New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1919-01-03


your highness." he said firmly. tina
no one may enter his majesty's pres
ence without permission"
'Then 90 in," said Hedwig. In
white rage. and get the permission
The gentleman In waiting went In
very deliberately. because his dignit!
was outraged. The moment he hat
gone. however, Hedwig flung the dool
open, and followed, standing, q figure
Of tragic defiance, inside the heavy
curtains Of the kings bedroom.
"There is no use saying you wOn'
see me. grandfather. For here / am
They eyed each other, the one II
must be told, q trife uneasily. thu
other desperately. Then into thu
kings eyes came q flash Of admiration
and just a CLEAN Of amusement.
$50 perceive" he said. "Com'
here, Hedwig."
A sister Of charity was standing by
the kings bed. She had cared fol
him through many illnesses. In the
intervals she retired to her clOister and
read holy books and sewed for the
poor.
The sister went out, her black habit
dragging, but she did not sew. Some
time later she heard bitter crying In
the royal bed chamber, and the kings
tones, soothing now and very sad.
There is a higher duty than happi.
ness" he said. "There are greater
things than love. And one day you
will know this"
When she went in Hedwig had gone.
and the old king, lying In his bed, was
looking at the portrait Of his dead
son.
.
The following morning the Countess
Loschek left for a holiday. She had
the choice Of but two alternatives, to
do as she had been commanded, for It
amounted to that. o to die. The com.
mittee would not kill her, in case she
failed them. It would be unnecessary.
Enough that they place the letter and
the code in the hands of the author
tiles. by some anonymous means. Well
enough she knew the chancell0r's In.
flexible anger, and the Archduchess
Annunciata's cold rage. They would
sweep her away with a gesture. and
she would die the death Of all traitors.
A week! Time had been when a
week Of the dragging days ut the pal
ace had seemed eternity. Now the
hours flew. The gold clock on her
dressing table, a gift from the arch
duchess, marked them with flying
hands.
During the afternoon came a pack
age, rather unskillfully tied with a gilt
cord. Opening 1t, the countess dis
closed a glove box Of wood, with a de-
sign Of rather shaky violets burnt into
the cover. Inside was a note:
I an very sorry you are sick. This 10
Please excuse the work. I have done 1t
in a hurry.
FERDINAND WILLIAM OTTO.
Suddenly the countess laughed. chek-
ing hysterical laughter that alarmed
Minna; horrible laughter, which left
her paler than ever. and gasplng.
-
The old castle of the Loscheks
grim and inhospitable when she
reached 1t that night. Built during the
years when the unbeliever overran
southern Europe, 1t stood in a COM
manding position over a valley. and q
steep, walled road led up to it.
But, its ancient glory and good re-
pute departed, its garrison gone. its
drawbrldge and moat things Of the
past, its very hangings and furnish.
ings moldering from long neglect, 1t
hung over the valley. a past menace,
an empty threat.
To this dreary refuge the countess
had fled. She wanted the silence Of
its still rooms in which to think.
Wretched herself, Its wretchedness
her. As the carriage which had
brought her from the railway turned
into its woods, and she breathed the
.ungent odor of pine and balsam. she
relaxed for the first time.
Why was she so hopeless? She
could escape. She knew the woods
well. None who followed her could
know them so well. She would get
AWAY, and somewhere, In a new world,
make u fresh start. Surely. after all,
peace was the greatest thing In the
The carriage drove on; Minna, on
the box, crossed herself at sight of the
and chatted with the driver,
a great figure who crowded her to the
very edge Of the seat.
II am glad to be here" she said. Il
am sick of grandeur. My home is In
She turned and inspected the
nan beside here. "YOu are a new
1 think7"
II have but Just come to Etzel."
'Then You cannot tell me about my
people," She was disappointed.
"And you," inquired the driver,
you will stay for a visit7"
"A week only. But better than moth
AFTER that, you return to the ctyf"
Eyes. Madame the countess-you
would know, II you were Etzel-born-
madame the countess Is lady in wait.
ng to her royal highness, the Arch
duchess Annunciata."
"Sow said the driver. But he was
lot curious, and the broken road de-
handed his attention. He was but
newly come, so very newly that he did
lot know his way, and once made q
wrong turning.