outcome. But appeal to you not
, alone the mouthplece Of a party, not
alone as a committed limb of cause speak
to you in the anxiety of a man whose motives
even more intimately burning than those.
Permit me to repose upon you confession,
the nature of which you. as a man, will per-
haps DO me the honor to appreciate. love
her royal highness."
Hallam felt a dizziness such as had never
- @h~
tie, at any of the numerous fabbergasting
surprises that he had lived through in his
tensest reportorial moments. For days he
had warmed within him the faint, cold spark
of faraway hope. 1t had never seemed
to him within the living possibilities that
the ethereal creature whom he had met for
half an hour and left at the parting Of their
ways the royal child born to love earth's
finest things, used to the purple and the
wine Of the elect, could cast back q thought
to him. q plain man with his way to make
and his name to carve But in all those
hours he had not thought that his dream.
remote as 1t lay in hazy improbabilities,
might be utterly futile because the girl loved
another man. It was likely enough. too.
now that the picture revoved swiftly in his
mind-until q few days ago her prospects
had been that she would marry q king and b
the mother Of one.
Am to understand" he asked slowly.
THAT you and tho princess are engaged to
marry?"
mo. But was her royal fathers choice
to DO her consort. Now that he Is dead,
and she. perhaps, In need and In danger.
1 am presumptuous enough to hope that
the pursuit Of my love may not be entirely
unwelcoms to her highness. She surely
must not--she cannot-ight the world
alone. mere baby, schooled to velvet lux.
uries and adulations. Moreover. she 10
obliged by her birth, the responsibilities
we'll as the hereditary honors and bounties Of
her station. to make a stand for the restt
tuition of the throne of her kingdom to the
royal line. feel that it is her duty, II
may be so bold, to marry a man Of breeding
high enough to command a standing a. the
head Of the arm which will storm Grodnia
with her flag emblem of It's aims. In
all the land short Of her own family, there
is not one of bluer blood than my own,
which I state without modesty, since 1t is
a matter Of record and history not boasting
opinion. Therefore. 1 feel encouraged
feel compelled-to seek her out and offer
her again my hand in fitting and, trust,
salutary marriage. Will you help me now?"
al Will look about and make some in.