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

The voice of Rosmer went on evenly:
"Things ought to arrange themselves very
simply. Pannonia is aching to settle down
under stable government. No amount of
swashbuckling can make a dead man live;
and 1 don't see how the Grand Duke of
Marvilion could set on his men to fight
against King Boris's sister and her hus-
band"
"Sit down" the ambassador cried, '1et US
go into this thing If it can be arranged, it
shall! But do not forget that Oester-
land"
"If I may interrupt you for moment,
sir; the Grand, Duke and King Leonhardt
have disposed of Oesterland for u.s. She
is already defeated. The officers of the gar
risons are all informed, the men have been
marched to the frontier, ready for deporta-
ton. The only way in which either Nor
dernreich or Oesterland can. interfere-os-
tensbly-would be by sending an armed
expedition and Europe would never stand
that. The powers will say that Pannonia
must settle her own affairs for herself. l
hardly think that she will hesitate"
"Ycu mean it, Rosmer! You offer to rid
US of this man-singlehanded?"
81 can say no more, sir, than that I
am willing to be wiped completely out of
existence to accomplish that which l have
set my heart upon"
The ambassador sat down heavily.
"Then by Heaven! We'll turn the tables
on that id Swashbuckler yet!'
Upon the night following his adventure
upon Kyriel Moor Humphrey Yarley hardly
closed his eyes till dawn and when he slept,
it was to awaken with sound in his ears
as of nails driven into a coffin, and his
fancy filled with the image of the pinched,
reluctant face of dead peddler who at no
distant date had manicured his finger nails.
He had packed suitcase overnight,
placing it inside large cupboard on the
landing, whence Mistitch had by arrange
ment fetched it away, carrying it off with
the princess own luggage.
He had nothing to wait for, it was too
early for breakfast, and it was imperative
that he should be gone before people were
about.
He locked his door behind him, so that
the discovery of his absence might be de-
layed as long as possible. He let himself
out by the secret door into the grounds, and
followed a track in the forest, carefully
traced for him the. preceding day upon his
large-scale map.
The rendezvous for which he was max
ing, and where he was encouraged to hope
that he might find breakfast, was near the
point at which a track from Castle Kyriel
ran down to meet the one he was pursuing.
There or whereabouts, he was to meet the
Count and Countess Loriscu, and it was
with some curiosity that he looked forward
to an introduction to the Pannonian aris-
tocracy. He hoped very much that the
countess might prove to be one capable of
inspiring confidence in the mind of Evadne,
whose spirit and self-will might otherwise
make~it difficult for them to carry out King
Leonhardt's wildly romantic plan.
The early sun, dappling the green glade,
was in his eyes as he advanced. A lady in
dark blue, with a sunshade held above her
head, came forward with her hand extended
in greeting. 1t was-he hardly knew why
"a surprise to find the countess so elderly.
He had thought of the Loriscus as of people
about the kings own age. She was dis
nguished-that was the word that floated
into his mind, before the next, more intense
impression of having seen her before. He
stood dumb and staring. 1t was Anton's
mother.
As he colored and faltered, uncertain of
his cue, she smiled rather mischeviously.
"Beruna," said she in English, ~ fancy
that Mr.. Marley recollects u.s."
Humphrey was crimson. He bit his lip.
This thing had caught him unguarded. His
kindling eve leaned to the slim girl seated