Polk County observer., January 18, 1907, Image 2

Beverly of
Graustark
WW cFORfiE barr ym
M'CUTCHEON.
Author of "Gruitark"
ft
CowrWrt. 1904. k DoW.
Mm! ifti Comtiwr
Be quiet, Aunt Fauuy, you are not
killed at all," commanded Beverly
quite firmly.
"De house is suata to blow down,
Miss yo' highness," groaned tiie trusty
maidservant Beverly laughed bravely
but nervously with the tall goat hunter.
He at once set about making his guest
comfortable and secure from the ef
fects of the tempest, which was now at
Its height. Her couch of cushions was
dragged far back Into the cavern and
the rescued blankets, though drenched,
again became a screen.
"Do you Imagine that I'm going In
there while this storm rages?" Beverly
demanded as the work progressed.
"Are you not afraid of lightning?
Most young women are."
"That's the trouble. I am afraid of
It. I'd much rather stay out here where
there is company. You don't mind, do
you?"
"Paradise cannot be spurned by one
who now feels Its warmth for the first
time," he said gallantly. "Your fear Is
my delight Pray sit upon our throne.
It was once a humble carriage pail of
leather, but now It Is exalted. Besides,
it Is much more comfortable than some
of the gilded chairs we hear about."
"You are given to Irony, I fear," she
said, observing a peculiar smile on his
Hps.
"I crave pardon, your highness," he
said humbly. "The heart of the goat
hunter is more gentle than bis wit. I
shall not again forget that you are a
princess and I the' veriest beggar."
"I didn't mean to hurt you!" she
cried In consternation, for she was a
very poor example of what a princess
is supposed to be.
"There Is no wound, your highness,"
he quickly said. With a mocking grace
that almost angered her he dropped to
his knee and motioned for her to be
seated. She sat down suddenly, clap
ping her hands to her ears and shut
ting her eyes tightly. The crash of
thunder that came at that instant was
the most fearful of all, and It was a
full minute before she dared to lift her
lids again. He was standing before
her, and there was genuine compassion
In his face. "It's terrible," he said.
"Never before have I seen such a
storm. Have courage, your highness.
It can last but little longer."
"Goodness!" said the real American
girl, for want of something more ex
pressive. "Your servant has crept Into your
couch, I fear. Shall I sit here at your
feet? Perhaps you may feel a small
sense of security if I"
"Indeed, I want you to sit there,"
she cried. He forthwith threw him
self upon the floor of the cave, a
graceful, respectful guardian. Minutes
went by without a word from either.
The noise of the storm made It Im
possible to speak and be heard. Scat
tered about the cavern were his out
stretched followers, doubtless asleep
once more In all this turmoil. With
the first lull in the war of the ele
ments Beverly gave utterance to the
thought that long bad been struggling
for release.
"Why do you wear that horrid black
patch over your eye?" she asked, a
trifle timidly. He muttered a sharp
exclamation and clapped his hand to
his eye. For the first time since the
beginning of their strange acquaint
anceship Beverly observed downright
confusion In this debonair knight of
the wilds.
"It has has slipped off," he stam
mered, with a guilty grin. His merry
Insolence was gone, his composure
with It. Beverly laughed with keen
enjoyment over the discomfiture of the
shame faced vagabond.
"You can't fool me!" she exclaimed,
shaking her finger at him In the most
unconventional way. "It was Intend
ed to be a disguise. There is abso
lutely nothing the matter with your
eye."
He was speechless for a moment, re
covering himself. Wisdom is conceiv
ed In silence, and he knew this. Vaga
bond or gentleman, he was a clever
actor.
"The eye Is weak, your highness, and
I cover It In the daytime to protect it
from the sunlight," he said coolly.
"That's all very nice, but It looks to
be quite as good as the other. And
what Is more, sir, you are not putting
the patch over the same eye that wore
It when I first saw you. It was the
left eye at sunset Does the trouble
transfer after dark?"
He broke luto an honest laugh and
hastily moved the black patch across
his nose to the left eye.
"I was turned around In the dark
ness, Unit's all," he said serenely. "It
belongs over the left eye, and I am
deeply grateful to you for discovering
the error."
"I don't see any especial reason why
you should wear It after dark, do yout
There Is no sunlight, I'm sure."
. "I. am dazzled, nevertheless," he re
torted. "Fiddlesticks!" she said. "This U ft
ravo, not a drawing room."
"In other words, I am a lout and not
a courtier," he smiled. "Well, a lont
may look at a princess. We have no
court etiquette In the bills, lam sorry
to say."
That was very unkind, even though
you said It most becomingly," she pro
tested. "You have called this pall a
throne. Let us also Imagine that you
are a courtier."
"You punish me most gently, your
highness. I shall not forget my man
ners again, believe me." He seemed
thoroughly subdued. N
"Then I shall expect you to remove
that horrid black tiling. It Is positive
ly villainous. Yon look much better
without It."
"Is it an edict or a compliment?" he
asked, with such deep gravity that she
flushed.
"It Is neither," she answered. "You
don't have to take it off unless you
want to"
"In either event It Is off. You were
right. It serves as a partial disguise.
I have many enemies and the black
patch Is a very good friend."
"How perfectly lovely," cried Bev
erly. "Tell me all about it. I adore
stories about feuds and all that."
"Your husband Is an American. He
should be able to keep you well enter
tained with blood-and-thuuder stories,"
said he.
"My bus What do you Oh, yes!"
gasped Beverly. "To be sure. I didn't
hear you, I guess. That was rather a
severe clap of thunder, wasn't it?"
"Is that also a command?"
"What do you mean?"
"There was no thunderclap, you
know."
"Oh, wasn't there?" helplessly.
"The storm Is quite past. There Is
still a dash of rain in the air, and the
wind may be dying hard, but aside
from that I think the noise is quite sub
dued." "I believe you are right. How sud
den it all was."
"There are several hours between
this and dawn, your highness, and you
should try to get a little more sleep.
Your cushions are dry and"
"Very well, since you are so eager to
get rid of" began Beverly, and then
stopped, for it did not sound partic
ularly regal. "I should have said, you
are very thoughtful. You will call me
If I sleep late?"
"We shall start early, with your per
mission. It Is forty miles to Ganlook,
and we must be half way there by
nightfall."
"Must we spend another night like
this?" cried Beverly dolefully.
"Alas, I fear you must endure us an
other night. I am afraid, however, we
shall not find quarters as comfortable
as those of the Hawk and Raven."
"I didn't mean to be ungrateful and
er snlpplsh," she said, wondering If
he knew the meaning of the word.
"No?" he said politely, and she knew
he did not, whereupon she felt dis
tinctly humbled.
"You know you speak such excellent
English," she said Irrelevantly.
He bowed low. As he straightened
his figure, to his amazement, he be
held an agonizing look of horror on
her face, her eyes riveted on the mouth
of the cavern. Then there came an an
grier sound, unlike any that had gone
before In that night of turmoil.
"Look there! Quick!"
The cry of terror from the girl's
palsied lips as she pointed to some
thing behind him awoke the mountain
man to Instant action. Instinctively
he snatched his long dagger from Its
sheath and turned quickly. Not twen
ty feet from them a huge catlike beast
stood half crouched on the edge of
the darkness, his long tall switching
angrily. The feeble light from the
depth of the cave threw the long, wa
ter soaked visitor into bold relief
against the black wall beyond. Appar
ently he was as much surprised as the
two who glared at him, as though
frozen to the spot. A snarling whine,
a fierce growl, indicated his fury at
finding his shelter, his lair, occupied.
"My God! A mountain Hon! Ra-
voue! Franz! To me!" he cried hoarse-
ly; and sprang before her shouting
loudly to the sleepers.
A score of men, half awake, grasp
ed their weapons and struggled to
their feet In answer to his call. The
lion's gaunt body shot through the air.
In two bounds he was upon the goat
hunter. Buldos stood squarely, and
firmly to meet the rush of the mad
dened beast, his long dagger poised for
the death dealing blow.
"Run!" he shouted to her.
Beverly Calhoun had fighting blood
in her veins. Utterly unconscious of
her action at the time, she quickly drew
the little silver handled revolver from
the pocket of her gown. As man, beast
and knife came together. In her excite
ment she fired recklessly at the com
batants without any thought of the
Imminent danger of killing her protect
or. There was a wild scream of pain
from the wounded beast, more pistol
shots, fierce yells from the excited
hunters, the rush of feet, and then the
terrified and almost frantic girl stag
gered and fell against the rocky wall
Her wide gray eyes were fastened
upon the writhlug Hon, and the 'siuok
lug pistol was tightly clutched lu her
hand.
It had all occurred In such an In
credibly short space of time that she
could not yet realize what had hap
pened.
Her heart and brain seemed para
lyzed. her limbs stiff and Immovable.
Like the dizzy whirl cf a kaleidoscope,
the picture before her resolved Itself
Into shape.
The beast was gasping his last upon
the rocky floor, the hilt of the goat
hunter's dagger protruding from his
si-ie. Baldos, supported by two of hi
men. stood above trie ; aavagc ; victim,
his legs covered with blood, lne cave
was full of smoke and the smell of
ZZL Out of the ba she began to
.... .ri.t t mwterstaiidimr. Baldoa
gee iuo nguiu' ,
aioue was Injured. He had stood be
tween her oud the rusu or
and he had saved her at a cost she
knew not how great.
"Oh, the blood!" she crieu uoiuscj.
badly hurt?
She was at his side, the pistol falling
from her nervous fingers. .
'Don't come near me. I m all rifcui.
he cried quickly.
'Take care your aresa
'Oh I'm so glad to hear you speak!
Never mind the dress! You are torn
to pieces! You must be frightfully
hurt. Oh, isn't it terrible-horrible!
Aunt Fanny! Come here this minute!
Forgetting the beast and throwing
off the paralysis of fear, she pushed
one of the men away and grasped the
arm of the Injured man. He winced
perceptibly, and she ten somen...,
....fi utii.kv nn her hands. She
nu.... muv 1 'v
knew it was blood, but It was not In
her to shrink at a moment like this.
"Your arm too!" she gasped. He
smiled, although his face was white
'
before."
-But he's Jes a goat puncheh er a --He's
a man. If there ever was one.
p0 " let me hear you call h.m a goat
,"COrous mistress. "Why don t you
answer? Will they have to be cut off?
Didn't vou see them?"
iv de Uwd's sake, missy, co'se
Ah did, but yo' all klndeh susprise me
lu-v's n'etty bad slain up, missy; de
mile's peeled up consld'ble But hi
uiu' dang'ons. no, ma'atn-Jes skun,
'at's nil." , . , . ,
nd his arm -where I shot him?
"l'uffee'ly tritlin'. nia'ain-,yo high
ness Cobwebs 'd stop de bleedin . tin
Vh tile 'em so, but 'at felleh couldu
uu-stau" me. Misteh What's-hls-uame,
he savs somethin' to de docteh, an' den
dey goes a"" dtt t,ol)wel,s' "unh
nough 'Tain' bleedin' no mo', missy.
He's mostes neah doln ve'y tine. Co se
he caiu' walk fo'sev'l days wlv dein
laigs o' hls'n, but"
Then, in heaveu's name, how are
we to get to Edelweiss?" .,
"He c'u ride, calu't he? Whu s to
hlndeh hliu?"
oulte right. He shall ride Inside the
coach. Go nud see If I can do any
thing for him."
Aunt Fanny returned In a few mln-
"lie says yo'll do him a great favoh
If yo' jes' go to bald. He sends his
spects an hopes yo' slumbeh won' be
distubbed ag'lii."
"He's a perfect brute!" exclaimed
Beverly, but she went over oud crawl
ed under the blankets and among the
cushions the wounded man had scorned.
In Iter excitement she fired recklessly.
with pain. "How brave you were!
You might have been I'll never forget
It never! Don't staud there, Aunt
Fanny! Quick! Get those cushions
for him. He's hurt."
"Good Lawd!" was all the old wom
an could say, but she obeyed her mis
tress. "It was easier than it looked, your
highness," murmured Baldos. "Luck
was with me. The knife went to his
heart. I am merely scratched. His
leap was short,' but he caught me
above the knee with his claws. Alas,
your highness, these trousers of mine
were bad enough before, but now they
are iu shreds. What patching I shall
have to do! And you may well imagine
we are short of thread and needles and
thimbles."
"Don't jest, for heaven's sake! Don't
talk like that. Here! Lie down upou
these cushions and"
"Never! Desecrate the couch of
Graustark's ruler? I, the poor goat
hunter? I'll use the lion for a pillow
and the rock for an operating table.
In ten minutes my men can have these
scratches dressed and bound in fact,
there Is a surgical student among them,
poor fellow. I think I am his first pa
tient. Ravone, attend me."
He threw himself upon the ground
and calmly placed his head upon the
body of the animal.
"I insist upon your taking these
cushions," cried Beverly.
"And I decline irrevocably." She
stared at him in positive anger. "Trust
Ravone to dress these trifling wounds,
your highness. He may not be as
gentle, but he is as firm as any prin
cess in all the world."
"But your arm?" she cried. "Didn't
you say It was your legs? Your arm Is
covered with blood too. Oh, dear me,
I'm afraid you are frightfully wound
ed." "A stray bullet from one of my men
struck me there, I think. You know
there was but little time for aiming"
"Wait! Let me think a minute!
Good heavens!' she exclaimed, with a
start. Her eyes were suddenly filled
with tears, and there was a break In
her voice. "I shot you! Don't deny It
don't! It Is the right arm, and your
men could not have hit it from where
they stood. Oh, oh, oh!"
Baldos smiled as he bared his arm.
"Your aim was good," he admitted.
"Had not my knife already been In the
lion's heart your bullet would have
gone there. It Is my misfortune that
my arm was in the way. Besides, your
highness, It has only cut through the
skin, and a little below, perhaps. It
will be well lu a day or two. I am
sure you will find your bullet In the
carcass of our lamented friend, the
probable owner of this place."
Ravone, a hungry looking youth, took
charge of the wounded leader, while
her highness retreated to the farthest
corner of the cavern. There she sat
and trembled while the wounds were
being dressed. Aunt Fanny bustled
back and forth, first unceremoniously
pushing her way through the circle of
men to take observations and then re-
-porting to the impatient girl. The
storm had pssed; and the night was
still except for the rush of the river.
Raindrops fell now and then from the
trees, glistening like diamonds as they
touched the light from the cavern's
mouth. It was all very dreary, uncan
ny and oppressive to poor Beverly. Now
ond then she caught herself sobbing,
more out of shame and humiliation
than In sadness, for had she not shot
the man who -'eppel between her and
death? What must he think of her?
"He says yo' all d bettah go to baid.
Miss Bev yo' hi:;huess," said Aunt
Fanny after one of her trips.
"Oh, he does, does he?" sniffed Bev
erly. "I'll go to bed when I please.
Tell him so. No. no don't do It, Aunt
CHAPTER VII.
mriERE was a soft, warm, yel
low glow to the world 'when
Beverly Calhoun next looked
upou It. The sun from his
throne in the mountain tops was smil
ing down upon the valley the night
had ravaged while he was on the other
side of the earth. The leaves of the
trees were a softer green, the white of
the rocks and the yellow of the road
were of a geutler tint. The browu
and greeu reeds were proudly erect
once more.
The stirring of the mountain men
had awakened Aunt Fanny, and she In
turn called her mistress from the sur
prisingly peaceful slumber Into which
perfect health had sent her not so
many hours before. At the entrance
to the improvised bedchaml)er stood
buckets of water from the spring.
"We have very thoughtful chamber
maids," remarked Beverly while Aunt
Fanny was putting her hair luto pre
sentable shape. "And an energetic
cook," she added as the odor of broil
ed meat came to her nostrils.
"Ah caiu' see notliin' o' dat beastes,
Miss Beverly, an' Ah-Ah got niah sus
picions," said Aunt Fanny, with sepul
chral despair lu her voice.
"They've tlirown the awful thing
Into the river," concluded Beverly.
"Dey's cooklu' hit!" suid Aunt Fanny
solemnly.
"Good heaven, no!" cried Beverly.
"Go and see, this, minute. I wouldn't
eat that catlike thing for the whole
world." Aunt Fanny come back a few
minutes later with the assurance that
they were roasting goat meat. The
skin of the midnight visitor was
stretched upon the ground not far
away.
"And .how is he?" asked Beverly,
jamming a hatpin through a helpless
bunch of violets.
'He's ve'y 'spectably skun, yo' high
ness."
"I don't mean the animal, stupid."
"Yo' mean 'at Misteh Goat Man?
He's settiu' up an' chattin' as If nothin'
happened. He says to me 'at we staht
on ouah way Jes' as soon as yo' all eats
yo' b'eakfus'. De hosses is hitched
up an' "
"Has everybody else eaten? Am I
the only one that hasn't?" cried Bever
ly. " 'Ceptiii' me, yo' highness. Ah'ni as
hungry as a poah man's dawg, an' "
"And he is being kept from the hos
pital because I am a lazy, good for
nothing little Come on, Aunt Fanny;
we haven't a minute to spare. If he
looks very 111, we do without break
fast." But Baldos was the most cheerful
man In the party. He was sitting with
his back against a tree, his right arm
In a sling of woven reeds, his black
patch set upon the proper eye.
"You will pardon me for not rising,"
he said cheerily, "but, your highness,
I am much too awkward this morning
to act as befitting a courtier in the
presence of his sovereign. You have
slept well?"
"Too well, I fear. So well, In fact,
that you have suffered for It. Can't
we start at once?" She was debating
within herself whether It would be
quite good form to shake hands with
the reclining hero. In the glare of the
broad daylight he and his followers
looked more ragged and famished than
before, but they also appeared more
picturesquely romantic.
"When you have eaten of our humble
fare, your highness the last meal at
the Hawk and Raven."
"But I'm not a bit hungry."
"It Is very considerate of you, but
equally unreasonable. You must eat
before we start."
"I can't bear the thought of your suf
fering when we should be hurrying to
a hospital and competent surgeons."
He laughed gayiy. "Oh, you needn't
laugh. I know it hurts. You say we
cannot reach Ganlook before tomor
row? Well, we cannot stop here a
minute longer than we Oh, thank
you!" A ragged servitor had placed a
rude bowl of meat and some fruit be
fore her.
"Sit down here, your highness, and
prepare yourself for a long fast We
majr go until nightfall without food.
The game is scarce, ana we oare not
venture far Into the hills.".
Beverly sat at his feet and daintily
began the operation of ticking a bone
with her pretty fingers nud teeth. "I
am sorry we have no knives and forko,"
he apologized.
"I don't mind," said she. "I wish
you would remove that black patch."
"Alas, I must resume tho hated din
guise. A chance enemy might recog
ulze me."
"Your your clothes have been mend
ed," she remarked, with a furtlvo
glance at his long legs. The trousers
had been rudely sewed up und no bnud
ages were visible. "Are you your
legs terribly hurt?"
"They ure badly scratched, but not
seriously. The bandages are skillfully
placed,"' he milled, seeing her look of
doubt. "Ravone is a genius."
"Well. I'll hurry," she said, blush
lug deeply. Goat hunter though he
was and 'she a princess, his eyes
gleamed with 'the joy of her beauty,
and his heart thumped with a most
unruly admiration. "You were very,
very brave last night," she said nt lust.
Hiid her rescuer smiled contentedly.
She was not long lu finishing the
rude but wholesome meal and then
announced her readiness to be on the
way. With the authority of u genuine
princess she commanded hliu to ride
Inside the coach, gave ineompreueiisi
ble directions to the driver and to the
escort and would listen to noue of his
protestations. When the clumsy ve
hicle was again in the highwuy and
bumping over the ridges of flint the
goat hunter was beside his princess on
the rear seat, his feet upon the oppo
site cushions near Aunt Fanny, a well
arranged bridge of boxes and bags pro
viding support for his long legs.
"We want to go to a hospital." Bev
erly had said to the driver very much
us she might have spoken had she been
In Washington. She was stundtng
bravely beside the fore wheel, her face
flnuhml mid etiirer. Baldos from his
serene position on the cushions watch
ed her with kindling eyes. The grlz
Istence. Ii ,,.,, .
, """'u be luu,,.. .
"iy 0Ue f -.u 0.
liven von ,.,.,., yuur tow
fear
C'OlIll ..... ""Well;
Hi. .
" sound, liu . ....
tup. you im,- " " u'eam, ,
the time comes. w,
yuur uigiuieBs. i .. . lcrW,:
rein .
... u
iplore you t
- "v J UUP bln.n
i unpiore yon to flUMt,rnl 'or,,
" we I
walls of Guulook 'TPtoy
forgot Rata, the t!!
can forget vo 7 I
- -V,
"I
touch
me one tlmt
wound !"
"It Is u v
gave
It so that I
fy 8"tle wound
lll'IIV It
...Uedawak
u" ne thing" 8li(1 ...
coming over her eyes uj
l'".tl..B you to thedeuTh8"
then your fault iim m. . .
i. . ' sr mm,.
II,,,,.. ,
.... c J "II -111 VB vnn bin .
she added hastily. HB Wa"
a long time. 88 "N h
"1 fear
I
have killed
man." he said lu low ton T ?
shrank Into the corn. J .Ttai
"HlHtorv v. h ... . . .",.
, " j mat juilf IU W ,
i)ur
ner
,!.
Thai
rk i
.tin
nit
'.ill
riet:
?1
inb
w
lit
jlie
io
Iiu
Jo
it
fill
I
Igll
"You will pardon mo for not rising."
zlod driver grinned and shook his head
despairingly. "Oh. pshaw! You don't
understand, do you? Hospital h-o-s
p-i-t-a-1," she spelt it out for him, and
still he shook his head. Others In the
motley retinue were smiling broadly,
"Speak to him lu your own language,
your highness, and he will be sure to
understand," ventured the patient.
"1 am speaking in my I mean, I pre
fer to speak in English. Flense tell
him to go to a hospital," she said con
fusedly. Baldos gave a few jovial In
structions, and then the . raggedest
courtier of them all handed Beverly
Into the carriage with a grace that
amazed her. .
"You are the most remarkuble goat
hunters I have ever seen," she remark
ed iu sincere wonder.
"And you speak the most perfect
English I've ever heard," he replied.
"Oh, do you really think so? Miss
Grimes used to say I was hopeless.
You know I had a a tutor," she has
tily explained. "Don't you think It
strange we've met no Axphain sol
diers?" she went on, changing the sub
ject abruptly.
"We are not yet out of the woods,"
he said.
"That was a purely American aphor
ism," she cried, looking at him intent
ly. "Where did you learn all your
English?"
"I had a tutor," he answered easily.
"You are a very odd person," she
sighed. "I don't believe that you are
a goat hunter at all."
"If I were not a goat hunter I should
have starved long ago," he said. "Why
do you doubt me?"
"Simply because you treat me one
moment as if I were a princess and
the next as if I were a child. Humble
goat hunters do not forget their sta
tion In life."
"I have much to learn of the defer
ence due to queens," he said.
"That's just like 'The Mikado' or
'Pinafore,'" she exclaimed. "I be
lieve you are a comic opera brigand or
a pirate chieftain, after all."
"I am a lowly outcast," he smiled.
"Well, I've decided to take you Into
Edelweiss and"
"Pardon me, your highness," he said
firmly. "That cannot be. I shall not
go to Edelweiss."
"But I command you"
"It's very kind of you, but I cannot
enter a hospital not even at Ganlook.
I may as well confess that I am a
hunted man and that the instructions
ure to take me dead or alive."
"Impossible!" she gasped, Involun
tarily shrinking from him.
"I have wronged no man, yet I am
Mug hunted down as though I were
a beast," he said, his face turning hag
gard for the moment "The hills of
Graustark, the plateaus of .Axphain
and the valleys of Dawsbergen are
alive with men who are bent on end
ing my unhappy but inconvenient ex-
brave soldier and fought In
ties." he wont ou.
"Yes." she said, thinking 0, ,,, I
George Calhoun, Ml'
'lie killed men then nertm. ':
have killed them." he MA
"Oil .ny father never killed , m'
Vied Beverly hi devout horror
"Yet Graustark reveres in,'- '
prowess on tlie field of battle" !:
he, half laconically. ' ,
"Oh," she murmured, reiMl
that she was now tbe faito,
Yetlve's father. "I gee. i'.;
a a a mere murderer, then?' ;
"No. 1 have been a soldier, iki
all." m
"Thank heaven!" she murmured J
was no longer ufruld of him.
-would a pardon be of any f
benefit to you?" she asked, wouta, f
how far her Influence might go w! ) r
Princess Yetive. j l
"It Is beyond your power to he-1 i
me," he said gravely. She wan tfel 5
but '.It was the silence of deep Rfc ''
tlon. "Your highness left the
ten days ago," he said, dismissing It
self as a subject for conversifj
"Have you kept lu clone comnuf
tiou with Edelweiss during that tlr '
"I know nothing of what is going1;
there," she said quite truthfully. i:
only knew that she had seutiis"
sage to the Princess Yetive appria
her of her arrival In St. Peterst
and of her Intention to leave soon h
the Graustark capital. f
"Then you do not know that I
Lorry Is still ou the Dawsbergen h
tier lu conference with represent!
from Serros. He may not return It
a week, so Colonel Quinnoi brings ?
back word."
"It's news to me," murmured B
erly.
"You do not seem to be alarmed," Is i
ventured. "Yet I fancy it Is not ah ;
gerous mission, although Prince Gi j
briel is ready to battle at a niomei ;
notice." I
"I have the utmost confidence In 1 f
Lorry," - said Beverly, with prtp .
pride.
"Baron Dangloss, your minister
police, Is In these mountains watcfc !
the operations of Axphain scouts t's
spies." '
"Is he?. You are very wen posua .
seems."
"Moreover, the Axphaiulnns are pit .,
ulug to attack Ganlook upon the ti;
signal from their ruler. I do not we
to alarm your highness, but wemi
well expect trouble before we
to the Ganlook gates. You arc tow,
to be lu the pass, and I am cettu
an effort will be made to take po j
siou of your person." (
"They wouldn't dare!" she eicl f
ed. "Uncle Sam would annihilated
In a week."
"Uncle Sam? Is he related to p
Aunt Fanny? I'm afraid he could !
but little agalust Volga's fighting men, i
he said, with a smile. i
"They'd soou find out wto W ;
Sam is If they touch me' she tW ,
ened grandly. He ?
Was too polite to press her for ,
nations. "But he is a loug J ;
and couldn't do much w J,
denly attacked from ambush
What would they do to me J
taken, as you suggest I Shew ,
concerned than she apPd Jj'
'.With you in their hands GWiJ
would be utterly helplessj;
demand anything she
ministry would be forced
"I really think It wouW
joke on the PrluceBB VaJP
Beverly reflectively. He dM .
what she meant, but regarded W ,
smile as the clear title to the s
of a princess. K 0,s ;
She sank back '
to the complications that ,
grow out of her lowlujj JJ
The one thing which worrieu
than all others was the fear i" ,
might not ben. KJ b ;
to all reiwrts. she had lately
Petersburg, and the me efa wt
was supposeu i . ,hP was
auVV" - t.t fihe
was sufficient P"""
at her' capital. Then w &
course, the possibiht y of tr
road with the Axphai a ftU
erly enjoyed the optimism of J
civilization. s reais-
Baldos, the goat bus ter J ,
ly thinking of the f eerl!
man at his side and of fi ;
fortune had played InJHJ. ,
together. As he studied fre,
eould not but lamen J8
.east established a barrier
and the advances his bom
otherwise be willing to rl
hair straggled down er B
and his dark eyes -the pat
(10 BE COSTINCED.) J