Cleveland County herald., 1919-08-14
CHAPTER XiV-continued.
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the builder was reasonably sure to be abandoned. h all probability some sort of Stone=cutter's shed would be from the fine rain that was falling and from the chill night air. He remem- bered that 0'Dowd, in discussing the erection of Green Fancy the night be- fore, had said that the stone came from a pit two miles away, where a fine quality of granite had been found. Two miles, according to Barnes quick calculations, would bring the pit close to the northern boundary of the Curtis property and almost directly on line with the point where he and Sprouse entered the meadow at the beginning of their advance upon Green Fancy. That being the case, they were now quite close to the stake and rider fence separating the Curtis land from that of the farmer on the north.
 Good" he said, more te himself than to her q begin to see light. Are you afraid to remain here while I go down there for q look around? 1 sha'n't be gone more than couple of minutes"
 "The way l feel at present" she said, jerkily, q shall never, never from this instant till the hour in which 1 die, let go of your coat-tails, Mir, Barnes" Suiting the action to the word. her fingers resolutely fastened, ho toi of hfS mt his sturdy arm. T wouldn't stay here alone for anything in the world"
 "Heaven bless you.' he exclaimed, suddenly exalted. And, since you put it that way, shall always contrive to be within arms length
 And so, together, they ventured along the edge of the pit until they reached the wagon road at the bottom As he had expected, there was ram shackle shed hard by. It was not much of Il place, but 1t was deserted and safe shelter for the moment.
 A workman's bench lay on its side in the middle of the earthen floor. He righted it and drew 1t over to the boarding. She laid her head against his shoulder and Sighed deeply He kept his eyes glued on the door and listened for the first ominous sound outside. A long time afterward she stirred.
 Are you cold? You are wet"
 Tt was the excitement, the nervous ness, MT. Barnes" she said, drawing slightly away from him. Isn't it near ly daybreak?"
 He looked at his watch "Three o'clock he said.
 There ensued another period of si- lence. She remained slightly aloof.
 You'd better lean against me-" he said at last. 'I am softer than the beastly boards. you know, and quite as harmless"
 ''Thank you" she said, and promptly settled herself against his shoulder. "It is better" she sighed
 Would you mind telling me some thing about yourself, Miss Cameron? l should like to know whether I am to address you as princess, duchess, or just plain Miss
 T am more accustomed to plain Miss, Mir. Barnes, than to either of the titles you would give me"
 Don't you feel that I am deserving of little enlightenment?a ne asked. T uratively in the dark. Who are you? Why were you q prisoner at Green Fancy? Where and what is your na- tive land?"
 MT Barnes, I cannot answer any one of your questions without jeopar- dizing a cause that is dearer to me than anything else in all the world. l am sorry. 1 pray God a day may soon come when l can reveal everything to you-and to the world. I am of stricken country; am trying to serve the unhappy house that has ruled it for centuries and is now in the direst peril. The man you know as Loeb is q prince of that house. may say this to you, and it will serve to explain my position at Green Fancy: he is not the prince WdS leu lO pelleNt tWullcu lle there. He is the cousin of the man expected to mee ] and he is the enemy of the brancf of the house that would serve. Do not ask me to say more"
 Your sympathies are with the en- tente allies, the princess are opposed? Is that part of Sprouse's story true?'
 Yes
 And O'Dowd?"
 "ODowd is anti-English, Mir. Barnes, If that conveys anything to you. He Is not pro-Gernan.'
 Wasn't it pretty risky for you to carry the crown jewels around in a lraveling bag. Miss Cameron?"
 T suppose so. Ii turned out, how ever. that it was the safest, surest way. had them in my possession for .hree days before coming to Green Fancy, No one suspected. I was to deliver fhem to one of their rightful