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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 28, 1922)
The Princess Dehra BY JOHN REED SCOTT. Copyright. ISOS, by John Reed Scott 9 Courtney looked at her curi ously -the idea was preposter ous, naturally, but the very arbi trariness of her conclusions was oof (cued by her earnestness and evident faith in their truth. It was, of course, just another ease of woman’s intuition, that hogged every question and tore tAgii • into tatters; yet., sometimes, he had known it to guess truly, despite the most adverse facts—• might it lie that here was just another such guesst t The table stood back a little way among the trees, and was hidden from the palace by the hedge of rhododendron, that flanked the roadway where it swept around the great marble pergola; and ho they did not see the man in undress cavalry uni form, who came slowly along the terrace, and descending the ateps, took th ' $*th leading to tlie sun-dial. At it he paused, with desultory interest seeming ly, lo read the shadow; bending over, the while, to blow away the dust. Ah lie (lid so, the princess saw him, througch a rift in the-hedge. First she frowned*.then a quizzi cal smile settled on her lips, and tihe glanced again at Courtney. “l)o you still doubt?” she asked. Courtney, preoccupied, looked at her a moment without reply ing. “ Yes,’’ he said; “being a man and iutuitionless, 1 still must doubt..’’ At that moment, the officer passed the hedge and they all saw Idm. “Cousin I” the princess called, —“cousin!” The Duke of Lotzen faced about sharply, then doffed cap and approached. “Your highness spoke!” he said, bowing, Debra leaned on the tkble, her chin in her hand, and studied hint a hit, while the others won dered, and Arinaud’s anger rose. “Cousin,” she said, “I have just, asserted that you killed Adolph and have the hook of laws—is it, not the truth?” 1-ady Helen gasped; Arnmnd half rose from his chair; even Courtney’s studied immobility of countenance was not impervious to his surprise. The duke alone met the situa tion with perfect imperturbabil ity. lie neither started, frowned, nor changed expression in the slightest; tho pleasent smile, that was on his lips, lingered unabat ed, while the hand that rested on his sword hilt was as steady as the cold, blue eyes which gave hack the princess’ gaze. Then, gradually, the smile broadened, creeping slowly upward, until it touched the cold blue eyes, though warming them not a whit; presently, he laughed, gently, and with just a trace of jeer. ■“It is not for a subject to contradict the regent of Valeria,” he said —and with a bow and a salute tie turned lan guidly away. And the princess did not stop him. but in silence, chin still on hand, she watched him out of sight. \ CHAPTER IX. Tlia Reckless Game. t The Princess was the first to •peak. “Tell me, your Excell ency,” she said, “do you admit my premised, now?” “Are you, yourself, quite as sure of them, as you were?” lie asked. “Sure!—sure! I’m absolutely sure -I saw the truth in his eyes —didn’t you, Armand?” “No,” said the latter, “1 did n't I never saw truth anywhere in Poteen.” “If lie were innocent, why should lie plead guilty?” she de manded. “And if guilty, why should he admit, it?” the Archduke asked. “Because in this case the truth is more misleading than a lie— lie had no notion wo would be lieve him.” “He is a very extraordinary mental processes are beyond be lief. Your question was the most amazing I ever heard, and should have been instantly decisive of his guilt or innocence; instead, it has only clouded the matter deep er for you and cleared ii com pletely for him. Your cards are exposed—his are still stacked.” “They arc not stacked to me,” said Debra; “he is guilty.” “Then, in that aspect, he has deliberately asked you what 12 you’re going to do about it.” “I’m going to get the book— for Adolph I don’t care—I’m. glad he killed the little beast.” ‘‘And how,” said Armand, “are we to get the book? No ordinary means will suffice. Im prisonment would only make a martyr of him and strengthen him enormously with the nobles and the people; anil banishment is absurd; he may be the king.” “If he has the hook, he would welcome banishment,” said Courtney; “it would relieve him of your espionage. itut, your highness, let me ask, why should man,” observed Courtney; “his he have it now? Armand admit ted to the council he is ineligible without King Frederick’s de cree, sa why would Lotzen pre serve that decree? The book is not essential to his title.” The princess shook her head incredulously. “Ferdinand of Lotzen is a knave but I won’t be lieve that of him.A Dal berg destroy the Dalberg laws! Inconceivable!—oh, incon ceivable !” So, between the crown of Valeria and the book of laws, you think he would chose the latter; and hand the crown to Armand?” “He would conceal the laws— he wouldn’t destroy them,” she insisted. The archduke reached over and took her hand. “Little woman,” he said, “your mistake is in rating Lot zen a Dalberg—In* isn’t; he’s a vicious mongrel; if he had the hook, you can rest assured he destroyed it.” Hut she shook her head. “Your facts proved him inno cent;’’ she smiled, “and so they don’t appeal to me today. 1 ’m as sure he won’t destroy the laws as 1 am that he killed Adolph; what troubles me is how to recover them.” “ We have a year-” “I don’t intend to wait a year for your crowning, sire,” she broke in. “Nor half a year, either.” He smiled indulgently, and pressing lightly the small fingers that still lay in his. “The little kingmaker,” he laughed. “No, no!” she said, “not I; Mr. Courtney is your Warwick and Valeria’s benefactor—he saved us from Lotzen.” “Then, your work is not fin ished, old man,”^he archduke re marked; “there’s a lot of saving to be done, I fear.” Courtney nodded rather grave ly; lie was quite of the same mind. “Warwick will hold to the work,” he answered, “and aid you all he may; but, for the im mediate present, l would advise that we sit tight and give the enemy a chance to blunder. And in the meantime, Armand, I sug gest you change the combinations on all the vaults here, and at the castle.” “It was done 10 days ago.” “The book isn't in any vault,” the princess remarked; “they all have been thoroughly searched.” “Hut something else may be in then, which will he needed — one can never know,” the am bassador answered. “Leastwise, it won’t hamper us, and may hamper Lotzen—or some one.” “It’s only a wise precaution,” the archduke added—“the vault in the king's library, both here and at the castle, is filled with reeordf^and other valuables, and upon both I changed the combi nations myselt—l cuun t trust it to a workman, who could be found and bribed ’’ And it was thismlmnge of com bination that the Duke of Lotzen had discovered that afternoon. At the archduke’s firm insist ence, Colonel Moore, his junior aide, had been detached from his staff and assigned as adjutant to the regent ; and a portion of the king’s suite, including his li brary, alloted to him for quar ters. This, also, was at the arch duke’s personal order—he, him self, might not be there always to guard Debra, so he gave her the gallant Irishman, with the best sword in the kingdom and a heart as true as his sword. Lot zen's bravos and his blandish ment would be alike powerless against him. And the duke, when he saw the order, smiled in quiet satisfac tion; and Bigler chuckled and read it to llosen at the club — “Thank Heaven we shan’t have the other damned foreigner to contend with when we go after the American,’’ he had said. But when the duke learned | who occupied the library, he cursed Moore and the luck that had put him there—with the book in the vault, and to be got, and none but him to get it. For no one, not even his closest as sociates, might know he had found it—he could not trust even their loyalty against the fetish of the laws. So it was for him alone to obtain it; and now the task—delicate enough at best— had become almost impossible for one lAan. Under every prece dent, the king’s suit should have remained unoccupied, awaiting his successor; but, instead, this Irishman; this fellow with the quickest sword and surest eye in the army; this devoted follower of the American, and, after him, the one man in Valeria whom he hated the fiercest and feared even move; he was—though thank God he did not know it!— guarding the book for his mas ter. It was, in truth, the first faint frown of his goddess, but Lotzen was too good a gambler to flout her at the loss of a single turn. It meant either a little more care fid play or a little more reckless ness. And, on the whole, the recklessness was rather more ap pealing than the care. If he could not easily recover the book, he could, at least, adventure leav ing it where it was—and let the regent’s adjutant guard it for him, too. And he smiled his cold smile—and longed to make a sec ond Adolph of the Irishman, knowing well that he, skillful fencer though he was, could nev er reach Moore’s heart save from the rear. And that day, he had-thought to take a reconnoissance, and he had come to the summer pal ace, trusting for an opportunity to gain admission to the library, to open the vault. There was a possibility that the king’s ef fects had been removed from it, .and the box might also have been taken; and, if so, it might be ly ing in some room, quite unguard ed. Yet he deluded himself lit tle on that score; the chance was too slight even to consider seri ously; there was really no oc casion for emptying the vault; on the contrary, Moore’s pres ence was the very best reason for leaving it untouched. Neverthe less, it was well enough to make sure. And here again luck bent to him. As he turned the corner of the corridor at the end farth est from the king’s suite, Colonel Moore came out and hurried down the stairway opposite, without a glance aside. Lotzen smiled, and went on to the library door—and smiled still more broadly when lie saw it was open wide. Really, the thing was getting too easy! He. stopped and tapped lightly on the jamb with his sword hilt—then stepped in and glanced quickly around. The shades were half drawn, but there was enough light for him to see that the room was empty. Going swiftly to the vault, he whirled the knob through the combination that Adolph had given him, dropped it at the final number and seized the handle. . , . The bolts re fused to move. With a frown, he spun theSuiob again; and again they stood firm. A third time he tried, carefully and slowly, not overrunning the marks by the shade of a hair—and still the bolts stayed fixed. With a muttered curse he stepped back, and from the pa per in his pocket verified the iormnla he had used—though he knew lie had made no mistake. .Could the valet have lied—have given him a wrong | combination — have actually played him for a fool to bis very ! lace! .... Impossible—quite impossible—he could recognize fear when he saw it; and no ser vant ever lied adroitly under such terror as had gripped Adolph at that moment. He stared at the vault and at the pa per .... ami, then, of a sud den, he understood-?— the combi nation had been changed. . . . Why—by whom, did not matter now. Enough, that behind that iron door the book was »urely lying, and he powerless to obtain it.Well, so be it—he must chance the risk; the reek less game had been forced upon him oy his enemies, and he would play it out. They did not imag ine the book was in the box— they would seek it elsewhere— and the American would lead in the seeking — on—on—on to Lotzcuiu, and the castle on the mountain, high above the foam ing^reer—and then! .... A fell smile crossed his face, and his eyes narrowed malevolently —there would be no need for the book, when they came back to Dornlitz. As he stepped into the corridor, ’the door opposite, in the princess’ suite, opened and Mademoiselle d’Essolde came out. “Your highness!” she said, dropping him a bit of a curtsy. “My lady!” he answered, bow ing over her hand ; then motioned behind him. “Who occupies his majesty's apartments?” he asked. “Thg adjutant to her royal ! highness,” she answered, know ing well he knew. “True,” said he; “I quite for got. Colonel Moore has pleasant quarters,” and he smiled. His inference was too evident to miss. She was of the re gent's household and Moore was her most persistent suitor. She made no pretense to conceal her displeasure, though she echoed I his laugh. Yes, very pleasant, she an swered, “yet they won’t be his for long—he but holds them for another.” “And the other?” maliciously driving her to the choice between the archduke and himself. She raised her eyebrows. “There could be but one, my lord,” she answered, looking at him with calm directness. lie laughed. “May be we do not guess alike; and I fear me, when my other comes, the dash ing colonel will have to make a far move—beyond the border.” The blue eyes snapped. “I can well believe your highness,” she retorted. “When you move in, Colonel Moore would scorn to stay this side the border.” Elise d’Essolde never forgot the look that came i.n Lotzen’s eyes. It was, she said afterwards to the regent, as though he had j actually struck her in the face. And, for a little while, he did not speak. Then as she drew back into the room, he bowed, his hand upon his heart. % “My thanks, my lady, my thanks for your candor,” his voice soft and very kind—“I shall see to it that your colonel does not go alone.” “Small danger,” she replied, as she slowly closed the door, “your highness has been seeing to that with fine success, these many years—au revoir, mon prince,” and the latch clicked be tween them. With a shrug, the duke turned away. What a vixen she was!— and how very sure Dehra must be of the American’s succession, ' \yhen one of her household would venfure to flout Ferdinand gjj Lotzen to his face. His mouth hardened. Damn the woman who played with statecraft— who meddled with the things she knew nothing of—who would im pose a foreigner upon an ancient kingdom, just because he was her lover. Damn the whole tribe— they were fit only to play with clothes, and to serve man’s idle moment. The rattle of a sword and click of spurs sounded on the stairway, and the regent’s adjutant turned i the corner. .“Ah, colonel, well met!” said Lotzen briskly, as Moore came to attention and salute; “I took the liberty, as 1 passed your quarters, of looking at his late majesty’s portrait; I wish to have a copy made—the door was ; open, so I assumed I might go inv” and with a pleasant smile and nod he passed on—then stopped. “My congratulations on your promotion—though as the smartest soldier in the army j it belonged to you.” Moore looked after him thoughtfully. “What particularly fine bit of deviltry arc you up to now,” he muttered; “and wttat were you really doing in the library” Half way down the corridor Moore met Elise d’Essolde. “Whither away, my lady, whither away?” lie asked, sweep ing the floor with his cap. • “I’m not your lady,” she an swered, making to pass by, but smiling sidelong at him. “Egad, I wish you wouldn’t tell me that so often—have some regard for my poor heart.” She tossed her head. “Your j heart, indeed! which heart? An I Irishman has a hundred and a different girl for every one.” “This Irishman has a million hearts—and the same girl for : them all.” She put the tip of her parasol to the wall, and loaned lightly j against it. (To lie Continued Next \\ eek) Already There. From the Washington Post. The proposal that Germany go Into ! bankruptcy is like expecting an in I sane man to go crazy. Prepared. | From the American Lumberman. A man with a coffin in his truck was j arrested for speeding in Chicago. Well, If they're bound to do it. that's the ^hing to carry. _ *. m Citizens of the (jilted States do not oare where they live as long as they have an automobile, an Kngilelinian says an his return to London. XT They Do a Hundred Calories * in About 9t EAT a box of little raisins when you feel hungry, lazy, tired or n faint. In about 9% seconds a hundred calories or more cf energizing nutri ment will put you on your toes again. 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