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I CHAPTER VII.
Nlkky Does Reckless Thing.
Nil i.y i.iiiImIi bud been having MB
exciting timo.
Firm of nil, he cxcMni.'cl iranucitln
nii the chauffeur, Mini carted bin own
long let, woleh prayed itlilicult t(
cover adequately. Btt tne cnanffnr'i
long fur iiNt.'i- helped cnnatdembl
Tho exchange wm rather a ticklish
matter, and iroaM hate bean more mi
hml lie lint found a rcvulver In till
fur coat pocket,
Behold, tiicn, Nlkky of the aratn
hciirt HtiiriiiinK ovtT iii proatrata prta
oner. nni mlllnK him. mummy fashion I
in his iwn tunic mid a niK frm) thf
machine.
"It In eoM, my friend." he unM
briefly ; "hat I am n kindly BoaJ, and
If you luive told me the truth, you will
not have w much a a Miuffle to re
mind you of tills tomorrow."
"I have told the truth."
"As n soldier, of course," Nfltkj
went on, "I llilnk you have made a
mistake. Ynti should have chosen Hit
precipice. Hut M a private genth
man. I thank you."
Having examined the knots in thf
rope, which were very well done, in
dead, and linvlng pawl the chaurfcin
Recnrely, Mkky prepared to go, In hl
RocKles. with the low-vlsored cap anil
fur coat, he looked not unlike his late
companion. Hut he hud a Jaunty stcr
as he walked toward the car, a hit ol
swajrjtcr that covered, perhaps, Just n
iritte of uneasiness.
For Nlkky now knew his destination
knew that he was hound on perllouf
work, and thnt the chances of his re
turning were ahout fifty-fifty, or ruthet
less.
He did not know his way. Over the
mountains It whs plain enough, foi
there was hut one mad. After hf
descendiMl Into the plain of Karnla
however. It became dllllcult. BgB
posts were few and not explicit. Hut
nt last hp found the railroad, which
he knew well that railroad without
objective, save as it would aere to
move IroOpa toward the border. After
tinit Nlkky found It easier.
Hut. with his curse assured, other
difllcntttes presented themselves. 'I',,
take the letter to those who would re
ceive It was one thing. Hut to deliver
it. with uii that it might contain, w
another. He whs not hrllllanl. was
Nlkky. Only brave and simple of
heart, and unversed in the ways of
darkness.
If. MCW, B4 ana 1 open the letter niid
remove It. suhstilntlng -well, what
oald he substitute? There Here
Himrottp papers In his poeket. Trust
Nikkv for that. Hut how to make the
xchange?
'I lie engine was boiling hard, n dull
roaring uiider the hood that threat-
ri( d trouble, lie drew up lieaide ilu
I pnd I ' off th : r i-:ii. Then j tf.
!.(.- I-, I M'l.- nt ,.,.,,..... I 1I...I I ll
, . , ...
it i" n . in , i nut i line immemorial,
ili up He I'xuiiilu '(
It boru no Incrliuiiuiti i- .1.
He I uvi ip over I be water
nd was I, I to feel
i loosen. After all, things ere
tiuugh li one ti n it bt aln
her i' UchI I most till
lib clft mim i'-. uf courae, I la
i. i erliapa, n -, et beurd of the drop
nicotine on the tongue of n dog.
A for the letter ii-' If, he pill It,
Itboul even duiicillk at ll. inlo his i
ip, uinler ihe lining. 'I inn be sealed
envelope again and dried il against
e (,f the lumps, It looked, ha -
ct( d, us good as new.
lie uns i XII e;n, l iileasiil uilli liilil-
If,
Before he returned to the machine
a ion-lilted iiis w ,-iti-ji. li mi.- three
i ioi i, True, i in- long early i iiriug
gave linn four mure hours of
i.j,- Uul the liicHsenger h us
i three, at iin- burning lodge m
uuiitalna l -1 1 wus bis destination.
lie , ouid he, nt , In- l,e-i. lull- by all
'iiir.
(in ulint. the meaaenger hud told hint
S'ikky tiling his hope ol siieeess. This
as, briefly, thai ha should go to tin-
liyal slioolilig box at W'edelilig, lllid
llOUld go, li 'I In I Ik- house itself, but
ll Ihe gte keeper's lodge. Here he
'as to leave his machine, and tap at
lie door. On its In lug oneued. hi; was
a nay nothing, bal to give tin
iiiui wlm opened Ihe door.
hat he uns to take the machine away
o the capital, some sixty miles farther
i".
Tin- message, then, was to Hie king
iimself. For Nlkky, us all the world,
new that Karl, with some kindred
pirits, was ut Wi-driing, shooting.
hut is, If the messenger told the
nub. Nlkky Intended to find out. lie
as nothing If not thorough.
When at last the lights of the lodge
t the gale of Wcdellng gleuiued out
lirongh the trees, It was half past
Ihrec, and a wet spring snow was full
ig seftiy. In an open pluee Nlkky
oked up. The stars were gone.
Ihe ledge now, agd the gute keep
s'heuse. Nicky's 'heart hammered
nervuuaneaa, nol terror, nut he went
boldly to the door, lllid knocked.
Bo fur all was well. Then were
footsteps within, and a mini stepped
nut into the darkness, closing the door
behind lilin,
"You have the letter?" he asked.
"li is here."
"I will take It."
Nlkky held it out. Tin n fum
bled tor It. took It.
"Orders bine conic," said the voice,
"that you remain here for tin- night.
In tl ortiiiig you are to carry dis
patches to the city."
l'oor Nlkky I With his car facing
tow in d the liiilgc, and under necessity,
In order to escape, to back It out Into
the highway ! He thought quickly.
There was no chance of overpowering
his man quickly and silently. And the
house wiiK not empty. Krom beyond
the door came the sounds of men's
voices, and the thud of drinking mugs
on a bare tiiblc.
"You will tuke me up la the house,
and then put the cur uwuy until morn
Ing."
Nlkky breathed again. It wiih go
ing to he easy, after all. If only the
road went straight to the shooting box
Itself, the rest was simple. Hut lie
prayed that he iiiuke no false turning.
to betray his Ignorance.
"Very well," he said.
ills companion opened the door he
bind him. "Heady, now," lie called.
"The car Is here."
Two men rose from u table where
they had been sitting, and put on great
coats of fur. The lamp light within
pilvereit In the wind from the opeu
door. Nikky was quite calm now.
Ills heart beat Its regular seventy-two,
ind he even reflected, with a sort of
grim humor, that the chuncellor would
find the recital of this escapade
much to his taste. In u modest way
Nlkky fi it thnt he was making history.
The tnnn who had received the let
ter got Into the machine beside him.
The other two climbed Into the Inn
lieau. And. as If to make the denoue
ment doubly ridiculous, the road led
straight. Nlkky, growing extreme!
a&
8
n
l-
1 I I
- - fillhlsJU-.
f I1
a-A
' viis-; k tmEameatfaWCmn .
V I
"His
Majesty Dcrirts Thai tnc We3
fcenger Ccme In."
'cheerful beliiiid Ids goggles, WOfld red
j how much petrol remained in the cni
The mi n behind talked In low tones
"They are late toulglil " grumbled
one of them ns the house appeared
vii 1 1 lighted. "A turd j itarl tomoiTOw
again '"
lue The king must buve bis sleep.''
,!,,. commented Ihe other, rut her mock
lugly.
wiih a master!) sweep. Nlkk) drew
up his machine before the entrance)
l.ct lllem oliee nilglll. let llilll but : I ill
his car down the road again, and nil
the devils of the night might fojhhr.
lie feared limbing.
Hut here ngnin Mkky planned '""
fast. The servant who cnuit- out te
open Ihe doors of tin- motor hll
brought a maaaaga. "ills tnajestj do-
letter ! M'-'S Hint Hie incsseiigcr come In,'
Alter wuh 'be lioliileshell which exploit! il III
i Nlkky m ears.
Nlkky hesitated. And I lieu some Imp
of recklessness in him prompted him
not to run uway, but to see the thing
through, ft was. after all. u limine
either way. These men beside the car
were doubtless armed one at least,
nearest til in, was certainly one Ol
Karl's own secret agents. And, ss
Nlkky paused, he wus not certuln, hut
it seemed to him thnt the mnii look u
step Inward him.
"Very well," said Nlkky, grumbling
"But I have had n long ride, arid a cold
one. I need sleep."
KJveu then be hud a faint hope that
the ethers would precede him, and
that il would be possible Is lcabuck UlgTfd Ibut thssjra rJJgkAmj
te ihe car aJMj ncane, fWu wtelhnrrVit (Bat ),t kjin iMBue1 f fril
by accident or design, the group closed
about hint. Nigh: was out of, Mia ques
tion. A little high wi Nil I -- lead as
lie ui nl In. I le hml done a slunid
Ihlii" now. ami he knew ll. lie s,. ,,
linVT inkiti his letter and gone hack
Willi II. I'.lli. Ifllll or lint, lie W'llS II
Soldier, I kill t'l made hint cnlin.
'I'lie lodge was IKllsy, l,oinl I., II, In-.
Ibu mining ami going uf m mil : wllh
Iraya, tho crackle of wood tires in
which whole logs were hunting, and,
ai Nikky ami his escort entered, ihe
routing choral oi ii hunting snug tilled
the ears.
Two of the men flung olT their heavy
emits, and proceeded willnitit ceremony
Into the room whence the sounds ls
ited. The third, however, still holding
the latter, Ushered Nlkky into a small
side room, a sort of slml, Hnce It
contained a desk. For kings must pin
sue their clerical occupations even on
holidays.
Nlkky had reluctantly removed Ids
cap. Ills goggles, however, ho ven
luieil to retain. lie was CUUacloUl
that Ids guide was studying IiIiii In
tently. Hut not with suspicion, he
thought. Rather as one who would
gauge the caliber of the mull before
hlln. He seemed satlslled. ton, for Ills
voice. Which bad been curl, grew more
friendly.
"You had no trouble?" he asked.
"None, sir."
"Old Nlbtirg say nn thing?"
Nlburg, then, was the spy of the
cathedral. Nlkky rellectcd. Suddenly
ho saw ii way out. II was, he nfter
wnrd proclaimed, not his own thought.
It came to him like u message. He
burned u candle to his pa I ion sulut,
some time Utter, for It.
"The man Nlburg hud bud an unfor
tusate experience, sir. lie reported
that, during an evening stroll, before
lie met me, he was attacked by three
men, with the evident Inteulliui of se
curing the letter. He was badly beaten
up.
Ills companion started. "Nlburg,"
he said. "Then " He glaneeil at the
letter he held. "We must llnd some
one else," he muttered. "I never
trusted the fellow. A clerk, nothing
else, for this work ll lakes wit."
Nikky. sweating with strain, felt
that It did. imlccii. "He was badly
'used up, sir," he offered. "Could bard
I lv wnllr no, I it'iiw ullll I r.-i ,il,t I n ,- villi.
excitement when I met lilm."
The man touched a hell. "Tell his
majesty," he suld to Ihe servant who
appeared, "that his messenger Is here."
The servant bowed ami withdrew.
Nlkky found the wait that followed
trying. He thought of Hedwlg, mid of
the little crown prince. Suddenly he
knew l tut t he had no right to attempt
this thing. He had given his word,
almost his oath, to the king, to protect
and watch over the boy. And here lie
was. knowing now that mischief was
afoot, und powerless. He cursed lilin
I ,.ir for his folic
Then Karl came In. He came alone.
cloning the door behind him. Nlkky
and Ids companion bowed, and Nikky
surveyed lilm through his "oggles. The
same mucking face ho remembered,
from Karl's visit to the summer pal
ace, the same easy, graceful carriage,
the same small mustache. He was In
uniform mid apparently in u compura
lively gracioua mood. He had been
drinking, but he was not Inloxi
Cnted, He was sllgbtl Mushed, his
eyes were iililiorinall. bright lie
looked, for the moment, iiitln-i
amiable. Nikky was to lean, latar on,
ho eusllj hi- smile hardened to a
terrifying grin.
lie ignored Nfhky'a companion. "You
brought a letter?"
Nil ky bowed, and tin- other mac
In id It out. Kni t took ii.
i he trip -i inn i i'tiui?"
"Yea, sire."
"A I m ,,. '.I for It," Km I observed.
i glanced al the letter In bis baud,
Was there any difficulty at tbe
frontier?"
Kail lore the end . . 1 1 tbe envelope,
"Yon will remain here tonight," he
,.i "Tomorrog morning I shall send
dispuii ins to tiic city, I hope .von have
petrol. Tbeaa i How here " lie did
not complete the Bentcnce, He in
Mind two royal lingers into the en
vco,e und drew out Nlkk) s cigar
ette papers !
I 'or a Iin hi nl there was Complete
alienee in the room. Karl tumed i i - -papers
over.
It was it, n thai Ills fice hardened
Into a horrible grin. He looked up,
att.ing bis head slowly,
"Winn is tiilsV ho demanded, very
quietly.
"Tbe letti r, sir,-." said Nlkky. "I "
"The letterj On you cull these l
letter?"
Nlkky drew himself up, "I buvc
brought ihe envelope which waa given
me."
w iiiiiiut ii word Karl held eul papers
und envelope to the oilier man. wlw
look them. Then he turned lo Nlkky,
and now lie raised his voice. "Where
did ynii gel this hOUX?" he ileinniiilcd.
"At the culhcilriil, iroiii the HUM Nlburg."
"You lie!" said Kurl. Then, for a
moment, he left Nlkky and turned ou
his companion In a fury. He let his
royal rage beat on that unlucky In
dividual while Ihe agent stood, while
and still. Not until ll was over, and
Kurl, spent with passion, wus pacing
the tloor, did Nlkky venture u word.
"If this In not whut our majesty
expected," he suld, "there Is perhaps
an cxpluiiutlnu."
Karl wheeled on him. "Kxplnna
tlim 1"
'"The man Nlburg was attacked,
early last evening, by three met. They
beat lilm badly, anil attempted le reb
hiaa. HI story, te ste, aire. He be
course, n possibility that, while he in)
stunned, ilu'i sni, Minted nnoili tr an
relope fnr Ihe one in , ,-H , i. ,i."
Karl lore the ciivclon' lr Iho
ll Mel ui peeled II enlr
fully. Kvltl utly, as with the ngent,
III" -loi.v , i I, , ti new Haiti nl
Ino'Uglll, .'. I y drew a Inn;; brcalh
'ii' r all, lli re wi.s still hope Unit tin
fill ly IliOMllll booting would have an
"He i titrgei iiiau. himself,
Knrl 'in .; i rn, and t fnee rclnxcd,
ll vmih sh in but no longer lioirilib
"Tell il,, Nibuigs story," bo com
mantled,
"He was walking tlirnhgh Ibe old
city," Mkky enmmenced, " Inn Ihtei
men fell on lilm. one, a large inn-
knocked hint Insensible and then went
through hi i mi., t.s. 'i be othen
"BTrungo!" said Karl. "I he wan
Inscieibi i does lie know all this?'
"It WHS Id story, sire," Mkky ex
plnim il, Uul lie colored. "A com
pilllioll, Willi a- wllh liiiii. ran away.'
"Tbis en i ion," Karl queried
"A dark, lni. y fellow, was II?"
"No. It. liber a pole man. blond
A Nil.i.. clteel ed liliuself.
Hut Karl w as all suavity. "So," he
'aid, "while NlllUrg WHS uucoiiscloil-
i in large man took the letter, which
wis sealed, magically opened it, dg
traded It coiitenta, replaced them
wllh this, ami then sealed ll again!"
The king turned wllbniit haste to a
drawer In his desk, and opened II. lie
was smiling. When he faced about
again, Nlkky saw that he held a re
velvet- In his hand. Save that the
agent bad taken a step forward, noth
ing In Ihe mom had changed. Ami
yet, for Nlkky everything had Changed.
Nlkky had been a reckless fool, hut
he was bruve enough. He smiled, u
belter smile than Kurl's twisted one.
"1 buve u funcy," said King Karl,
"to manage lids mailer for myself.
Keep buck. Kaiser. Now, my friend,
you will give ui(i the pin kit of cigar
(lie papers you carry."
Resistance would do no good. Nlkky
brought 'hem out, and Kail's twisted
smile grew broader as be compared
them with the uni-H the envelope hud
contained
"You see." he suld. "you show the
hand of the novice. You should have
Uncle John I). Rockefeller has Just
Mulshed paying his Income tax,
amounting to Ml, 400,000, This
bavii lilm only 922,000,000 on
which to support his fuinlly Ibis year.
With tho help of all the Hoover regu
lations, thll should b" made t(, ann
ver, If he given careful attention to
ib garden,
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"You Show the Hand of the Novice."
thrown llioae away, Hut, "f ronrse
'ill your method- lire wrong. Why, foi
InStlWICl . IlllVe . Ol Oil III In-le nl till '
Vim luive m. man hut thai I shall
take "ji later. We w III Ural have I hi
letter."
Hut here Nlkk) -t I firm. Let tb n
llilll the letter. He WOllld lint llelji
them. Hut again ha cursed blinsell
PI lid hi ell n lluiil rind liiil i ii-
plnees along thi rond hot he must
linn, tin- Incriminating thing v.itii blm
ami thus condemn himself!
No commenced a curious scene,
curious because one of tbe actors wn
Kail of Karnla himself, He seemetl
curlonaly looth to bring In aaaUtau
did Karl. r 'iih;i'is the novelty ol
tin- affair appeuled to him, Ami Nil
iy' realaiancfl to search, with thai
revolvot " close, was abort lived.
Even while he mum struggling, Nlkk)
waa thinking, Let them grl tin letter
ir tiny ouat. Thing would aL least
lie jjo worse thun before, Butne re
solved thai mi violence would tear
from lilm ihe ulncu where tin- messen
ger i. us lii. 1. 1 ii. t'uill Ibey had gol
that, be hml ii chance for life.
They miii,i,,, , is cap last. Nlkky,
uautuig after ihul auange strugglo,
saw k.iInci- mi.e it from ilia lining of
W ciii. ami inss it to the kln.
imiii toiiK it. 'ii, e smile was gone
ii'iu, und some till Ug Ugly and terrible
had InKeii lis iiiaec. lllll llilll, loo,
faded an be looked ut the letter.
It "lis a blank piece of mile l nicr.
wiih tbe approach of the nnnUcr
xar, nf his sun's death, the kloaj urew
laereaatogl raatleaa. hiach year be de
termined to put away this old grief,
and each year, as his bodily weakness
Increased, he found It harder lo do so.
I Hi nl In r .Mars he had had Ihe crown
li luce tltli lilm as much us possible
on this dreary day of days. Hut the
erowH prince as exiled, iu dlagraco,
Not even for Die comfort of his Muull
preseiics could stern discipline he re
laxed. (Te be coatlaued)
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