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About The Times-herald. (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929 | View Entire Issue (May 18, 1918)
Live Lono TMKlilg QvM4HY ROBERTS RINEHARTfe futwt m iM ht mr mM XrraowAnr cctmwY ,LL HH'M .MflKM,r'i cwvriv Mvrrvmti y VATMAr In this ilrciul presence), (lion, ho would find hermit thai night I I'm- ulic would t'". Then wns no wny out. The COHntMi rutin for her ninlil. Slic whs cool enottgh now. mid while. Willi a irin'1 UlM hImhii her nioulli Hint Minim know well. Slic wont to the door into the corridor, and looked It. Tlion she turned on the innlil. "I tin ready for you, now." "Mtuhmie will retire?" "You little fool ! Vou know what I am ready for!" The maid stood still. Her wide, Imvlne eyes, filled with iiliirin WHtoheil the countess as she moved swiftly across the room to her wardrohe. When she tnrnod about again, she held in her hand a thin Idaok rldlnf crop. Minna's ruddy color faded. She knew the Ixischeks, knew their furies. "Madame!" she cried, and fell on her knees. "What have I done? Oh, what have I done?" "That Is what you will tell me," said the countess, and brought down the crop. A livid stripe across the kIiT face turned slowly to ml. "I have done nothliiK, I swear It. Mother of pity, help me! I have done nothing." The crop descended attain, this time on one of the1 groat sleeves of her peasant costume. So thin It was, so hrutal the blow, that It rut Into the muslin. (iroaniiiK. the girl fell for ward on her face. The to tin ten con- fill fl mKWMlM Have Din Nothing, I Swear It." tlnucd to strike pitiless blows Into which she put all her fury, her terror, her frayed and ragged nerves. The girl on the floor, from whimper ing, fell to crying hard, with great noiseless sobs of palu ami bewilder ment. When at last the blows ceased, she lay still. The countess prodded her with her foot. "(Jet up," she commanded. But she was startled when she saw 'he girl'a fare. It was she who was the fool. The welt would tell Ita own lory, and the other servants would talk. It was already a deep purple, and swollen. Both women wore trembling. The countesa, still holding the crop, aat down. might wenv. ,ver lr-r l,tilil. Instead of a hat, she lliivw a griiy veil. A euro loss disguise, bttt all llml wns neces sary. The sentries through and nlioiit the palace were not unaoouslomed to such shrouded figures slipping out from Its gloom to light, mid pel hups to loe. Before she left, she looked aUoiii the room. What assurance had she that this very excursion was not n trap, and that in her absence the vault would not be looted again? It con tained now something liiliultely val uable and incriminating the roll of film. She glanced about, and seeing a sliver vase of roses, hurriedly emptied the water out, wrapped the film In oiled paper, and dropped it down among the stems. The Street of the Wise Virgins was not near the palace. Kven by walking briskly she was In danger of being late. The wind kept her back, too. Then, at last, the Strict of the Wise Virgins and the fiacre, standing at the curb, with a driver wrapped In rugs against the cold of the February night, ami hi- hat pulled down over his eyes. The countess stopped beside liliii. "You are expecting a passenger?" "Yes, madaine." With her hand on the door, the countess realised that the fiacre wns alreudy occupied. Aa she peered 1st" Its darkened Interior, the shadow re solved Itself into a cloaked ami masked figure. She shrank hack. "Bnter, madame," said a voire. The figure appalled her. It waa not sufficient to know that behind the horrifying mask which covered the en tire face and head, there was a hu man figure, human pulaes that beat, human eyes that appraised her. Hhe hesitated. "Quickly." said the voice. She gut in, shrinking Into a corner of the cnrrlage. Her lips were dry. t lie roaring t (error was In her cars. The door closed. Then commenced a drive of which afterward the countess dared not think. The figure neither moved nor spoke. Inside the oarrlago reigned the most complete silence. Then the car riage topped, and at last the shrouded figure moved and spoke. "I regret, eounteaa, that my orders are to hllmirnlil you." She submitted ungracefully, whlb be bonml a black chub over her eyes. lie drew It very close and knidted It behind. In the act his lingers touched her face, ami she felt them cold and clammy. The contact sickened her. "Your hund. madame." Hhe was led out of the carriage, and cross soft earth, a devious course again, as though they avoided small obstacles. Once her foot touched something low and hard, like marble. Again, In the darkness, they stumbled over a mound. She knew where she was, then In a graveyard. But which? There were many about the city. An open spare, the opening of a j gate or door that squeaked softly, a flight of steps that led downward, aud la breath of musty, cold air, damp and ' eellnrllke. At Inst, still In unbroken silence, she knew that they had entered a large space. Their foots!) pa no longer echoed and reechoed. Her guide j walked more atowly, and nt last pans i oil, releasing her hand. She felt again done. Still no one spoke. faced them Only her eyes showed lor narvousnesa; she stood haughtily, The Countess Faced Them. her head held high. But like most women, she could not endure silence for long, at least the alienee of brooded figures and Intent eyes. "Now that I am here." she de manded, "may I ask why 1 have been summoned?" It was Number Seven who replied. It was Number Seven who, during the hour that followed, spoke for the tri ers. None moved, or but ailghtly. Kv Ideally all hud been carefully pre arranged. "Look on the table, countess. You will llml there some papers you will perhaps recognise " She took a step toward the table and glanced down. The code book lav there. Also the letter she had sent by I'eter Nlhurg. She made no effort to disclaim them. "I recognize them," she said clear ly. "ho yon reallae what will happen. 1111011010, If these papers are turned Ivor In the authorities?" She shrugged her shoulder. And now Number Seven rose, a tall figure of msicry, and spoke at length In a cultivated, soflly Intoned voice. The eomteaa, listening, Mi the voice vaguely familiar, as were the hurtling exes behind the mask. "It Is our. hope, inadame," be said. "that .Mm will make It "Si "wnr T --. n. hi, mi,,- iiw, iron in -rtio ...'. I f,et me toll you briefly how thing The COUflteae atand with us. Wo have. suiii.orlliiL us, certain bodies, worlduguicn's gulhN, a part of the student body, no! so lunch of the army as we would Wish. Mlssnil-lied folk, mmtiimo, who wmiid cxehi iiw iho emblem of tyranny for freedom, in the gn- ijoiiiiccniciit of the king's death, In every part of the kingdom will go up the cry of liberty. But the movement must start hero. The city must rise against the throne. And against thai there are two obstacles." Ho paused. The clock ticked, and water dripped Into the tin pall with metallic splashes. "The first is this marriage. The sec ond Is the Crown I'rlnoe Ferdinand William Otto." The Count MH recoiled. "No!" "A moment, inadiinie. You think badly of us" I'mler Ills mask the countess divined a cold smile. "It Is not necessary In contemplate violence. There are other methods. The boy could be taken over the border, and hidden until the republic Is firmly es tablished. After that, he la unim portant." The countess, still pale, looked at him scornfully. "You do my Intelli gence small honor." "Where peaceful methods will nvall, our methods are peaceful, madame." "It was, then, In pence l hut you mur dered I'rlnce Hubert?" "The errors of the past are past." Then, with u new sternness: "Make no mistake. Whether through your agency or another, countess, when the cathedral boll rouses the city to the king's death, and the people wait in the place for their new king to come out on the balcony, he will not come." The countess was not entirely hftd. Standing swaying and white faced be fore the trlhuuul, she saw suddenly the golden head of the little crown irlnce, suvv him smiling as he ' had smiled that day In the sunlight, saw him troubled and forlorn as he had been when, that very evening, he had left them tovgo to his lonely rooms. Perhaps she reached the biggest mo ment of her life then, when she folded her arms and stared proudly at the shrouded figures before her. "I will not do It," she said. But Number Seven remained Impas sive. "A new idea, countesa I" he said suavely. "I can understand that your heart recoils. But this thing la In evitable, as I have said. Whether yon or another but perhaps wllh time to think yon may come to another con clusion. We make no threats. Our position Is, however, one of responsi bility. We are compelled to place the futiir.. of the republic before every Other consideration." "That Is a threat." "We remember both our friends and our enemies, mudume. And we have only friends and enemies. There Is no middle COOne. If you would like time to think it over" "How much lime?" Hhe clutched at the touch of his clammy fingers as he untied the knots of her bandages. IB took It off. At first she could see little. When her eyes grew accustomed, she made I out the scene slowly. a mmj a .....I i. .....il- ,, ,., , .. ,,-, iiat lllllf ,111111, IIH WMiin "Now! she said. "You will Ml me K - J- tslned caskets of the dead. But the caskets had been removed, and were piled In a corner, and In the niches to whom you gave a certain small book of which you know." "I, madame?" "Toej." "Bat what book? I have given noth ing, madame. I swear It" "Tfcen yoa admitted some one to this room?" "No one, madame, except " Hhe hesitated. "Well?" "There came this afternoon the men who clean iiiuduine's windows. No one else, inadame." She put her hand to her cheek, and looked furtively to see If In r fingers were stained with blood. The countess, muttering fell to furious pacing of the room. So that wns It, of course. The girl was telling the truth. She wus too stupid to Ho. Then the com mittee or ten Indeed knew every thing had known that she would hi away, bad known of the window clean era, hud known of the sufe, ami In-i possession of I he code. She dismissed the agrl and put away the riding crop, then she smoothed the disorder of tier hair and dress. The court physician, calling a half hour later, found her reading on u chulse longue In her boudoir, looking pale and handsome, ami spent what he consid ered a pleasant half hour wllh her. Then at last he was gone, and she went about her heavy hearted prepara tions for the night. From a corner of heriwardroaa she drew a long neus for till I. til. Ii I I I I i. ikf I.. It 1., il-.. tlw.u. papers. Wo have no ipiarrol with women. We wish rather a friend than an enemy. The committee of ten. to those who know Its motives, tins the highest and most loyal of Ideals to the country." Ills voire took on a new, almost n fannllc note. They had watched the gradual decay of the country, he said. Its burden of taxation grew greater each year. The ruasNcs sweated and toiled, to carry on their backs the dead weight of the urlstocracy and the throne. The Iron hand of the chancel lor held everything; an old king who wonid die, waa dying now, and after that a boy, nominal ruler only, while the chancellor continued Ills 'lard rule. Aud now, as If that were not enough, there waa talk of an alliance wllh Kariiia, an alliance which, carried through, would destroy the hope of a republic. The countess stared. "The price of thealllanco. madame. la the I'rlncess Hading In marriage. The committee, which knows all things, believes that you have reason to dislike this marriage." Have that she clutched her cloak more closely, the countess made no move. But there was a soft stir among the figures. Perhaps, after all, the committee as a whole did not know all things. "To prevent this alliance, madame, la our first aim. There are others to follow. Hut" he bent forward "the king will not live many days. It Is were rlflea. In the center was a pine our hope that that marriage will not table, curiously Incongruous, and on occur before his death." It writing materials, a cheap clock, and a pile of documents. There were two candles only, anil these were stuck In skulls old brown skulls so Infinite ly removed from all semblance to the human that they were mil even hor rible. It was as If they had heeu used, not to Inspire terror, but because they were at hi.t.il and convenient for the purpose. In the shadow, ranged in a semicircle, were nine figures, all mo llonless, all masked, and cloaked In black. They sal, another Incongruity, on plain wooden chairs. But In spite of that they were figures of dread. The one who bad brought her made the lentil. Had she mil known the past record of the men before her, the rather opera bouffe setting with which they loac to surround themselves might have aroused her scorn. But Olga Losehck knew too much. She guessed shrewd ly that, with the class of men with whom they dealt, It was not enough that their mime spelled terror. They must visualize it. They had taken their cue from that very church. In deed, beneath which they hid. The church, wllh lis shrines and Images, appealed to the eye. They, loo, up pealed to the eye. Their masks, I lie . rfflisr'- v "jfe1 By this time Olga LNM-hek knew very well where she stood. The com mittee was propitiatory. She was not In danger, save as It might develop. They were, In a measure, putting their ouse. "King Karl has broken faith before. He will not support l.lvonla until lie hus reoelvod his price. He is de termined on the marriage." "A man luge of expediency," said the countess Impatiently. The speaker for the committee shrugged Ids shoulders. "Perhaps," be replied. "Although there are those of us who think l liul In this mailer of expediency, Karl gives more Hum lie receives, "The mutter lies thus, madame. The chancellor Is now In Kurnla. Doubt less be will return with the agreement signed. We shall learn Hint in a day or so. We do not approve of this alliance for various reasons, and we Intend to lake steps to prevent it. The paper Itself is nothing. But plainly, countess, we need a friend In the palace, one who Is In flileuee of the royal family." "And for such friendship secure sufely?" un necessary i "' worus. "Women vary, said Number Seven mockingly. "Sumo determine quickly. Others " "May I have a month?" "During which the king mny die! Alas, madame, it Ik now you who do us too little honor!" "A week?" hogged the oounts desperately. The leader glanced along the line. One head after another uodded slow ly. "A week It la, madame. Comrade Five!" The one who had brought her came forward with the bandage. "At the end of one week, mudnme, a fiacre will, na tonight, he waiting In the Street of the Wise Virgins." "Ami these papers?" "hi the day the republic of Li vonia Is established, mudume, they vein be relumed to you." He bowed, and returned to his chair. Save for the movements of the man who placed the bandage over her ovis there wus absolute silence 111 the room. e Prince Ferdinand William Otto wa supremely happy. Three unite delight ful things hud happened. First, Nik ky luid returned. He said he felt per feclly well, but the crown prim-, thought he looked as though he had been III, and glanced frequently hi Nlkky'a clgurette during the riding hour. Second, Hedwlg did not com. (to the riding lesson, aud he hud Nik ..y to himself. Third, he, Prince Ferdinand William Otto, was on the eve of a birthday. This lust, however, was not unmixed happiness. For the one day the sentence of exile wus to he removed so that bo might lunch with the king, aud ho was to have strawberry, Jam wllh his tea. Mime that Miss Brulth wnlte'a slater had sent from Kugland. Hut to offset all this, ho was to re ceive a delegation of cltlxens. Hedwlg was not at the riding school that morning. This relieved Prince Ferdinand William Otto, whose views us to Nlkky were entirely sol llsb, hut Nlkky himself had unaccount ably lost his high spirit of the morn ing, lie played, of course, us he al ways did. And even taught the crown prince how to bung over the edge of his saddle, while his horse waa cunier Ing, so thut bullets would not strike him. They rode and frolicked, yelled a bit, got two ponies ami whacked u polo ball over the tan burk, until the crow ii prince, was sweating royally und wus gloriously flushed. "I don't kuow when I have been so happy," he said, drugging out Ids hand i.ei chief aud mopping bis face. 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