The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-13

to creature. Anton here went with his
life in his hand-but he'll tell you, l was
more than once on the very point of let
ting you in, particularly that day you had
been talking to the Countess Beruna, and
came along, dressed like a peddler l ac-
tually ran after you into the woods that
afternoon, but you had got off too quickly.
you didn't wear a wig a rule" said
Marley with conviction.
"Of course not l was obliged to this
evening, because l wanted to unmask be-
fore you all AS rule, have used a stain,
and as my hair is snow white in reality
l can be what color l please, eyebrows
and all. The stuff l use is easily remov-
able not being a dye; but sometimes it is
bit too easily removable, as for example
when I've been all night in the lake"
"Got it about its natural color now" re-
marked the grand duke chucklng.
Leonhardt went to a mirror and contem-
plated himself earnestly
81 don't want to make my first appear
ance among my subjects as a gray old
grandsire."
Subjects be bowed laughed Raoul,
1--WE know better. It's the queen who must
be charmed with the first sight of her lord
and master"
"That is so,'' observed Leonhardt doubt
fully, his eyes regarding his own image with
much distaste.
81 hardly realized what slug l look in
this diseased dress-coat," said he. eek
cuse me, you fellows, while go and put on
some decent clothes. l must have a chat
with her before tomorrow, and it's getting
late"
He ran out of the room, and the four
stood gazing upon one another.
WELL. said Variety, with a long sigh.
HE mystified me completely. l could not
make up my mind about him. Knew he was
a spy of some kind right enough, but could
not decide upon which side
"What MANI put in Raoul.
Fancy that swim he took the night of
the storm, and all the time she was his
wife,
EYES," observed Anton thoughtfully,
chat nearly broke him. l don't mean that
the physical effort nearly broke him,
though it wa stupendous. It was her dis
like of him, her scorn, her rudeness. She
had taken an acute distaste for him-why
| hardly know But l expect it was one of
these subconscious impressions. He was
not able to hide from her entirely the fact
that he was always thinking about her.
Anyway, that morning on the shore he had
practically determined, if she was conscious
when she awoke, and understood things,
that he would tell her who he was. He
thought, after what he had gone through
for her, she might have kind word for
him."
"And she hadn't demanded Raoul anx-
iously.
"Not much You see, she did not under
stand She had no idea he had rescued her,
but imagined she had been washed ashore.
He wouldn't explain, and all she thought of
was that her friends were drowned, and he,
her bette noire, was alive. 1t bowled him
over badly, at the end of his tether as he
was, after the struggle and exposure
"a marvellous feat"' cried Humphrey,
"even now can't believe he did it."
Constant practice, returned Anton.
"He was always in the lake, swimming
from point to point to avoid showing foot
prints on land He was in perfect training,
as fit as could be. But the queens rebuff
took all the heart out of him. He kept on
saving that if she didn't care for him,
he didn't care damn if Pannona was at
the bottom of the lake."
"He's got it badly" observed Raoul, his
eyes twinkling.
"You may well say For few days
/ thought it was going to wreck everything
When he could no longer be Stepan Wo-
ROM, in touch with all that was going on in
the embassy, he went half mad. He set him