The Washington times., 1937-10-14

rendezvous to the Metzger Noun
tains. The shooting was only an
excuse"
Elisabeth looked at him in aston
ishment. She was more agitated
than he had ever seen her. She
clutched his hand.
"You must explain" she In
sisted. II cannot bear any more
mystery"
"Ask me anything you WILL" he
replied.
II know, Of course, that you are
an English nobleman," she said,
but will you please tell me why
you were singled out for special
audience alone-you came out
from that retiring room with the
King-and you were treated on all
sides with extraordinary consid-
Grafton? What have you done in
life to have earned all that?"
Shot high pheasants with pre-
cision at Sandringham," he re-
piled with perhaps shade Of Bit
ternesS ir his tone.
UNJUSTIFIED OPINION
She had half risen to her feet,
but the touch of his fingers, slight
though it was, drew her back
again.
II beg your pardon" he apollo
gized. THAT was flippant and un-
true, but you must remember that
you have already expressed your
opinion of me when I asked you
once very important question"
WAS that opinion not juSti-
fied?"
1T was not justified"
Once more the curious sort Of
numbneSs seemed to pass from
her expression. Once more she
was alive. She was breathing
quickly.
IF that was true!" she mur.
INJURED.
ut is true" he assured her.
What ever I may have been, I
have not been an idler. I have
no government appointment or
anything of that sort but it
CHANGED that very soon after the
war, certain facts came to my
knowledge while I was in a little
known part of North Africa,
which I passed on to the govern
ment with few remarks Of my
own.
"Since then I have undertaken
work for them-work sometimes
of slight Importance; sometimes
of moment"
She was looking at him, her
moist lips parted, her eyes fixed.
was it you who were in Berlin
for nearly two months?"
"Yes."
"Was it you whom the sent out
to Africa?"
"Yes," he admitted.
"You were at Count Helms
shooting lodge?"
II returned from there this
morning." he told her. st flew
straight from Matresser to the
lodge on the night refused you
as a passenger"
She clutched his arm convulsive-
ly; then she seemed to remember
where they were and she drew q
little away.
IT ought to have guessed" she
groaned. There were so many
things I could not understand
Won Behrling-oh, score Of them!
Never could I have believed that a
woman could be so foolish as I
have been.
GREAT CAPACITY
IF I had not seen vol: with the
King; if I had not watched the
way he was talking to you. I might
never have realized. It was just
because I knew that you had the
capacity for so much more" she
went on, that it made me so
bitterly angry when they all
talked about your being lord
lieutenant of the county and you
spoke of your travels after wild
animals. =.
"Ann, too, she must have known
more Of you, yet she accepted it
so naturally. Where is Ann2 Is
she here by any chance?"
Matresser shook his head.
''She is spending the evening
with my exploit"
Your exploit"
He nodded.
"a very charming young man."
he confided, who fetched me from
Norfolk, took me over to my deSti-
nation and brought me back again
this morning.
HE insisted upon being called
Pilot No. II but his real name
is Prince Maurice von ReiSensach."
She buried her face for a
moment in her hands.
"Oh, I might have known. You
were at the Helm shooting lodge!
You were one Of the seven!"
He was silent for a moment,
relieved OF the weight Of words,
Sympathizing with her distress.
Explanations are such crude
things" he murmured. II have
been very fortunate because the
trut.l has come to you by accident.
ut needed no effort on my part
to bring you understanding Il
wonder how long we shall be left
here undisturbed."
She raised her head and listened.
There was a deep hubbub Of voices
beyond the screen Of palms.
(TO Be COntinuedl
CoDyPiRht BY