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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1923)
r~~ . \ The Princess Dehra BY JOHN REED SCOTT. Copyright. 1808, by John Rood Scott l “What had become of your other pair of rogues?” the Duke asked. “Dead., I fell over them at the foot of the stairs, buried under a huge chest.” “Flung upon them, doubtless, as they were ascending,” said Lotxen. Bigler nodded. “That was the crash I heard.” He took anoth er cigarct, and lighted it care fully. “And that, madame, is tho story,” he ended, looking at Mrs. Spencer. She flashed h im a bright smile. i “The nicest thing about it, my dear count,” she said, “is that you are here to tell it.” ‘ Even if he doesn ’t in the least deserve to he here,” the duke interjected. “Such a—my dear Edmund, don’t do it, again. You’re too young and innocent to die. Leave the strategy to me—and my lady, yonder; we will give you enough of fighting in due time—and soon.” The count laughed in good na tural imperturbability. “I’m done,” he said frankly. “I'm ready to take orders from you or my lady—particularly from ray lady.” The duke gave him a quick, aharp glance. “The orders will come through me,” he said, rather curtly. Madeline Spencer held out her hand to the count. “When his highness grows jealous,” she said, languidly aris ing and shaking down her skirts, “it's time, you know, for you to go—coine hack when he is not here;” and with a provoking ainile at the duke, she flung the count a kiss -“for your wounded ear, my lord.” CHAPTER XI IT. In th* Japonica Walk. The regent signed the last document, and, pushing it across the table, laid aside the pen. “How much better it would bo if'that were ‘Armaml, Rex,’” she said. • • The pnme minister was put ting up his papers. , “And better, still, if it were 'Dehra, Regina,’ ” he returned, closing the portfolio and lock ing it. She made a gesture of dissent. “There wduld be no need for the b >ok, then,” he continued; “and no danger of Lotzen becom ing k*ng. It is God’s blessing on Valeria that you were you, and could assume the government— otherwise, we would have had civil war. Your highness lias no conception of the sentiment in the army; it is two to one-for the archduke; but Lotzen’s third is unduly powerful because of a coterie of high officers, who are Jealous of the ‘American,’ as he a styled, and their readiness to precipitate a contest; and Ar niand’s contingent is unduly weak, because they do not feel assured that lie would counten ance war. In a word, the rogues and rascals are for Lotzen—they recognize a kindred leader and the opportunity for high reward, llut they would accept you for ! queen with enthusiasm—even rogues and rascals love a pretty woman who can rule them with a heavy hand.” | Debra locked at her hand, •lender, soft, small, and smiled. Count Epping nodded. "Very Crctty,” he said, “very pretty, ut it's a Dalberg hand, you know—and they know, too.” I- “And as they shall experi ence,’ |she remarked, eyelids narrowed just a trifle, “if they •how a disposition to forget it. . . . . And in the experience they may learn that the governor of Dornlitz also has a Dalberg hand.’' “There will be no civil war now,” said the count; “your regency has quite obviated any ■;uch catastrophe; and if the book be found, its decision will be accepted without protest by the army, as well as by the peo ple at large. What I fear is the eonteat in the house of nobles— the margin there will be very narrow, I apprehend; and that inyolves high feeling and fierce antagonism and smoldering fam ily hate'fanned into fire; ami then, if Lotzen lose, the new king may have a chance to show his hand.” ‘Arinand the first will show it, never fear,” she said, with the pride a woman always has for him she loves. “I have no fear,” he said; “if I had, I would not help to make him king—yet, if I may be per nr—— — mitted, Henry the Fifth would be a title far more pleasing to the nation than Armaud the First. He bears the Great Henry’s features, let him bear his name, as well.” She sprang up. “He shall, he shall!” she ex claimed; “he will do it for me, I know.” The old count’s face softened in one of its rare smiles. “He would be a poor sort of man, indeed, my lady, wrho would ; deny anythingdo you,” he said, ! and in his stately, old-fashioned way lie bent and kissed her hand. As be arose, the princess sud denly slipped an arm around his neck, and for the briefest mom ent her soft lips rested on his forehead. The prime minister kept his face lowered; when he raised it, the tears still trembled in his eyes. Don t tell the archduke,” she laughed gayly, seeing how he was moved. “No,” said he, laughjng with her now, ‘‘.I’ll not tell him—and lose all chance for another.” “I’ll give you another now,” she cried, and, springing on the chair beside him, she kissed him on the cheek. ‘‘Now go-^you’ve had more than your share—but you shall have a third the day Armand is king.” He took her hand, and gal lantly helped her down. “ You give me another object in life,” he said,—‘‘I shall claim it if the king permit.” “You may claim it, before him and all the court,” she answered. After Count Epping had gone, the princess turned to the table, and sitting on the corner, ono foot on a chair, the other dang ling, took up some papers he had left With her for examination. Jji the midst of it the Duke of Lot zen was announced. “I am engaged,” she savl curtly; ‘‘I cannot sec him . . . . . or stay, admit him.” After her question and his (An swer in the garden near the sun dial, two days before, she had de cided she would receive him only upon * occasion of ceremony, when, to exclude him, would have required a special order; but this unexpected and, for him, amazingly early visit, piqued her curiosity too sharply to resist. Hut there was no cordiality in her look nor attitude, as he bowed before her in the intense-, ly respectful manner he could as sume so well. She made no change in her position, nor of fered him her hand, nor smiled; her eyes showed only polite in difference as, for a space, she let him wait for leave to speak. When she gave it, her voice was as different as her eyes. ‘‘Well, your royal highness,” she said, ‘‘how can we serve you ?' ’ i\ot a shade of her bearing had missed the duke, and through his anger rose, yet his face bore only a placid smile of amused uncon cern. “1 desire the regent’s permis sion,” ho said, “to absent myself from the country for ao indefi nite period.” “It. is granted—-a year, if you wish.” The duke laughed softly, al most mockingly indeed. “i fear I may not stay quite so long,” ho answered, “much as it would please me to oblige you. My presence will be nec essary in a certain ceremony in the cathedral, that is fixed for a few weeks short of a year.” The regent’s eyes narrowed. “In the crypt, you moan?—your absence will, at least, postpone the ceremony—had you re mained, I imagine it would have occurred much earlier.” Even Lotzen’s calmness was disturbed by such a threat from a woman—and, momentarily, his color heightened and his eyes snapped in irritated surprise. Then he bowed. “I am glad to have been shown the claws so early,” he replied with sneering sarcasm; “1 shall endeavor to keep beyoud their reach. But I shall do my best to furnish the crypt another tenant, though I will not promise to put my count in mourning for him.” The prineess shrugged her shapely shoulders. “It is quite unnecessary to tell us what your barbaric nature told us us long ago,” she replied. “When do you wish to depart!” “Within the week.” “And for where!”* “For France—Paris in partic ular.” “Very well—prefer your re quest, through the regular chan nel, as any other officer, and I will grant it;” and with a per functory nod, she resumed her reading. “I am permitted to with draw?” he asked. “You are always permitted to withdraw,” she answered, with out looking up. “ 1 like your spirit, Dehra,,) he laughed; “you and I would make an unconquerable pair; it is a' pity you won’t be my queen.” She- pointed toward the door. “Go, sir,” she ordered, her voice repressed to unusual soft ness; “go! nor present yourself again until you have received permission.” And with a smile and a bow, he went; backing slowly from the room, in an aggravation of respect. He had not come to the palace for leave to go to France, or any where else; where he wanted to go, and when, he went. But his plans required that he be abso- - lutely free and untrammeled, and * so he had done this to insure him self against being ordered sud denly to some military duty that might hamper his movements even slightly. Ami his visit had been doubly successful—he had the permission, and in, such a form that he was given the ut most liberty, and he had also learned the regent’s real atti tude toward him, and that even with her it would be a fight with out quarter. What the American would make it, the dead bodies in the I)e Saure house had indicat ed as plainly as spoken words— and, indeed, as such he knew they had been deliberately in tended. As he passed one of the win dow's in the corridor, he caught, far off amid the trees, the sheen of a white gown; he paused, and presently he recognized Mile. d’Essolde. With a smile of sud den purpose, he went quickly down a private stairway that op ened on the Park below the mar ble terrace, and, eyes on the white gown, that showed at in tervals through the bushes, he sauntered toward it. There was, to be sure, a wo man with raven hair and dead white cheek at the Ferida, but there was atso a woman yonder, and handier, with golden hair and shell-pink cheek; and vari ety was much to his taste at times—and the picture on tire* stair still lingered with him, fresh and alluring. True, she haa not received his advances with that flattered acquiescence he w'as rather used to, but he had no particular objection to tempor ary opposition; it gave zest to the victory—and, with him,1 vic tory had been rarely lost. He encountered her in a nar row path, w'alled in by thick hedges of scarlet japonica, turn ing the corner suddenly and greeting her with a smile of well assumed surprise; stopping quite a little way off *and bowing, his cap across his heart. And she stopped, also; touched by fear and repugnance as though a snake lay in her path. “A happy meeting, mademoi selle,” he said. “For whom, sir?” she asked, turning half nway. “For me,”’ he laughed, going toward her; “and for you, too, I hope.” She pv.t her back-to the hedge and made no answer. “I owe you a very abject apol ogy, for the other day,” he said, standing close beside her, and leaning on his sword. “I fear I was'brutally rude.” “There isn’t the least doubt of it,” she replied, and made to pass on. He stepped before her. “And are so still.” she added. “Come, Elsie,” he smiled, still blocking the way, “come.; for give-me.” “Very well, I forgive you,” she said, indifferently, and tried again to pass. “Noneseuse, my dear,” catch ing her wrist, “put a hit of warmth into it—and then prove it by a little stroll with me to ward the lake.” She recoiled at his touch, much as though the snake had stung her, and tried to wrench free, tearing her thin gown and scar ring her flesh on the sharp thorns of the japonica, but mak ing no outcry. And this encouraged Lotzen; she was playing it very prettily indeed—to yield presently, the weary captive of superior strength. That a woman might be honest in her resistance he was always slow to credit; hut that one should actually be hon est, and yet struggle silently rather than permit others to see her with him, was quite beyond his understanding. He glanced up and ’own the path ; np one was in sight, and tne hedge was high—he would make the play a little faster. Hither to, he had been content to hold her with a cure grip, and let her fling about in futile strivings; now he laughed, and drew her slowly toward him, his eyes fixed significantly upon her flushed face and its moist red lips, parted with the breath-throbs. “Where shall I kiss you first, little one?” he asked—“on the mouth, or a cheek, or the gleamt ing hairf”—He held her back an instant in survey. . . . . ‘ * Coy ?—too coy to answer—come, then,*let it be the lips now, and the others later, by the lake.” She had ceased to struggle, and her blue eyes were watching the Duke in fascinated steadi ness. To him, it signified victory and a nulling maid—he took a last glance at the path—then with a cry and a curse he dropped her wrist and sprang back, wringing his Hands, the blood gusHing from a ragged wound across its back, where Elise d’Essolde’s teeth had sunk into the flesh. And she, with high-held skirts, was flying toward the Palace. He sprang in pursuit—and stopped; she would pass the hedge before he could overtake her; and the open park was no place for love making of the violent sort—nor with a wound that spurted red. The business would have to bide, for the pres ent. . . . Over toward the ter race he saw the flutter of a white gown. “Damn the little cat!” he mut tered; “she shall pay me well for this.” Elsie d’Essolde, spent with running, her brain in a whirl, her hair dishevelled, weak-kneed and trembling now with the reaction, reached the marble steps near the pergola and sank on the lowest, just as .Colonel Moore came springing down them, his eyes toward the japonica walk, search ing for the girl in a white gown whom he was to have met there half an hour ago. « And he would have passed, un seeing, had she not spoken. “Ralph!” she said “Ralph!” He swung around. “Elsie!” he exclaimed, “I’m sorry'to be so late—I was—heav en, child, what has happened?” The sight of him, and the sound of his voice, had calmed her instantly and put her pulse to normal beating; and now that she was with him, safe and un scathed, the coquette in her could not resist the temptation to tor ment him. “Another kept the rendez vous,” she answered, with affect ed naivete. He pointed to the torn gown. “And that?” he asked. “I did it.” “And the hair?” “The penalty of an ill-ar ranged coiffure.” “And the red mark on your face—blood, it looks like.” “Blood!” she cried; “blood? where—where?” “On yOur lips—around the mouth—” The coquette vanished—the horror of it all flashed back upon her:—Lotzen’s sybaritic leer— his easy confidence of assured success—the touch of his loath some hand to her face—the sick ening sensation as her teeth cut through his flesh and scraped the bones beneath—with a cry of dis guest she sprang up, swayed un steadily, and would have fallen had not Moore caught her. “Water!” she implored, “wa ter!” rubbing her lips frantical ly with her handkerchief—“wa ter, oh, water!” Amazed—mystified— alarmed, he stood an instant irresolute— then swinging her up, he bore her to where, near the sun-dial, a fountain played and splashed among the giant ferns. As they reached there, the nervous tumult subsided as quickly as it came, and she slipped swiftly out of his arms, and knelt beside the foun tain, the spray powdering her hair with rainbow dust. And when she had bathed her face free of the blood stain—though she could not wash away the red of her own embarrassment—she ventured to look at him. He met her with a smile, that showed only sharp coneern and tenderest sympathy. _ _ panunuoo <*q ox) Stefansson. Artlo explorer, ha* «n announced the abandonment of his ca reer as an explorer and will devote his efforts to advocating that the north po lar oceen be crossed by a network of commercial aviation routes. He be lieves there are almost inexhaustible resources in the Arctic regions. A New York audience laughed at the lines Molly Ftsher spoke, and listened closely when she sang, but no one knew she had come back to the stage totally blind. Many years a vaudeville star, she recently was found penniless, blind and • lone tn a tenament. Friends arranged the act to conceal her blindness and ob tained the engagement for her. ASKS ACTION BY ENGLAND ON BALDWIN Chancellor’s Statements “Un couth and Untrue,” Asserts Senator McKellar — Wants Explanation From Smoot. BY JAMES R. NOURSE, Universal Service Correspondent. Washington. Jan. 2#.—In a speech vigorously denouncing Stanley Bald win, chancellor of the British ex i chequer, for his published comments on America’s attitude on the debt settlement, Senator MdKellar, of Ten nessee, in the Senate Monday de manded official' acjioh by this gov ernment to rebuke the British rep resentative for his utterances. Senator McKellar declared that President Harding should demand of the British government a complete disavowal of Baldwin’s "sneering al lusions to congress and the American people.” The senator also demanded that the American debt commission should make a public explanation of its ac tion in submitting to the British commission a proposal settlement plan contrary to that wlilch congress expressly provided in the act creating the commission. The p-lan submitted by the American commission called for an interest rate aa low as two per cent, and congress did not learn of it until Baldwin arrived in Eng land. Wants Diplomats’ Names. A further demand made by the senator was for the disclosure of the names of the two diplomats who are reported to have promised that the American government would fund the British debt at either two or three per cent. • Senator McKellar denounced in un measured terms the proposal made by Baldwin and his associates to have the debt paid in pounds Instead of dollars. This proposal he charac terized as “nothing short of a skin game.” After quoting Baldwin's statement slurring congress because a major ity of its members come from "pas toral and agricultural communities” Senator McKellar said: “Evidently, according to Mr. Baldwin, he had no trouble with the debt funding com mission nor with the administra tion. It would have been all plain sailing if it had not been for what he evidently looked upon as the ignor ant congress with which he had in directly to deal. “Coarse and Uncouth.” “I need not speak of the coarse ness and uncouthness of these chargi es against the American congress and against the American people by a man in high position in Great Bri tain. I need only-say that if he ex hibited the same elements of sordid parsimony and uttered the same crude attacks upon the American people and the American congress while he was here, then the American debt funding commission should not have treated with him at all.” Asserting that the American com mission violated the instructions giv en it by congress. Senator McKellar continued: “These statements, which are little short of Infamous having been made, the president owes it to the country to demand an apology for Mr. Baldwin’s uncouth and untrue language. “Dur commission, it appears, made a proposition contrary to what it was instructed to offer by congress. There is one member of that commission (Mr. Smoot) in this body and one member in the other House (Mr. * Burton). They owe it to the people of the country to make a public ex planation of their conduct in offering such terms of settlement as referred to by Mr. Baldwin. Demands British Disavowal. “I do not know what position the administration is going to take on this subject. But I know what it ought to do. It should make immediate de mand upon the British government to disavow the statements of its chan cellor casting aspersions upon the American Senate and House and upon the American people and lastly upon the American debt commission. The British government should disavow these statements completely. •Where is the great ambassador Harvey? Why does he not raise his voice in behalf of the government and the American peopre? Has he lost his voice permanently? He never seems to be on hand when something real is going on.” STATEMENT EXCITES FRENCH. By John T. Burke, Universal Service Co rrespo nderVt. Special Cable Dispatch. Bondon, Jan. 29.—The French em bassy here was staggered by the British semi-official statement issued Monday afternoon apparently from the prime minister's office. After referring to Britain's debt to America, the statement suggested, that public opinion, when considering the demand upon America for a re duction in the interest should bear in mind the fact that no repayments of delfts owed to Britain by her Euro pean allies could be expected, and that there could be no hope for any further substantial reparations from Germany. EXCITEMENT 'CAUSES DEATH. Tuscaloosa, Ala., Jan, 29 (A. P.)— Glenn Kersh, aged 16, aon of M. G. Kersh, city clerk of Tuscaloosa, died Sunday from public effects of excite ment following an initiation at the Sigma Nu fraternity house upon the campus of the University of Alabama here, according to a verdict of a cor oner's Jury. French racing and other sporting news has been added to the German boycott index against France, The longest wave measured by officers of the United States hydrographic ser vice was half a mile, and it dki not spend itself for 23 seconds. I After Every Meat WRjGLfYS Top off each meal with a bit of * sweet In the form of WRIGLEY'S. It satisfies the sweet tooth and aids digestion. Pleasure and benefit combined. 50 GOOD CIGARETTES ioe GENUINE 2EM “Bull" YTTm DURHAM tobacco His Preference. “I hear tell that Gabe Gooney says be prefers pigs to children,” indig nantly said Mrs. Johnson the other evening. * “Well, If it’s all the same to him,” replied Gap Johnson of Rumpus Ridge, "I don’t know but what I’d just about as soon have the children, now that I’ve got ’em, as the pigs— unless, of course, they was powerful fine pigs.”—Kansas City Star. Mrs. Eliza Teeter HAVE YOU A COUGH ? What Hus Woman Says is of Vital Interest to You Goshen, Ind.—“I had coughed night and day for a whole year and had lost so much flesh I began to look like a walking skeleton. Two of.my sisters had died from tuberculosis and I felt certain that my time had come. Finally, a friend re commended Dr. Pierce’s Golden Medical Discovery to my husband, and it made me feel new’Strength and vitality right from the start and in a year’s time I was lust as strong and hardy as ever. I have never suffered with a deep, hack ing cough since (that was about 20 years ago) and have always fait very grateful to Dr. Pierce.”—Mrs. Eliza Teeter, 413 Middlebury St. Whenever you feel the need of good confidential medical advice, address Dr. Pierce, president Invalids’ Hotel, Buffalo N. Y., and answer will be returned with out charge of any kind. The Early Bird. Salesman—Can 1 see that motorist that was brought here an hour ago? Nurse—He haw’t come to his senses yet. “Oh, that’s all right. I want to sell nim another car.”—Judge. SHE DYED A SWEATER, SKIRT AND CHILD’S COAT WITH “DIAMOND DYES” Each package of “Diamond Dyes” con tains directions so simple any woman can dye or tint her worn, shabby dresses, skirts, waists, coats, stockings, sweaters, coverings, draperies, hangings, everything, even if she has never dyea before. Buy “Diamond Dyes”—no other kind—then perfect home dyeing is sure because Dia mond Dyes are guaranteed not to spot, fade, streak,, or run. 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