Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-12-28

have had sore throat. In my opinion,
you smoke too many cigarettes"
] The Countess Loschek was thirty,
and very handsome, In an insolent
way. She was supposed to be the best
dressed woman at the court, and to
rule Annunciata with an iron hand.
although It was known that they
quarreled great deal over small
things, especially over the coal fire.
Some said that the real thing that
held them together was resentment
that the little crown prince stood be-
tween the Princess Hedwig and the
throne. Annunciata was not young,
but she was younger than her dead
brother Hubert.
The countess yawned.
'Where is Hedwig?" demanded the
archduchess.
"Her royal highness is in the nurs-
cry. probably"
"Why prObably?"
"She goes there a great deal"
The archduchess eyed her. swell,
out with It," she said. There is
something seethIng In that wicked
brain of yours"
The countess shrugged her shoulders.
Not that she resented having q
wicked brain. She rather fancied the
idea. "She and young Lieutenant Lar
isch have tea quite frequently with
his royal highness."
Little fooll" said Annunciata. But
she frowned, and sat tapping her tea
cup with her spoon. She was just a
trifle afraid of Hedwig, and she was
more anxious than she would have
cared to acknowledge. ''How far do
you think the thing has gomez"
"He is quite mad about her."
"And Hedwig-but she is silly
enough for anything. Do they meet
anywhere elseT
Eat the riding school, I believe. At
least, l."
Here a maid entered and stood
waiting at the end of the screen.
'HIis excellency, General Mettlich,"
said the maid.
The archduchess nodded her august
head, and the maid retired. go
away, Olga" said the archduchess.
"And you might" she suggested grim
ly, "gargle your throat"
The chancellor had passed a trou-
bled night. Being old, like the king,
he required little sleep. And for most
Of the time between one o'clock and
his rising hour of FIVE he had lain in
his narrow camp bed and thought. He
had not confded all his worries to the
king.
Evidences of renewed activity on the
part of the terrorists were many. In
the past month two of his best secret
agents had disappeared. One had been
found the day before, stabbed in the
back. The chancellor had seen the
body--an unpleasant sight. But it
was not of the dead man that General
Mettlich thought. 1t was of the other.
The dead tell nothing. But the living,
under torture, tell many things. And
this man Haeckel, young as he was,
knew much that was vital.
At five General Mettlich had risen
exercised before an open window with
an old pair of iron dumb bells, had fol-
lowed this with cold bath and hot
coffee, and had gone to early mass at
the Cathedral.
He entered the bOudoir of the Arch,
duchess AnnunCiata, and the countess
went out another door, and closed it
behind her, Immediately opening 1t
about an inch.
The chancellor strobe around the
| screen, scratching two tables with his
sword as he advanced, and kissed the
hand of the Princess Annunciata. They
were old enemies and therefore al
ways very polite to each other. The
archduchess offered him cup of tea,
which he took, although she always
made very bad tea. And for a few
moments they discussed things. Thus +:
the kings condition; the replanting of
the place with trees; and the date of
bringing out the Princess Hilda, who
was still in the school room.
But the archduchess suddenly came
to business. She was an abrupt per.
son. "And now, general" she said,
what is itY'
Il am In trouble, highness," replied
the chancellor simply.
eve are most of us in that condition
at all times. / suppose you mean this
absurd affair of yesterday. Why such
a turmoil about 1t? The boy ran
away. When he was ready he re.
turned. He is here now, and safe"
Il am afraid he is not as safe as
you think, madame"
"Why?"
He sat forward on the edge OF his
chair, and told her of the students at
the university, who were being fired
by some powerful voice; of the dis
appearance of the two spies: of the
evidence that the Committee of Ten
was meeting again, and the failure to
discover their meeting place; of dis
Affection among the people, according
to the reports of his agents. And then
to the (real purpose of his visit. Karl
of K4rnla had, unofficially, proposed