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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 1923)
The Princess Dehra BY JOHN REED SCOTT. Copyright, lfOS. by John Reed Scott Presently, some one caught sight of him, and saluted with raised hat; others looked up, and did the same; and in a moment the crowd was passing in review, the men uncovering, the women greeting him with smiles. lie an swered with bows, and hand waves; and if a bit of satisfied pride stirred his heart and wanned his face, small wonder. He was still new in his royalty; and even if he were not, at this .critical period, such demonstra tion of esteem by the generul populace would have been very gratifying and particularly wel come. Ami He stayed a trifle longer than the required time; then, with a last how and a wave of especial graeiousness, he turned away, and rang for the doors to be opened. It was the archduke s rule that entire informality should be ob served at these affairs, and he emphasized it by sauntering* around, speaking to everyone, and not obliging them to go up to him, for a stiff bow and a word. lie laughed with this group, joked with another, argued with a third, until not a man but had come under his eye, at least for an instant, and he tinder theirs. He had begun the receptions soon after lie became governor of Dornlitz, more par ticulary for the purpose of get ting acquainted with the officers on duty under him; but it was not limited to them—any one was welcome—and the result had been rather more satisfactory than even he had hoped for. There was not. an official in his district to whom he had not given a hearty handshake and a pleasant word; and as he hap pened to have a truly royal knack of remembering faces, and the names that went with them, many a young lieutenant—and indeed, not a few higher in rank —had gone away with a flattered heart and an ardent enthusiasm, openly proclaimed, for the marshal-prince who would eon 'osccnd to remember an unim jortnnt subordinate, and seem glad to see him again, and to tell him so. And the contrast it of fered to the Duke of Lotzens un gracious and domineering ways was title to the latter ad vantage; aifd the fruit of it had been ripeuiug fast, within these last few weeks. So, today, the room was crowd ed, and the welcome the arch duke received was such as might have made even Lotzcn pause and think, had he seen it. And this thought occurred to Ar tnand; and he ran his eyes over the many faces, wondering which of them belonged, today, to the duke’s spy; for that there usual ly was one present he had no doubt. And presently he found him; nnd, catching his eye, motioned for hint to approach. “I am glad to see you, Mon sieur le Comte,” he said, reliev ing himself from offering his hand by re-adjusting his sword. 4‘When was it I saw you last?” Count Bigler’s lips twitched with suppressed amusement. “Here, your highness!” he answered, “I am ashamed to con fess I haven’t been here for many weeks.” t “ifet, surely, count, I’ve seen you somewhere since then, and very recent Iq, too—whore was it!” ' ifJigler feigned to think.— “One sees your highness so many times, it is difficult to re member the last ... on the 3'Teld of Mars, last Monday, 'wasn’t jtt” The archduke shook his head, ^o.” lie said, “no; it was in the evehtngc, I recall that very dis tinctly.” Then he looked* with deliberate inference nt the band aged ear—“oh, I have it: it was at the l)e Saure’s; you were there when I came,* and y6u left first and—rather hurriedly. It all comes back to me now. Surely, count, you can’t have forgot such a pleasant evening!” Bigler assumed a look of guile less innocence. “It is not permitted to contra dict your highness,' ’ he answered, “but I may%I think, at least ven ture the truism :—what one has not remembered, one cannot for get.” “Or restated, my dear count, to be quite in point:—what is inconvenient to remember, is best denied.” “Just jm your highness will bave it,’rBigler grinned, and im pudently fingered his ear. ' 44And confidentially, count,” said Arinand smilingly, “while we are dealing in truisms, I give you these two:—‘every man’s patience has its limit,’ and, ‘who plays with fire gets burnt’—fa tally.” Bigler's grin broadened. “Is your highness the man with the patience or the man with the fire?” he asked. “Study it out, sir,” said the archduke, as he passed on; “and let your master help you; the an swer may concern you both.” The last thing before leaving his office, that afternoon, he wrote a note to the American am bassador, enclosing the .anony mous letter, and telling him his intention in reference to it; and adding that if Courtney had not heard from him by morning he should do whatever he thought best. This he disnatched bv an orderly; and then, choosing a long, light sword, he rang for his horse. . Just outside his door, he met General Durand and stopped for a word with him; as they sep arated he saw Ferdinand of Lot zen coming down the corridor. Between them it had long been a salute given and acknowledged, but now the duke halted, fingers at visor. “May I have a word with your highness?'’ he said. Arman’s hand dropped slowly, and he only half paused in his walk. “I’m in a particular hurry, cousin,” lie replied, “won’t to morrow do as well?” Lotzen’s eye-brows went up. “Isn’t tomorrow rather uncer tain for—both of us?” he asked. “Yes,”“said the archduke in stantly, “yes, it is; and henco what need of talk between us, at least so late in the day. Wait until we have a tomorrow^.” “What I wish to say has noth ing to do with futures, cousin, only with the past, with the I)e Saure house—oh ! that surprises you, does it?” “Not half ns much ns the amazing mess you made of it,” said Armnnd. “That, my denr cousin, is just what l came to explain,” said Lotz mi quickly. “I had nothing whatever to do with the silly af fair; it was a clever idea, but sadly bungled; I heard of it only, •the next, day, and 1 want to as sure you it was not my work— though, as I say, it was a clever idea—too clever, indeed, to be wasted so fruitlessly.” The archduke regarded him in speculative silence;—just what manner cf man was this; and what could be his ulterior pur pose in such an astonishing avowal! 'Will you tell me, cousin,” he asked, “why you should trouble to diselaiii* participation in an outrage, whose only offense; in your eyes, was its failure!” 'Again Lotzen’s eye-brows went “I thought you would un aeisf and that it is in justice to myself; I would hot have you think me guilty of so stupid a piece of work.” “Doubtless, then, it will grati fy you, monsieur, that 1 never doubted your complicity, how ever much I may have marvelled at the unskilled execution—you would have arranged it rather differently. Indeed, I was sorry that you, yourself, were not in command. I left a message, both upstairs and down, that I thought you might understand.” Loosen smiled, rather warmly for him. “I% understand,” he said; “your writing was exceedingly legible.” “And I sent you another mes sage, a little while ago, by the man with the wounded ear,” said the archduke, his eyes upon the other’s bandaged hand. “1 suppose you got it?” The duke laughed and held up his hand, the back and palm cov ered with plaster. “This wasn’t made by a bul let, cousin;” he replied; “I got it this morning from a new pet I was trying to train—No, I didn’t get your last message. ” “Better get it today, cousin,” said the archduke, as he turned away; “tomorrow is rather un certain.” CHAPTER XV. Four O’clock at the Inn. Ten miles out, on the Titian road, is the Inn of the Twisted Pines. Something more than two centuries of storms and sunshine have left its logs and plaster wrinkled and weather-beaten, yet the house stands as stanch i and strong as the day the last pin was driven, and the painted sign and the bunch of furze hung above the entrance. The old soldier who built it had lived long enough to marry a young wife, and leave it to her and a sturdy boy; and, there fore, there was always a son to take the father’s place; and with the heirship seemed to go the inherited obligation to maintain the house exactly as received. No modernity showed itself with in or without; the cooking alone varied, as it reflected the skill or whim of the particular mistress; and it chanced that the present one was of unusual ability in that particular; and the knowl egde of it coming to the capital, had brought not a little trade of nuing parties ana rne omcers oi the garrison. And so Captain Hertz, of the Third Lancers had not done quite the usual growl, when he got the order to march at once with his troop, selecting such a route as would bring him to the inn a few minutes before 4 o’clock, taking care to approach it from the west; and to halt there and await further instruc tions. He had confided to his subal tern that it was a crazy sort of proceeding to be maneuvring against old Scartman’s Inn; but if it had to be done, it was at least considerate to choose as the objective point, a place where they could have a good meal to eat, and the keeper’s pretty daughters to philander. And between thinking of the victuals and the damsels, the 'captain so hurried the march that they reached the inn un necessarily early ;yet they had no reason to regret it, for the tap room was cool and pleasant, the food to their taste, and the girl's cheeks prettier and softer than ever—though it would seem that, lately, the last were becoming much more difficult to taste. “What’s got into the hu*. sies?” Hertz demanded, rub bing his face, as the lieutenant and he went out into the court yard ; “They used to be mild enough.” “You've been falling off in looks the last year, my dear fel low,” Purkitz laughed—’“can’t say I much blame the girl—I’ve no finger marks on my cheek, you see! ’ ’ “Huh!” grunted Hertz, “solid brass; wouldn't show the kick of a mule—What in Ileayea’s name are we sent here for any way!—‘await further orders’— that may mean a week.” “And why not,” the lieuten ant laughed; “the victuals are delicious, and the girls-” “Oh, go to the devil!” ‘ And even father, himself, will do for company in a pinch.” The captain laughed, too. “Not if I can get away—did you ever see such a countenance? It positively makes me ill.” ‘ ‘poor ,o]d Scartnian,” said Purturz; he s a good loan, but there is no denying that ‘the Lord made him as ugly as He could and then hit him in the face.” hVom the eastward, came the sound of a galloping horse. “Our orders, I hope,” Hertz exclaimed. He glanced at his watch. “A quarter of four—I wonder what silly business we’re to be sent on, now.” The hoof beats drew swiftly nearer, but from where the two officers were standing, the high wall of the courtyard obscured the road, and they sauntered slowly across toward the gate way. As they reached it, a big black horse swept around the corner ami was upon them before the rider could draw rein. Hertz gave a cry of warning and sprang aside, tripped on his spur, and sprawled in the deep dust; while Purkitz’a wild jump landed him with both feet on his superior’s back, whence he slid off and brought up on Hertz’s head, thereby materially aug menting the fine flow of super heated language that was bub bling from the captain’s dirt filled mouth—nor did the loud guffaw and the shrieks of femi nine laughter, that came from the house, serve to reduce either the temperature or the volume. Meanwhile, the cause of it all —a slender, sinuous woman, black gowned and black veiled— sat the big horse motionless and silent, waiting for the human tangle to unlose itself. Coated with dust—his uniform unrecognizable, his face smeared and dirty—Hertz scrambled up. “What in hell do you-a woman!” he ended, and stood staring. “Yes, my man, a woman,” said she, “and one very sorry for your fall—you are the landlord, I presume.” Lieutenant Purkitz gave a shout, and leaned against th« , gate. “Landlord!” he gasped, “landlord!—that face—oh, that face!” and went off into a fit of suppressed mirth. — The woman looked at him and then at Hertz, and though the thick veil hid her features com pletely, there was no doubt of her irritation. The captain bowed, “madame will pardon the ill manners of my clownish servant,” he said, indicating Purkitz; “I am Cap tain Hertz, of her highness* Third Lancers. Yonder is the landlord; permit me to call him.’’ She leaned down and offered him her hand. “A thousand apologies, my dear captain, for my reckless riding and my awkward tongue —there is small excuse for the former, I admit, but my veil may explain the latter—You are not hurt” A voice so soft and sweet must have a face to match it, and Hertz went a step nearer. “Madame can cure everything but my heart, if she but raise the veil,” he said. The voice laughed softly. “Then, sir, I am afraid to raise it—your heart would not survive the shock. Good-bye, and thank you,” and she spurred across to where old Scartman was standing near the stables. “I am to meet some one here at 4 o’clock,” she said; “has my party come?” Boniface’s shrewd little eyes had taken her in at a single glance. “Gentleman, I suppose?” he asked—“None of them?” park ing his thumb toward the two lancers.—“No? then he’s not here yet.” She. glided gracefully out of saddle, and hooked up her skirt. “Put my horse in the stall nearest the door,” she ordered; and herself saw it done. “Now, I want a room—the big one on the lower floor—for an hour or so.” The inn-keeper bowed. “Certainly, madatne—and the gentleman?” She considered. . . . “He is one Itffirh in rank^ very high—in deed, no one in Valeria is higher —tell him I’m here; and admit him instantly; but don’t, do yOu hear me, don’t tell him I’m a woman.” Old Scartman coughed and hesitated. “But please you, madam,” he ventured, “if I’m to tell him. you’re here, but not to tell him you're a woman, how’s he to be sure you are you ? ’ ’ “True, 0 patron of rendez vous !*’ she laughed. “If he ask tor proof, you may tell him I’m the one who knows.” “Now, that’s more to rule,” he said, with a nod and a chuckle. They went into the house, and he opened the door into the big room. ‘ “This is what madame wishes?” " - &■ “Yes,” said she—“and re member, no interruptions, now nor later—understand?” Hg bowed with rather unusual grace, for one of his appearance and calling. “Perfectly, madame — does madame think I look so like a fool?” She surveyed him an instant. “No, my good man, I don’t,” and closed the door; “but I wouldn’t care to tell you what you do look like,” she ended. Going over to the window, she fixed the curtain so as to permit her to see in front of the house, and then, removing her veil, she drew out a tiny mirror and deft ly touched to place the hair that was disarranged. As she fin ished, she heard horses approach ing, and she saw, through the open gateway, a sudden commo tion among the lancers'who were lounging at east by the roadside, their mounts picketed under the trees. She knew that her man was coming. A sergeant ran in and said a word to Hertz who, free now of his dust and anger, was sitting on the steps with Purkitz, hoping to get a glimpse of the face be hind the veil, and staring at the windows with calm persistency. “My God!” she heard Hertz exclaim, as both sprang up, and, frantically biittoning tunics and drawing on gloves, ran out into the road and swung to horse. There was a snap of commands, a stamping of hoofs, and the lan-v ces rose high above the wall in a line of fluttering pennons; they dipped, and the next moment the archduke and the regent’s adjutant drew up before the gate. The former raised his hand, and Hertz rode forward and sa luted.__ iTo be Continued Next Wcik.) The Rind That Makes You Like Fruit Cake That tender, almost juicy cake with the rare flavor of delicious 'raisins and piquant spice. 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