Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-01-17

credit, had never occurred to HedWlg.
She paused in front of the countess.
"What can l do?" she asked pitifully.
"That dare not presume to say. I
came because 7 felt can only say
what, in your place, 1 should do"
II am afraid. You would not be
afraid" Hedwlg shivered. what
would you do"
'If knew, higlness, that some one,
for whom I cared, himself cared deep
ly enough to make any sacrifice, l
should demand happiness. 1 rather
think should lose the world, and gain
something like happiness"
"Demnndt" Hedwig said hopeless
ly. Eyes, you would demand it. I can
not demand things. l am always too
frightened"
The countess rose. Il am afraid I
have done an unwise thing" she said.
If your mother knew" She
shrugged her shoulders.
"You have only been kind, Ihaye so
few who really care"
The countess curtsied, and made for
the door. u must go" she said, BE
fore 1 go further, highnoss. My
apology is that I saw you unhappy, and
that I resented it, because"
"Yes?"
Because I considered it unnecas-
sary"
She was a very wise woman. She
left then, and let the next step come
from Hedwig. 1t followed, as Il mat
ter Of record, within the hour, at least
four hours sooner than she had altict-
patcd. She was in her boudotr, hot
reading, not even thinking, but sitting
staring ahead as Minna had seen her
do repeatedly in the past weeks. She
dared not think, for that matter.
Hcdwigs notification that she would
visit her, found the countess at leisure
and alone. She followed the announce
ment almost Immediately, and If she
had shown c0wardice before, she
showed none now. She disregarIod
the chair Olga Loschek offered, and
came to the point with a directncSs
that was like the kings.
81 have come" she said simply, "tt
find out what to do
The countess was as direct.
II cannot tell sou what to do, high
ness. I can only tell you what
would do"
Every Well" Hedwig showed ;
touch Of Impotence. This was Quib
bling, and it annoyed her.
Il should 80 away, now, with The
person / cared about"
"Where would you go?"
"The world is wide, highness."
mot wide enough to hide in, l IN
afraid"
"For myself" said the countess, eth,
problem would not be difficult.
should go to my place in the noun
! tains. An old priest who knows M
well, would perform the marriage
After that they might find me if the,
liked. 1t would be too late
This priest-hc might be dlGlcult.'
"Not to q young couple, come to him
! perhaps, in peasant costume. Tho.
( are glad to marry these fathers
/ There is much irragularity. I fancy
she added, still with her carefully de
/ tached manner chat a marriage coult
! be easily arranged"
But, before long, she had dropped
her prctense of aloofncss, and was talk
/ ing the lead. HedWig, weary with tn
/ struggle, and now trembling viii
/ nervousness, put herself in her hands
listening While she planned. agreed
eagerly to everything. Something o
! grim amusement came into Olga Los
cheks face after time. BY doing thi
thing she would lose everything. l
would be impossible to conceal he
.connivance. No one, knowing Hedwig
/ would for a moment Imagine the plan
hers. Or Nikky's, either, for that mat
! ter.
She, then, would lose everything
| even Karl, who was already lost to her
But-and her face grew set and LEI