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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (June 18, 1899)
1(5 THE OM/VTTA DAILY BEE : SVXDAY , JTJXE 18 , 18 ! ) ! ) . c. & u , ncnoN. ( Copyright , 103 , by Double-day & McClure Co. All rights rccrved. ) CIIAl'TUK I. A Mriiti-iiiint of I'roiillc-r Cnvnlry. During four months of the year the In dependent state of "Maasau , " wo will call it which Is not very noticeable even on the largest-sized map of Europe Is tormented by a dry nnd wearying northeast wind. Anil nowhere Is Its Influence more unpleasantly felt than In the capital , Hcvondo , which elands shoulder-on to the hustling gales , Its Btatcly frontages nnd noble quays stretching out westward ! ) along the shores cf the Kofn almost to whcro the yellow waters of the xlvor spread fnnwlse Into a gray green sea. The tsa was blowing strongly on a certain ffs'ovomber afternoon , cddlng and whistling about the wldo spaces of the Grand square ns John Ilnllywood , a tall figure In a mili tary cloak , turned the corner of a side street nnd met Its full blast. Ho faced It for corao yards along the empty pavcmcntu , then ran up the steps of his club. A few minutes later 1ic passed through a lofty corridor rider nnd entered a door over which Is set a. quaint Invitation to smokers , which may not bo written down here , for It Is the Jealously guarded copyright of the club. It chanccil that the room for the moment liad but one- occupant , who sat In n roomy armchair by the whlto stove. This gentle man did not raise- his head , but continued to gaze thoughtfully at his well-shaped though sqtlaro and comfortable boots. Hallywood paused almost Imperceptibly In 3ils stride. "Hullo , major ! Glad to see > you , " he said , las ho dropped Into an armchair opposite. Major Counsellor stood up with his back to the stove , thereby giving a view of a red , challenging face , heavy eyebrows and a huge whlto droop of mustache. Ho looked down nt Hallywood consideringly before he spoke. ' 'So you'ro hero ; I Imagined they kept you jirotty closely on the frontier. The world Ibeen kicking you ? " Hallywood laughed. "No , but It would do mo good to kick Iho world , " ho answered as ho helped lilm- Belf from the major's cigar case. "Five years , almost six , spent on the frontier , with nothing to show for It , Isn't good enough. I've come up to send In my pa- porn. " "Then you'll bo a fool , " returned the major with decision. Rallywood was busy lighting his cigar ; when tliat was arranged to his satisfaction lie sold easily : . "Just so. History repeats Itself. " f Counsellor stood squarely upright with his [ ( hands behind ( him. J < rAny other reasons ? " ho abked. "Plenty. " "Pity ! Are they serious or otherwise ? " Rallywood pulled bis mustache. "Why Is It a pity ? " ho asked slowly , i' "Because tliero Is going to bo trouble hero , and with trouble comes a chance. " Hallywood smoked on In silence. Ho was n big , shallow-Hanked man with the marks of the world upon him , and that Indescrlb- nblo air which comes to ono who has passed n good portion of his timeIn laughing at the arbitrary handicaps arranged by fate In the race of Hie. "W'hero ' do you propose to go ? " naked Counsellor after an Interval. "Back to Africa , I think Buluwayo , Johannesburg , anywhere. South Africa's Still In the bud , you see. " "Yes , but It Is a biggish bud and will take lmo to blow. You can afford to wait nnd lt may bo worth your while. " Hallywood throw a swift glance at Coun- ( sollor's Inscrutable face. "Seven years ago , " ho said In a deliber ate manner , "you told mo It was worth ntillc , but llfo has not grown more Interest ing since then. " "Ah ! " Counsellor paused , then wont on with a grim , smile , "at your age , John , there are possibilities. Think over It. After hanging on hero for more than flvo years why lose your chance- now ? Look at those fellows. " Ho pointed out Into the square. Hallywood rose lazily and gazed out also , prospect was not encoring. A few troopers , their cloaks Happing In the wind , were gaUoplug across the square on the way to relieve guard nt the palace , and under the Btatuo of the late granil duke on horseback three men In tall hats stood talking to gether ; then they turned and walked to ward the club. "Know them ? " asked Counsellor. Hallywood shook his head. "Tho man with the beard Is Stokes of < ho Times ; next him Is Bradley ; he's on an other big dally. Their being hero speaks for Itself. Mnnsau Is going to take up people's ( attention shortly. The grand duke la In a tight place , and there wilt be a llareup sooner or later. " "And you ndvlso in a to stop and sco It through ? " said Hallywood meditatively from the window ; then ho lounged back to his Chair. "How will It end ? " Counsellor shook the ash from his cigar. "Selpdorf Is the man of the hour , " ho said. On the mitumn evening when these two men were 'talking ' at the club the duchy of ilaasau was , In the opinion of Maasaun pa triots , going ns fast as It could to the devil. "With them , It may bo added , the devir was personified and bore the name of a neighbor ing nation. The ono person who Ignored this fact was the grand duke. With nn Inset , stubborn prldo he believed that his country must remain forever , as the long centuries bad known It , 'Maasau ' the Free. This being - ing the case , ho felt himself at liberty to upend his tlmo In cursing the fate that had refused blue peas nnd skies to wintry Ro- \ondc , thus depriving It of these sources of revenue which depend upon climate , and which nro onlojcd by places far loss natur- nlly beautiful than the capital of 'Maasau. ' The duke , prematurely aged by the man ner of his life , made It bis chief business to dovlso schemes for raising money whereby ho might carry on the staling pleasures of Ills youth. Beyond this tno administration of public affairs was left entirely In the "Ilium iinotl your vnlunlilo CASCA- IIHTS and llml them perfect. Couldn't do wltuout them , 1 lava used ihom Jort.ome tlmo for Indigestion nncU > lllousness nnd nm novr com pletely cured , Itcoommcnd them , tu every ono. Once tried , you will never bo without them In the f amlly.'r EDW. A. MAHs , Albany , N. Y. Fleitant. palatable , I'otcnt , Teito flood. Do Good , Korer blckeu , Weaken , or Gtlpo , IDo.Uc , We. . . . CURE CONSTIPATION. . . . BUrlUf tltntd4'ovptKf , Ctlrtf o , Uoalrtll , X w Y"k , Stl tin Tfi n A O Sold and Bii raiitrcd Mr nil druf MU'TU-UAu gutxo VVU E Tobacco UaolC Btippfo hands of the chancellor , M , Selpdorf , \vhlle the duke , \\lth those who surrounded him , pluigud Into the ncuust excitement of the hour , for who knew' what a day might bring forth ? The .court was like ft stage lit hy lurid light , on which the actors laughed and loved , danced and fought to the music of a wild finale , that whirled and maddened before the crash of the coming end. Once uson a time Mnasau was accounted of no particular Importance or value amoni ? Ito bigger neighbors ; but of late , for vnrl- ! oils reasons , Its fortunes had bccomo the I subject of attention and discussion In nt 1 least three foreign chancelleries , whore old | maps were being looked up and now ones I bought and painted In different colors , ac- I cording ns seemed most desirable by the I bearded men , who sat In council to appor- ! tlon the marsh , rock , dune and forest of I which the now absorbingly Interesting pigmy [ state was composed. In fact , Manwiu , with Its twenty miles or i so of seaboard , containing ono excellent port. In case and two others In posse , had become n Naboth's vineyard to a country almost land-bound and yet dreaming of the supremacy of the four seas. On this am bition and Its possible consequences the ether great powers looked , to speak diplo matically , with coldness. It was generally understood that the En glish foreign otnco desired the maintenance of the status quo ; Franco was supposed to bo ready to clap a young republic on the back and to accord It her protection , while Russia played her own dumb and blinding game , of which none could definitely pro nounce the Issue. The political world thus stood at gaze , watching every change and prepared to take advantage of every chance that offered. The honors of the game so far had lain with M. Solpdorf , who scored each trick with the same bland smile. Whenever the treasury of Maasau was at a low ebb Selpdorf usually had a thirteenth card to lay upon the table , and as the na tions cautiously proceeded to frustrate each other's purposes royal remittances frdm heaven knows where flowed In abundantly to replenish the bankrupt exchequer of the state. When Major Counsellor expressed his em phatic disapproval of the intended resigna tion of Rallywood a now development was In the air. Hitherto the lead had mos y devolved upon Selpdorf ; on this occasion he was known to "bo " hanging back , and the question of who would take the Initiative was the question of the day. The fact that Germany had lately accredited a new representative , a certain Baron von Elmur to the court of Mnasau , nn able man whoso reputation rested mainly on the successful performance of missions of a delicate na ture , added to the tension of the moment. "So you say they are getting eteam up In Maasau ? " said Hallywood again. "I have been out In the wilds for the lost six months nnd don't know so much about events as I might. " "Steam up ? " growled Counsellor. "Steam enough to wreck Europe ! I almost wish I'd never godfathered you Into this blofeed little stoke hole. Why the deuce didn't you enlist at homo Instead of coming hero ? " "That was out of the question , of course. " "Why ? Isn't our army good enough for you to fight In ? " "If it was only that ! I coujd fight In the ranks , God knows , but I couldn't parade In them ! Besides , the llfo hero suited me then. " "What's gene wrong with It now ? 1 should have thought you would have got used to It by this time , " observed Coun seller with the air of the older man. It was not the first occasion on which ho had played the part of elderly relative toward Uallywood during the course of their queer , rough-grained friendship a friendship of n typo which exists only between man and man , and oven then Is sufficiently rare. "Precisely , I'm too Infernally used to It ! It was not half bad as long as the newness lasted , 'hut ' I can't stand It nny longer ! I'm sick of the monotony. Do you know old Fltzadams' criticism on the service hero ? "Dust and drill , drill and dust , and nil In the chinks with homicidal maneuvers , " "iMaaoau only apes Its ibetters. Those Continental armies devote themselves very assiduously to rehearsals , and there Is no end of waste about the process , " remarked the chancellor. "They rehearse In Bummer and get sunstroke ; then they rehearse In winter with rheumatisms and lung troubles growing on every bush. The 'bill ' for blank cartridges alone Is enormous ! And all be cause they have no India and no Africa , as wo have , where wo can give our fellows a taste of the real thing any day In the -week. Wo carry on a email war with a regiment , or dispatch a youngster with half a company to teach manners and honesty to 20.000 nig gers. The peculiarity of our army Is that It Is always at war. In this way wo escape the dangers of theory , and got practice , with something for our money Into the bargain. " "Our plan has Its advantages , " agreed riallywood lazily. "I saw In South Africa what n little active service does for a man. The first tlmo ho l under fire ho U per suaded that ho Is going to bo killed , and that every shot must hit him. Hut after a trial or two ho begins to think that the odds are In his favor and ho becomes a much moro offt-ctlve fighting machine. " "Necessarily ho docs. Wo don't half realize the value of our colonies yet as a training ground for our soldlow. The Ilrltlsh army U the smallest In Europe , but It remains to bo seen what account It will glvo of Itself If It la over brought Into con tact with these huge , peace-trained conscript monsters. " "When the duke dlos " began Rallywood , harking back to the former topic of con versation. The door was softly opened and a waiter advanced Into the room , 'bearing ' a letter for Hallywood , who took It and laid It down on the table Reside him , then looked at Coun seller for an answer to his half spoken question. Counsellor shrugged his shoulders. "Who can tell ? " ho replied. "Meanwhile take 'the gifts the gods have sent you today - day , " and ho pointed to the long , heavily- scaled envelope that lay at flallywood'o elbow. "Selpdorf , 1 see , already has hla fingers upon you. " Hallywood broke the great seals , and , hav ing read , ho tossed the paper Into the other's hands. "Ho wishes to ece mo at 9:30. : What can ho want with me ? " he asked. "Probably ho haa heard you Intend to cut the service. It appears to me , Rallywood , that your chance has cjmo out to meet you. " "How could ho have heard that I meant to go ? And what can It matter to any ono If I do ? " went on Rallywood Incredulously. Counsellor shook his head , but made no other reply. "A lieutenant of the frontier cavalry. " re sumed Hallywood , "Is merely a superior make of excise ofllcer ! " "You will bo something more or eome- tlilng else before 10 , I expect. As for what ho wants with you , that Is for you to flud out If you can. " "It Is to bo hoped ho may feel moved to let mo have my arrears of pay , " said Rally- wood , relapsing Into hla usual tone of In difference ; "that is the chief consideration with us on the frontier Just now , " "He probably will If It eults him or rather , perhaps , If you suit 'him. Como over and dine wltli mo presently nt the Conti nental. There's generally a decent dinner to bo had thero. " John Hallywood , ono of the old Lincoln shire ) Hallywood , had been born to a for tune , nnd , moreover , with an Immense ca pacity for enjoying It after a wholesome fashion. Queens Kaln had fallen In to him while still nn Infant upon the death of a great-uncle , and with ttio old place were connected nil those hundred untranslatable tics and associations which go to make up a boy's dreams. Ho was n man of suppressed - pressed , perhaps half unconscious , but nevertheless deep rooted enthusiasms ; hence when the blow fell which deprived him not only of his Inheritance , but also cut short the llfo of his mother , the un- expe tcd , almost Intolerable anguish ho silently cndurctt had left a deep , defacing scar upon his personality. Up to 22 the resord of his life , If not ( striking , had been clean and manly. He had passed throtiEti Sandhurst , and Joined a dragoon regiment for something over a year , when an older branch of the family , supposed for a quarter of a century to bo r.dlnct , suddenly presented Itself very much allvo In the person of n mlddlc-ngcd , mld- dlc-clnfis American. Within three months the man's claim was subjtniHlatcd , and estate , fortune , position and homo ns far n.i John Hallywood was concerned had melted Into thin nlr. vcrsatlon , and a political opinion backed by hU name bec-amc at once Important. tn.vi'ir.it u , " .V Contloinnii of thetlnnril. . " Shortly before 0:30 : Hallywcod presented hlmsnlf at the granite palace , with Its four cirpolas , which M. Srlpdorf occupied In his capacity of first minister of state. After some slight delay ho was ushered Into a comfortable study , where ho found Selpdorf with A reading lamp at his elbow , glancing rapidly through a nmss of papers that ho throw one after another , with apparent care- IcfsnrsJ , on the floor besldo him. The chancellor of a smnll state might very well have been pardoned had ho Introduced a certain amount of what nn old official T < * t\ \ to call "desk dignity" into his dealings with those who approached him , but Selpdorf habitually affected an easy manner nnd an easy chair. Ho. waa a middle-sized man , posscf cd af a very round head , bald at the crown , but having still a lock of dark hair on the summit of his round forehead ; very round cyos set far back In smooth holes , showing little lid ; a nose blunt and thick over lips that might have been coarse , but were controlled and betrayed a lurking humor at the corners , to whlc-h the upstand ing muataclia seemed to add point. For all his peculiarity of aspect , ho was a man who left an Impression on the memory of some thing pleasing and attractive , especially In the minds of women. growing tired of Hevonde. 1 know nothing of It , " "Hut you would prefer Rcvondc. believe me. " At this moment an attendant appeared with n card upon a salver , Selpdorf road the name with the faintest contraction of his brows. ' "You will excuse me , M. Hallywood , " ho said ; "I must ask you to wait In the nnte- room for a few minutes. " The ante-room was a long , pillared corri dor , In which Ilnllywood found himself quite alone. Ho fell at once Into speculations as to the meaning and aim of Sclpdorfs rate awakened Interest In himself. Also the al lusions to Counsellor had probably been made with calculated Intention. Hallywood understood that each of these two men had the same end In view ; each . desired to dUscnible hla own character. And i each of them succeeded with the many , but j failed as .between . themselves. Solpdorf posed as the suave , sympathetic , good-na tured friend of these with whom ho came In contact ; Counsellor , ns a man of no ac count , a rugged soldier , honest , strong , out spoken , a good agent to act under the direc tion of more astute brains , but , If left to his own resources , somewhat blunt nnd blundering. To do Hallywood justice , ho was far more occupied with this last thought than with the , thlnpa which bore moro directly on his own proepccts and future. At this period his ffi Kf * 1 / / / / / WWjti ,4 m SA Vtfr r - //ML / \ YOU WlSti FOH AN INTRODUCTION ? THEN ALLOW MB TO PRESENT YOU TO EACH OTHER. " During this period of disruption and troubtu Counsellor , who happened to bo distantly connected with him , came Into his life. They did not meet very often and spoko. little when together , but mutual knowledge and liking resulted. Friendship Is a living thing ; It cannot be made ; It grows. Rallywood , when bo .turned to seek the means of a livelihood , found himself , as ho said long afterwards , standing In the corri dor of life with all the doors shut and no key to open them. His tastes aud training alike Ird In the direction of a military career , nnd presently ho went out to the cape , where 'ho spent n year or two In a police force which was In tlmo disbanded , and ho returned to Eng land once more at a loose end. At this juncture Major Counsellor sug gested to him the possibility of obtaining a commission In the little nrmy of the duchy of iMaasau. This hint sot him on the right track. The regiments of Maasau , though few In number , carried splendid traditions. Their ranks wore drawn from a stolid , silent peasantry , and olllccred by a wire-strung , high-tempered aristocracy , 'barn of a mixed race. It Is true , but none the less frantically devoted to the freedom nnd Independence of their shred of a father land. In compliance with a private request on the part of Major Counsellor , the Drltlsh minister at Revondo bestirred himself to procure a commission for Rallywood , who thus became a lieutenant In the frontier cavalry , and for more than five years had taken his share In riding and keeping tbo marches of Maasau , gaining much experi ence In capturing smugglers and In super intending the digging out of snowed-up trains , nut llfo on the frontier , though crammed with physical activity and routine work , was in every other resnect monoto nously empty , and breaks In the shape of furlough were few and far between. Half liked , wholly respected nnd a little feared among his comrades , hut always remaining n lieutenant to whom the state owed eight een months' arrears of pay , Rallywood , In return , owed to Maasau only the qualified service of an unpaid man , but gave It thu full devotion of a capable ofllcer. As to Counsellor , no one could quite ac count for his presence nt Rovondo at the present moment. Ho was supposed to bo attached In some Indefinite way to the lega tion , but ho described himself as a bird of passage , whoso appearance In nny European capital simply meant whim or pleasure , for he was growing old and lazy , and could not bo brought to account for'TiIs wanderings , which ho assured those who ventured to In quire 'were ' chiefly undertaken In search of health. Nevertheless , wherever he went or cntno something Interesting in a political sense and more often than not In favor of Ilrltlsh Interests was almost euro to happen. In former days ho had filled the position of military attache to twxi or three of the more important embassies , and was said to be the 'best ' known man In Europe. He had , moreover , the right to carry upon hU breast the ribbon and decoration of more than one exclusive and distinguished order. Of the many rumors associated with him this cay- Ing was certainly true , that one could never enter the smoking room of any diplomatic club In any city In Europe without ( Handing n fair chance of encountering Major Coun seller wanning himself beside the stove. Therefore ho had naturally an enormous circle of acquaintances , each Individual Vnowlng very little about him , though be Always formed an Intcrenlng subject of coo- Ho received Rallywood with that air of deep personal Interest which told with such happy effect on those whom he desired to Influence. "Ah , ray dear lieutenant , I understood you wore In Tlevondo and took advantage of your presence to put into effect a little plan which had been for some time in contem plation. I recollect having had the pleas ure of meeting you net so long ago when you arrived in 'Maasau. ' " "Nearly wlx years ago your excellency , " replied Rallywood with a smile. "I can scarcely believe It to bo so long. At any rate I remember perfectly that I had the honor of presenting you to his highness as the latest addition to our fron tier cavalry. " "Your excellency might easily have for gotten. From the nature of the case that could not bo possible -with me. " Selpdorf listened /'with a little astonish ment. This Englishman was not quite such a fool as ono might have expected from the fact of his having been content to remain without preferment and only o proportion of his pay for over live years on the fron tier. 'He had hoped to llnd the fellow adaptable , but this long-limbed , slow-spoken gentleman was not altogether so transpar ent an Individuality as Selpdorf had led him self to expect. "Buy why have you secluded yourself for so long amoug those barbarous marshes and forests ? " demanded the chancellor In a ral lying manner. The young man made no reply , though the obvious one was In his mind. "Hy the by , " resumed the chancellor , as If struck by a now thought , "I have heard that your countryman , Major Counsellor , has como to pay us a little visit In Maasau ? " "Ho is here. I have Just seen him , " re plied Rallywood , Selpdorf's round eyes glanced once more nt his companion. The simple directness of the reply was admirable but baining. "Ah , ho Is Invaluable , the good major , quite Invaluable ! England may well bo proud of him. Ho Is ono or the ablest men in Europe , besides " hero he smiled , showIng - Ing a row of strong oven teeth i"besldes be ing ono of the most honest. For diplom atist what praise ! " Rallywood mot his glance Imperturbably. "For a diplomatist , jour excellency ? " he repeated , "Dut assuredly , " replied the chancellor warmly , "flguro to yourfcclf , my friend , the condition of politics It all statesmen were like him honest ! An Invaluable man ! " Ho paused for a reply , but Rallywood merely bowed. He felt that so much , at least , waa expected of him on the part of England. "Hut now , monsieur , with regard to your own affair. You have been five years In the service of his highness. And your com mand ? " "At present Ufty troopers at the block houses above Koto Ford und a.'ong the river. In the winter , during the long , dark nights , when tliero are many attempts to run Illicit goods across the frontier , I shall have , per haps , a score or BO more. " "And you are not tired of It ? " M. Selp- Uorf raised his hands. "So tired , your excellency , that I am half Inclined to let a better man step Into my shoes. " "Rut come , come , that Is Impossible ! " re turned his excellency agreeably. ' "Are you also tired of our capital , of Revcode ? " "I have had very llttfo opportunity of life was comparatively tasteless and void of Interest ; there -was nothing to look for ward to nnd the recent past meant extremes of heat and cold , long , solitary rounds ridden by night and days rendered so far alike by iron-handed rule and method that one was driven to mark the lapse of tlmo by the seasons , not'by ' the ordinary divisions of weeks and months. 'As ho lounged in a chair , full of these thoughts , a slight rustle , soft and silken , like the rustle of a woman's dress , caught his car. He turned his head quickly. The corridor , with Its slender pillars , which stood at long Intervals , was steeped In the clear electric light and from where ho sat ho could see there was no person visible throughout its entire length. Then , as his gaze traveled iback , it rested on something -which had certainly not been lying 'where ' he now saw it at the time of his entrance. Not six paces behind him , stretched across the dark carpeting , in the very center of the pillared vista , lay a woman's long glove. A woman's glove possesses a peculiar charm for all men. Perhaps It suggests Borne of the sweet mystery of womanhood. The first action of most young men In Rallywood's place would have been to raise It at once nnd to examine It , ns though In eorno Impalpable manner It could tell some thing of Its unknown wearer , who might turn out to ho the Hnthor , the ono woman In the world. Dut the circumstances of Rnllywood's life , and , perhaps , nUo , some exclusive element In his character , had heretofore set him rather opart from the Influence of women , Ho had grown to regqrd them without curi osity , which Is the last stage Indifference can reach. It must bo admitted that It was with a feeling nkln to repugnance that ho at last lifted the long , soft , palo-hued , faintly scented suede from the floor and dangled It nt nn unnecessary distance from his eyes , holding it as ho did so daintily between flnger and thumb. Its subtle appeal to his senses as n man failed to reach him. It simply aroused an old fooling of reserve toward the sex It represented. His face altered sllfidtly and ho dropped It suddenly with nn odd repulsion , ns he might have dropped n snake , on a couch nearby. Then ho reaumed his chair and turned his back upon It , till the reflection that the woman to whom It belonged must have como and gone while do sat thinking with his back to the corridor sent him wheeling round again. The glove still lay where he had placed It on the edge of the couch palm upward nnd with a suggestion of helplessness and pleading. It annoyed him unreasonably. Ho frowned and looked at his wutifi. Hall nn hour had passed since SelpdoTf dismissed htm. htm.At At that moment a gutteral voice broke the silence of the house and a heavy curtain over the door at the nearer end of the anteroom was thrust back by a brusque hand and a tall , hlghshouldered , handsome man , dressed as If ht > wore about to at tend some court function , stood In the opening. Behind him Rallywood caught sight of a flurried and explanatory lackey. "Ah , f.o J have lost ray way after all , " said the personage In a bland voice. "A mistake ! But I hope you will accord mo your forgiveness , mademoiselle ? " Rallywood sprang to his feet at this most unexpected ending and looked around. Clcea beside him stood a tall girl wrapped In a long cloak of fur and amber velvet She WOd Blncularlv beautiful , with a nala cJuar. beauty. Her black. lotiR-laohed oyfs woreon him and they wore full of laughter. "Enter , then baron , " said the girl , glanc ing across at the courtier. "Old you purw you would find me here , or were you seeking monsieur ? " and she waved her bare loft hand toward Rallywood. "I lost my way , nothing more. " returned the baron , coming forward ; "but perhaps , as In my heart , all roads lead to want " Ho bowcxl deeply once more , this time Mooplng to kiss the girl's hand with ft certain show of restrained eagerness. She drew 'back ' with A little Impatient gesture1. "I Fhotild not have been here 'but ' for nn nrcldcnt , " she replied coldly. "In fact. I was en the 'point ' of starting for Ills hlghncai' re ception , had not monsieur detained me. " And , to Rallywood'H amazement , she Indi cated himself. Before he could spcnk she pointed to his spurred boot. "Monsieur has set his licet on my poor glove , " ho added. Uy hfl ! hnsty movement In rising ho had apparently dislodged the glove from Its pisl- llon nn the edge of the courb. Ho stooped with a hurried word of apology and picked It up. On the dollcnto palm waa stamped'tho curved stain of his boot heel. "Ho you always treat a lady's glove so ? " she asked gravely , and held out her hand for It. Ilnllywood looked down nt her very de liberately , nnd something that was neither his will nor his reason decided hlB next ac tion. Ho folded the soft sucdo reverently together. "No , mademoiselle , " ho answered , as he placed It Inside his tunic , "I have never before treated n lady's glove so. For the accident I offer my deepest apologies. " She wntchod him with raised oycbrows nnd a slight derisive smile. Then she drew the companion glove from her right hand nnd , giving It to the lackey , who still re mained in the background , she said : "Throw it nway , it is useless , and tell Nanzolle to bring mo another pair. " Monsieur , with whom I have not yet the pleasure of being acquainted , " Interrupted the baron rather suddenly , "monsieur Is , after all , the lucky man. ile retains what I dare not even ask for. " "Shall I call back the servant with Its fellow for you ? " mademoiselle asko.1 haught ily. "It Is nothing to mo who picks up what I have thrown away. " With this re buff to Uallywood she placed her hand upon the German's , ns if to ask him to lead her from the room , and added : "You wish for nu introduction ? Then al low mo to present you to each other. His excellency , the Barou von Elmur. " She paused , nnd her eyes dwelt for a moment on Rnllywood's. "A gc-iitloman of the guard. " And before Rallywood could ex plain the mistake the curtain had dropped behind them , nnd ho was left standing alone. In Baron von Elmur ho recognized the oblique carriage of the heart nnd the hlgh- ehouldered flguro of the third man ho had seen with the newspaper correspondents In the Grand Square that afternoon. Moreover , ho know that the German had entered the anteroom through no mistake , but with some object in view. As for the girl , who was she and wbero had she come from ? Elio was not of JInnsau , since she had Intro duced him as belonging to the guard , for not only was every ofllcer of that fas-orod corps Individually known , but It was fur ther impossible for a Maasaun to make the slightest mistake with regard to nny uni form. It was one of the boasts of the country that even a clalld could tell at a glance not only the special regiment , but the rank of the wearer of any uniform be longing to the duchy. Rallywood had no time just then to pur sue the subject further , as he was almost immediately recalled to the chancellor's presence. " "Now , monsieur , " began Selpdorf , as though no break had occurred in the con versation , "you are In truth tired of keep ing our dreary marches ; Is It not so ? " "TboKo are better places nnd worse , your excellency. " "Our gay little capital will be ono of the better places , I promise you , " continued the chancellor. "A position in the guard of his highness has Just become vacant. Am I right In berioving that n nomination to that superb regiment would tempt you to remain with us ? " Rallywood for once was a little taken aback. "A gentleman of the guard. " Ho repeated the girl's words of Introduction mechani cally ; then , putting aside the thought of her , ho took up the practical view of the situation and answered , "I am an English man , your excellency , ana though I have taken the soldier's cath to the 'Maasaun standard , I have not taken the oath of na tionality. -could not consent to become n naturalized citizen oven of the duchy of Maasau. " "Ah , so. " Selpdorf stroked his chin , then despatching the objection with a wnvo of his hand , he resumed. "Wo must overlook that In your case. You have already served the duke for live years with as sincere a zeal as the truest Maasaun amongst us. Wo must remember that and overlook a drawback which Is far ICES Important than it seems. " He turned to a memorandum on tlio table and consulted It. "You were engaged In the affair at Xan- thal , I sec ? " "Thrco years ago , your excellency , " re plied Rallywood In u tone that implied his powers of usefulness had probably become Impaired by lapse of tlmo. Selpdorf moved his shoulders. Hero was a man throwing rtlfllcultics In the way of his own advancement. Yet ho could not possibly bo so Indifferent to his own In terests as ho chose to assume. "To bo plain with you , " Selpdorf said with an air of candor , "tho younger officers of the guard have little experience. The latest fashion In neckties or the most charming dancer nt the Folio absorbs their attention , to the exclusion of moro Impor tant matters. There Is , ns you doubtless know , a certain admixture of French blood In the veins of our moat noble families , " be finished abstractedly. Rnllywood bad no remark to offer upon this. The olllcers of the guard bore a very distinct reputation. They were snld to bo a pleasant set of fellows socially , unless one ran foul of their prejudices , but they were credited with a good many prejudices. As for his personal acquaintance with them , It was limited to acting second In a hastily arranged duel fought out In the yard behind a little country railway sta tion. tion."I "I should like to see n somewhat different spirit Introduced and to bo asured that I could always rely on the presence of at Irast one cool-headed officer at the palace Your experience- the frontier has emi nently fitted you for the position. To you , therefore , will bo allotted the quarters re served In the palace Itself for the adjutant of the guard. May I have the pleasure of saluting you as such ? " Rallywood hesitated. Ho foresaw certain difficulties , but they appeared rather attrac tive than otherwise at the moment Ho throw back his shoulders , n light of laughter came Into his eyes , ho raised his head and looked Into Selpdorf'u face. "I thank your excellency. " The chancellor understood moro than met hla ear. He approached the subject dell- cately. "Then you will allow mo to congratulate you. Captain Rallywood , " ho said , bending forward to shako hands with his visitor In English fashion. "Thoro may possibly bo Borao trifling difficulties at the outset The llrst stt-p in nny undertaking usually costs something , but you will not , I beg , permit youreelf to be drawn Into , ahem , any shallow - low quarrclB , Our friends of the guard you will understand , nro a little too prone to pick up even a carolm word on tdo snonl point. " M. Solpdorf paused nnd referred once more to the memorandum. "Thero has been some smnll hitch nbout the pay on the frontier of Into ? " he nskod Innocently. "A serious hitch for the last eighteen month.1 ! or so , your excellency , " replied Itallywood , with n smllo that did not reach tils pycs. "Indeed ? That must bo remedied. The paymaster - master general shall have a note upon your nlTnlr Immediately , Captnln Rnllywood. Good night. " Rnllywood stepped out Into the windy , frozen night , nnd nlso out of bin old llfo Into the new. Above him the stars , written In their vast , vnguo characters upon the night-blue vault of sky , shone wltli n keen luster ; below his feet , with scarce a break In the great circle , It scorned us If they drew together In denser clusters and sot themselves In luminous tiers. These latter were the lights of the city. For the Hotel du Chiinceller stands high upon ono of the twin ridges which form the rnvlno of the river , and upon whoso converging slopes Rovondo is built. Ilnllywood stood mid looked down upon the dip and rise of the Urrnced city with n now Interest , for now It held a future- for him Individually , a future which must bo stirring nnd might bu something moro. The eyes of the girl whoso glove ho had trodden upon still challenged him from the starlit darkness , eyes made of starlit dark ness themselves. Ho followed the broad black line of the river between Its sweep ing curves of lamps , broadening out s i- wnrd Into hazy dimness. Then ns n great bell ncros-s the water boomed out ttie hour bo turned his gaze to the cast , In the dire- tton of the souul , to where the broken brightness of the crowding streets gave place to a majestic alignment of light nnd shadow , showing the position of the ducal pnlnco upon the river bank. Behind and nbovo It tticno n blood-red gleam like an angry eye ; this Rnllywood knew to be the great stained dome of the historic in ens- room of the guard. Then the late lieutenant of the frontier cnvnlry laughed nloud In the dark , bis blood tingled In his veins , for the priceless ele ment of a vague , unknown danger and ex citement had entered Into his life. ( To Bo Continued. ) Dyspepsia Cure ! Digests what you eat. Itarti tlclally digests the food and ald3 Nature in strcn thonlnp and recon structing the exhausted digestive or gans. It Is the latest discovered dlgcst- ant and tonic. ISu other preparation can approach It in clllclency. It in stantly relieves and permanently cure ? Dyspepsia , Indigestion , Heartburn , Flatulence , Sour Stomach , Nausea , SickHeadachcGastralglaCrampsand , allotherresultsof imperfectdigestlon. Prepared by E. C. DeWItt & Co. . Chicago. CURES CATARRH Colds , Coughs , Hay Fever , Bron chitis , Asthma { and all Diseases o ! the Throat and Lungs. Clouds of Medicated Vnpor nro Inhaled through the moutli nud emitted from the nos trils , cleansing and vnnorlzIU ) , ' all the Inflamed end disposed pertH whleh onnnot be reached br medicine taken Into the stomach. It reaches the tnrc spots It heals the raw places Jt goes to the scat nf disease Jt acts as alialm and tonic to the whole system fl.OOat druggists orient bi/mail. 1503 Arch St. , J'Mla' DR. CHARCOT'S TONIC TABLETS iirr1"il ° ! " , ) ' . > ? .3"lvt'Iy sunrantecd ri'inedjfor tlio ijMrnn iiriifk0n ° " 8"CSS Bnd JIOIaucnolJcaused , . 'JVI'J tiVA.RA.N1KK 1'OIJJI 1IOXK8 U ) cure any QISO wltti - n posltHo tvi-l itfiiKimr- V"11lhn lni" > W. "id to dostrur tu toileatliic liquors. "VifiUWJ.3 " * " eli uivtN WITHOUT KNOWLEOOfi OF THE PATIENT. STRONG DRINK cnive"M1"f-ri > I'ovnnr ui.iunu uiiinniiiul J > ijitli , unoti recclnt 'wpJ"n'iI"l'"iS''V"t"j7iJoii' ? ' | { CUr" Or re'UD(1' ( Blyeri ) . DlIIoii l < rtiir"Co , , Siilu Auentv , KHlt mill I'-uriiaui. UiiiuliH. .Noli. FREE TO ALL sunr-erlnc from nervous debility , varl- cocele , Hcmlnal weakness , lost mun- mood , omissions and unnatural dls- charireH caused by error * of younger daju , which , if not relieved by medi cal treatment , U d plorauo ! on mind and body. DO SfOT MAIlllY wh n suffering , a this leads to lo u of memory , loss of Hplrlts , baihfuinena In society , pains in mnall of back , fright ful dreamt ) , dark rlnjcs around the eyca , plnnil"B or breaking out on face or body. Send for our symptom blank , wo can cure you , and f peclally do wo deudre old and trkd cases , an we charge nothing for mlvlce and give you a writ ten KunranUr to euro the worst case on record. Js'ot only are th weak or gans routorcd , but all lossr * . drains jmd dischargee Htonped. Send 2o stamp and question blank to Dept. B. DLOUI ) POISON. First , second or tertiary stage. WJ5 NE-VtfU PAUL * No detention from liUBlnoss. Writ * us for particulars , lIulm'H IMiuriiincy , Oinnliu , Xrb , IBIh mid rnriiniii tit * . Call for CASCADE WHISKEY 14 VIAH oi.n 8OUII MASH WHISKEY A < an IN WOOD Don't let them palm off ether goodi on you. See "Cascade" brand on bottle tle , Dealers order through. I''III3I > T. 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