"7TT GEORGE BA :bPWrght, 1901, by ilcrbcrt S. S S,,anely as his greedy eyes careen Ug the last line. There was no gttre, but in every word he saw ace, felt'the touch of her dear 1, heard her timid heart. beating for -for him alone. Rapture thrilled n from head to foot, the delirious Lt Pture of love. He could not sp,eak, ,O OVerpowering was the joy, the sur P' se, the awakening. bebyl Whispered Quinnox, his face r t . with pleasure, his finger quiver t, c as he pointed commandiugly to Ad the letter. ey what!" asked Lorry dully. The last linel" He hastily reread the last line and -,en 'deliberately held the precious mis Saive over the lamp until it ignited. He S.'Would- have given all he possessed to have preserved it. But the last line commanded, "Burn this at once and in the Presence of the bearer." "There!" he said regretfully as he crumpled the charred remnants be ' tween his fingers and turned to the si lent watchers. "Her crime goes up in smoke," mut terea Dangloss sententiously. "Vhe princess commits no crime," re tott'I Quinnoz angrily, "when shl rusts'four honest men." ?"Where is she?" whispered the pris oe with thrumming ears. Where all good women shotild be a 9 o'clock-in bed," replied Danglos shortly. "But will you obey her com xnand?" ."fh e, 7" laid Lorry, b, t)kiy my sove 0'Ad e % BWt can Lri t, Without necessitating explanalIIons an oasnible complications? 1 wIll not obe, it it is likely to place her in an enba - "rassing position." "She understands perfectly what sh is doing, sir. In the flest place, she ha had my adylca," said )angloss, lh good old betrayer of an olli"ial Irust. "You advised her to coinialnd yoi to allow me to escape?" "Site commanded first. and 1ibn 1 ad Vised her how to cuccnnannd you. Ax phain may declare w a r a t housaid times over, but you wNill be safe. That's all ,we-I miean, all he wants." "But I catinot desert. 11y friend. IIow ls he to kndw where I've gone? Will not vengeance fall on him instead t" "He shall know everything when the proper time comes. And now will you ' " be ready at the hour uientioted? Yot, have but to follow the inst rutc ions- I should say, the cotnltauds - of the w "And be free! Tell her that wor ship her for th.is. Tell hmert . tever drop of- blood in my ha .y belongs to her. She of1'ers mue fr'e ,,oni1, but tmakles er.slavo for lif . Yes I shall be red.fI do nto .(~ see yo again, good friends, r.membe -that I love y'ou be cause youIOVe )her and biecause shte loves you 'nol11 h to intrutst a miost dangerous steg t to your. keeping, the rmmisslon of an act that may mean he' doyvnfall of your nation." Hie P.h 'ok hands -ith thema fervently. - t cummot Je that, sir. it may cost i!v a of tree of her subjects, but aman: av~o yourself can inv'olve thme pdog or e crown. They may kIll atte crumol(t force us to betray h. 'i are you w iI be as loyal to the good g i w. ; o won a crown not S upon hem' t. -art," nnMd - gloss ear ~fr'~' "/have u3s. Id n:. "ntle Auld but throw ,m;. 1 e.' e~st see her befoi Without telling heo.t 3>heartl" he added passiv -- ,~,, , "oli must obey the cm . *pliefltly;on your word of lho.. -e ttaftsacItionl ends now," said gu ,"Tlhis escape means, then, that I a. notto see her again," he saId, his voice Sfhoking with emotion. .' "er Instructions are that you mare to 4' go tienlght, at once," said Dangloss, and( *,tie blacy. eyed soldier nodded confir 4 ~' 'The prisoned paced the floor of his ~ ~ e~fn his mind a jumble of confillting oIirs. His clinched hands, twitch *~4\~ 4A Ig lya'eahd halt closed eyes betrayed 'the battle that was inflicting him with i ts caru&ge, suddenly he darted to the ou. rying: "Thrien I refuse to obey!i Tell her that shall beat her feet before another 'bight bea bossed- Say to her that I re fuse to go from Graustark until I have seen her axhd talked with her. You, Quinnor, go to her now and tell her this, and gg to her also that there is so~mething phe must hear from my own lips. Then IWill leave Graustark, and R\Ot till then, even though death be the alternativg' Jh3o two men stared at bha in aaujihient and consternation. ,~"on will notescape?" gasped Quin. S 'will niot.be 4A-agged away without 6 5Ig her." lie answvered resolutely, t i9wng hituselt.on tihe bed. I ft.iounIded younIg ass0!" growled hesoldIer's teeth graited.A e~ '~~ Rt~e(g anid his visItors were it14i ~ get bearing to hunmi thme l)ioor of devo(tionI that ~ 7 t STARK " ..By... RR McCUTCHEON T He looked at his hands and saw the black stains from the charred letter, last evidence of the crime against the state. A tender light came to his eyes. a great lump struggled to his throat, and he kissed the sooty spots, murmur ing her name again and again. how lonely he was! how cold and cheer less his cagel For the first time he began to appreciate the real serious ness of his position. Up to this time he had regarded it optimistically, con fident of vindication and acquittal. He grew cold and shuddered instinc tively as he realized that his position was so critical that the princess had deemed it necessary to resort to strate - . ~J t I mnsf loolctg into thc iuz l' of a revolver. in order to s:tve himl fron uom. Starting to his feet, I - loor-, nervousness8 li t uig 'all to te'i ror. llc lloutndledl :itnd cried aloud. (Ih. i1 le t could hui ,, .ing back those kindly nea selgers! Exhiatustedl, torn by confilic"tIng emno tionis, hi; at. last droli)d to Ili .. ,tI 511(1 binded his f'a6i- in his Ir ne'arly muadi Withl the au(ten s; tutlt ()I (t. Spai1r. ile recallied he ( e'a lette(r, th. Ie tem(Irr, hlping I hil(l tlh t hadl beent strtc h'itl f ti li' lif iii ftroi the dleptlhs into irit he was siing. She haitN il th.-he (t conl:lse Ihe wnuls platinl- th:11t hi. d:mge tr wVasxere she -old nut ('tulre lil't uutil shei | ) v im to be saftely ,usiie lite Ioundlls of (iranstarl;. iiis lilfe wts dear to le, atil sit' wuthitl 11reiserv it 1.y d tishoo....ing lier I.rust. Tn"t.. ste hadi tiloldeil lher itlai of esenipts, tlis joiniteilly, guiltily, hlelssly. only to) senid htim aw:ay withloutt grnt lng oine itontn-nt ol'iiy ini hier preente. After all, wvith death staint.; im in te face, thte lrticaltitIly coniv itedilin n dleter of ai priine, lie kntew lie (outld nti have gone wit hou. see'ing her. lie had been ungrateful perhapsl~, buit the mues saget lie hiad senlt to her1 wa;s fr-om hiis heatrt, anad somtethIing to1ld himi that it w~ouild give her p)leatsutre. A key turn'ied suddely3 in thle lock and his heart bounded with the lhopet that it might be sonme one with her- su renider in response to his ultimatum. He sat up)righit and rubbed his swollen eyes. The door swunig 0open, and a tall prison guard p)eered ini upon him, a shar-p eyed, low brewed fellow in raincoat and 1101met. His lanterni's single unkind eye was turned nmnac ingly toward the bed. "What do you want?" demanded the 'noner irritably. 'ad of answering, the guard pro * unlock the second or grated ,)ing inside1 the cell a mhomenit -.Smuotherlng an exclamalltioni, L. ry jerked out his watch and thien ang to -his feet, intensely excited. twas just 12 o'clock, and lie rmemn bered now thatt she had1( stid a guarmd would come to him at that hour-. Was this the man? Was the plant to be car ried out? The two meni stood st.ainig at eaicit other- for a momenit or two, one in the agony of doubt and suspenise, the other quizzl(cally. A smile Ilitted over the face of the guard, IIe calmly advanced to the table, putting down htis lantern. Then lie drew off his raincoat and hel met and placed in the other's hiand a gray envelope. Lorry reeled and wold have fallen but for the wvall against which he staggered. A note from her was in his hand. HIe tore open the jp velope amnd drew forth thte letter. As he read he grew stranigely calm~ and1 contented. A blissful repose rushed in' to supplant thie racking unrest of a mo mont before. The shadow's fled and life's light was burning brightly once more. She had written: I entreat you to follow instructions and go tonight. You may you will not leave Graustark until you have seen me. How rash you are to refuse liberty and life for such a trifiet But why, I ask, am I of fering you this chance to escape? Is it because I do not hope to see you again? Is it not enough that I am begging, im ploring you'to go? I can say no more. lie folded the brIef note, written in ' agitatlin, ttnd, after kissing it, prioceed ed to place it in his pocket. determined to keep it to the last hiour- of his life. .l Git einig upi at a souind from thte guardl, hie fotmnd himself looking into the mnus zie of a reVov(er. A deep scowl over ed to tr"l : i :( 1 il(('tn i- Ithe h 11 T'11L u a1is :no ttll. in t l,Ing o mr du g lt-. Lorry reluctantly held the note over the flane and saw it crumble away as hattd its predecessor. There was to be no proof of her com.plicity left behind. IIM knew It would be folly to offer a bribe to the loyal guard. After this very signifleanit aet the inuard's face cleared, and lie deposite(, his big revolver on the table. Stepping to the cell's entrance, he listcned in tently, then softly closed the heavy ironl iloors. Without a word he begai to strip off his uniforni, Lorry watching biti as if fascinated. The fellow look L'd up impatiently and motioned for him to be quick, taking it for granted that the prisoner understood his part of tle transaction. Awakened by thi5 sharp reminder, Lorry nervously began to remiove his own clothes. In five mi utes his garments were scattered over the floor and he was attired in the uni form of a guard. Not a word had been spoken. The prisoner was the guard, the guarl a prisoner. "Are you not afritd this will cost you your life?" asked Lorry, first in Eng lish, then in German. The guard mere ly shook his head, indicating that he could not understand. He quickly turned to the bed, seized t sheet and tore it into strips, impa lently thrusting them into the oth-):'s lands. The first letter had foretold all his, and the prisoner knew what was xpected of him. le therefore secure y bound the guard's legs and arms. wVith a grim smile the captive nodded its head toward the revolver, the lan :ern and the keys. Ills obliging prison r secured them, as well as his own )ersonal effects, and was ready to de art. According to instructions, he vas to go forth, locking the doors be And him, leaving the man to be dis 2overed the next morning by. surprised eepers. It struck himi that there was lomnething absurd In this part of the ilan. How was this guard to explain ls position with absolutely no sign of i struggle to bear him out? It was lia-rdly plausible that a big, strong fel low coul(d lie so easily overpowered ingie hatndedl. There was somiething-I ivretchedly Iicongruous about the-but there came a startling and effective '1d to all criticismn. The guard, houtnd as he was. sullden y turnt;( d a:t( Iungedi headforemiiost g:inst the sharp bedpost. Hiis head, t.ruck wvith at thtud, and1 he toilld, I,h loor as it fdead. ttteriti _ tt t x l a 1(on ofi honor, Lo 1ian to his side. ld was gusli it' i oil- rg-ish eross his.a d. anl he was alreatly nit( nse us. "ikenedl by the bravo aer3/.. lie picked the muanmi i i and ',ced hili onl the beld. A hasty exami n:ttionilprov"edl 1h:0 it wv:I- nu Int;re( htan i seiIp wattnv d InIl that f tl I ~they I Ai munt, ingss valu *L. Roti. Olotier aind Tailor, Happy Greetings to al I thank you, one and all, for past and hope by honest prices a again this year, trade'with J. R. 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