The Princess Dehra
BY JOHN REED SCOTT.
Copyright, 1108, by John Reod seott
“IIow long have you been
here, Captain Hertz!” he asked.
“Since a few minuters after 3,
sir.”
“Has any one come to the inn
ifi that time!”
Hertz’s spine went cold, and
ftis voice trembled—she was the
archduke’s, and he had dared to
ogle her.
“No one, your highness,” he
answered—“no one but a woman
—only a few minutes ago—on
horseback—alone. ’ ’
“Did you happen to look at
herj caption! If you did, you
might describe her.”
“I cannot, your highness; her
face was covered with a thick,
black veil.”
The archduke smiled. “You’re
a good soldier, 1 see; a pretty
face comes first.”
“But her figure, sir—it’s won
derful, black Labit and black
horse—and she can ride—and
her voice—”
“At least, captain, your in
ability to describe her isn’t duo
to lack of observation,” the arch
duke remarked dryly. “You
have roused my curiosity; I must
see this remarkable woman—
and do you remain here. I may
have need of you presently; if
you hear a whistle, come to me
instantly.”
“Very clever, my lord,” Hertz
muttered; “but you can’t cozen
this bird; you’re here to meet
her, and we are not expected.
If the regent knew it—whew!”
and dismounting, he nodded to
the sergeant.
“This looks about as harmless
a? a game of ping-pong,” said
Annuml, as they went into the
courtyard; then, suddenly, an
amazing idea flashed upon him;
and he swung around, and mo
tioned Hertz to him.
“What color was the woman’s
hair!” he asked.
“Black. Your highness, black
as her gown.”
He dismissed Hertz with a
look.
“Moore,” be said, and with
out moving on, “this plot is
tangling fast. Can you guess
who this woman is!”
“ ‘The one who knows’,” said
the colonel promptly.
“Yes, and‘more—it is Made
line Sponcdr.”
“Impossible!”
“I'hope so, God knows,” the
archduke answered; “I’ve had
enough of that devil—Scartinan,
is any one awaiting me!”
The old fellow had come up at
a run.
“Your highness’ pardon,” he
cried, bowing almost into the
dirt; “had I known you were
coming 1 would have been at the
gate to rece’ive you——”
“Never mind the reception,
my man, answer my question—
is any one awaiting me1f’’
“I think so, your highness—”
“Don’t you know—what name
did she give for me”
“ ‘The one who knows,’ sir—
but I wasn’t to tell you, sir, she
is a woman—she was most par
ticular as to that.”
The archduke laughed. “Well,
you didn’t; I knew it—where is
ahet”
“1 will conduct your-”
“You’ll do nothing of the
sort,” said Armand, dismount
ing and flinging his rein to his
orderly; "where is the lady?”
•* Old Scartman knew enough to
palaver no longer.
“The large room on the right,
your highness,” he answered
promptly.
“Come along, Moore,” said
the archduke, “let us have a
look at her—and pray hea'ven it
isn’t Spencer.”
But the landlord shook his
head dubiously.
VV'JCs queer doings, sure
enough!” he muttered;—“least
wise, it’s no love meeting they’re
up to;” and he followed them as
far as the hall, to be within call
if needed.
Shielded by the curtain, Made
line Spencer had watched the
scene in the courtyard, laughing
confusion and at what she knew
was in his mind, as to the arch
duke and herself; now she flung
the veil lightly around her head,
and put her chair where the sun
, would be behind her. Moore’s
presence had surprised and dis
appointed her; but, on the whole,
she preferred him to Bernheim
—and particularly if one of them
were to be at the interview.
Though she had rather counted
upon Armand coming alone, if
only to show his contempt for the
permission to bring an escort—
that he had sent the troop of lan
earg aha <fid not credit for a
si- *
moment, though it might do to
twit him with it.
Cool player that she was, and
skillful beyond most women, yet
even her heart beat a little fast
er, and her hand showed the
trace of a tremble, as she heard
the rattle of swords and spurs in
the hall-way, followed by the
sharp knock upon her door. And
she let the knock come a second
time before she answered it. She
had not seen Arinand since that
night in her reception room in
the Hotel Metzen, when the king
and he had surprised her and
Lotzen together, and, after
tumbling the duke’s schemes
about his ears, had sent him to
Lotzenia in disgrace and her
across the bordej; and, now, the
sight of him, and the sound of
his voice, had stirred again the
old fondness that would not
down. And though, to his face,
she might laugh at his anger and
mock at his contempt, and feel
it so then, yet afterward, in the
depression that in such natures
always follows periods of excite
ment, the recollection of it hurt
her sadly, scorn it as she might,
despise it as she did—destroy
him as she meant to do, and
would.
“Entrezl” she called, “en
trez!” and with the Words, the
tremble passed, and she was
serene and undisturbed again.
“Your royal highness!” she
said, very low, and swept him a
quick curtsy.
Instead of offering his hand
to raise her, he answered with a
slight bow.
“Madame desired to see me?”
he asked; and crossing over
obliged her to turn so that the
light from the window fell upon
her sideways. And, despite the
heavy veil, that gave him only a
black mask of crape instead of
her face, he was satisfied ho had
surmised correctly.
Suddenly she caught the "Veil
and flung it away. f
“You know me, I see,” she
laughed, “so w? will dispense
with this covering—it is very
warm.”
For a little while, lie looVed at
her in forbidding silence.
“What ill wind blew you back
to Dornlitz?” he asked present
ly; and she almost cried out in
surprise at the deliberate menace
in his voice. And Moore mar
velled and was glad—the old
Henry was being aroused, at
last.
“Ill wind?” she said—leaning
carelessly against the window
ledge where the sun played
through her wonderful hair, and
tinged the flawless face from
dead white to a faint, soft pink
—“ill wind for whom, Armand?
—surely not for you; why am I
here?”
The archduke gave a sarcastic
laugh. “That is precisely what
I should like to know.”
“You doubt the letter?”
A shrug was his answer.
She leaned a bit toward him.
“If I show you the book of
Dalberg laws, will you believe?”
she asked.
“That they are the laws, yes.”
She smiled rather sadly.
“The facts will have to prove
my honest motive, I see; and I
came from Paris, hoping that I
could render you this service, as
a small requittal for the injury I
did you a little while ago.”
The archduke laughed in her
face.
“And for how much is gold
coin of the realm, from some one
of my enemiesT” he asked.
She put the words aside with
another smile.
“I’ve been in Dornlitz for
more than two weeks,” she went
on; “can you guess where?—yes,
I see you can; the only place I
could have been, and you not
know of it.”
“And you mean to say the
book is in Ferida palace!” said
Armand. »
“I do.”
“Aud you are ready to restore
it to the regent?”
“No,” said she, “I’m not
ready to restore it to the regent;
I’m ready to give it to you if I
were able, but I’m not—it will
be for you to recover it,”
How do you know it is the
book of laws—did the duke tell
you!”
She laughed her soft, sweet
laugh. “Oh, no, he didn’t tell
me—he has no idea that I know
he has it; I saw it by accident—”
“How could you recognize the
book!” he interrupted; “only
three people in the kingdom have
ever seen it.”
“By intuition, mainly; and by
the secrecy with which the duke
handles it—let me describe it:—
a very old book; leather-covered,
brass bound and brass hinged;
the pages, of parchment—those
in front illumined in colors with
queer letters, and, further on,
more modern writing—it is the
book, isn’t it, Armand?”
“Or Lotzen has described it to
you,” he answered.
She made a gesture of dis
couragement.
“You are hard to convince,”
she said—“you will have to be
shown—will you take the
trouble?”
The archduke smiled. “Now
we come to the kernel,” he re
marked; “the rest was only the
shell. Quito candidly, madame,
I’m not inclined to play the spy
in Ferida palace; there are easier
deaths to die, though doubtless
none that would be more sure.”
“You didn’t used to be so
timid or careful, Armand,” she
mocked; “there are no dangers
other than those of my boudoir
—and if you fear them you may
send a substitute—even one of
your friend Courtney’s secret
agents.—For the last few nights
the duke has been going over this
book page by page; his apart
ments are across a small court
frQm mine, and his private cabi
net is directly in view from my
boudoir. Send some one there
this evening at 11, and with my
field glass he can see everything
the duke does, and every article
on his desk. Surely, that should
be enough to satisfy the most
suspicious.”
“Rather too much,” said he;
“it brings us back to the ques
tion of motive:—why should you,
who have had so much of my
dear cousin’s money, and have
enjoyed his kind and courteous
hospitality for so long, suddenly
turn against him, and betray
him?—for believe me, madame,
I take no stock in your pretty
story of requiting injury, and
coming all the way from Paris to
help me find the book.”
“But, my dear archduke, what
matters my motive, if you recov
er the book—besides, now you
can send the police this instant
and search the palace and seize
the book, if it‘s there, and they
can find it—doesn’t that in itself
attest my honesty?”
“Not in the least. You know
very well that I would not ven
ture to take such drastic action
against the duke unless I were
sure, not only that he had the
book, but that it would be found
—hence it’s safe to tell this story.
And as your motive—it all comes
back to that—can’t be to assist
me, it must be to assist the duke ;
and so—” he shrugged his
shoulders.
It had never occurred to her
that he would be so difficult to
convince; she had thought .that
her bait, and particularly the
privilege to send any one to
verify it, and her description of
the book, would capture him in
stantly. But she had failed to
appreciate how thoroughly Ar
mand despised her, and how
deeply he mistrusted her, and,
more than all, how intensely re
pugnant it would be to accept a
service from her, or to have any
dealings with her except a out
rance.
She bent forward and looked
him in the eyes.
“ Why might it not be to as
sist myself?” she asked—“to re
venge myself, if you please, Ar
mand.”
Yes? he said questioning!}'.
“Ferdinand of Lotzen and I
have come to the parting place,”
she said with quick bitterness—
“the brute struck me yesterday;
no man ever did so twice—and
none ever once, that I didn’t pun
ish promptly. I did come from
Paris thinking I might aid you,
for some how I was sure he had
that book; he was glad enough
to have me; and then he was so
kind and liberal I—you won’t be
lieve it I know, Armand, but it’s
true—I couldn’t bring myself to
bfctray him; nor should I, but
for yesterday. Now I want re
venge; and I can get it quickest
and best through you. There,
you have my true motive; and
even ^ou should not doubt it, for,
God Knows, a woman hates to
confess jhat a man has struck
her.”
She turned away and looked
through the window, her fingers
playhig nervously on the sill;
while the archduke, doubtful, yet
half convinced, glanced at Moore
uncertainly.
Instantly the colonel motioned
to accept, and that he would go
to the Ferida; and Armand
smiled, and indicated that both
would go—if any went; then he
crossed to the great fireplace and
stood before it, staring throught
fully into the cinders. Sudden
ly he straightened his shoulders,
and faced around—and Moore
| knew that the decision was made,
and finally.
“Mrs. Spencer,” he said, “we
will lay aside the questions of
motive and personality: You,
an individual, come to me, the
governor of Domlitz, and offer
information which, if true, will
lead to the recovery of an article
of great value, that belongs to
the government and has mysteri
ously disappeared. It is my
duty, as governor, to investigate
the story, and I will do it, either
in person or by subordinate. If
the story be true, and the article
in question be recovered by your
aid, then you will be entitled to
the proper thanks of the govern
ment and a suitable recompense.
—So much for that. But I also
wish to assure you that Armand
Dalberg, himself, declines you*
offer and your aid; and should
your information result to his
personal profit and advancement,
it will be a life long regret.”
She heard him without turn
ing—and Moore thought he de
tected the faintest shiver at the
end; and, in truth, the words and
tone were enough to chill even
a colder heart than hers.
But when she faced him, it was
with one of the soft and caress
ing smiles she could use with
such fatal fascination, and which
made Moore catch his breath and
stare, though it touched the arch
duke not at all.
“I thank his royal highness,
the governor of Dorniitz,” she
said, dropping him another
curtsy “for his-consideration and
trust, and the promised reward;
the latter I decline. ... As for
Armand Dalberg, I can assure
him he will owe me no obliga
tion; it will give me a life long
pleasure to be the means of caus
ing him a life long regret.”
The archduke smiled indiffer
ently.
“To that extent, then, I shall
feel less obligated,” he replied.
“Meanwhile, let us be seated,
and receive madame’s instruc
tion for tonight. I shall want
the book seen by more than one
person—how many can you ar
range to admit?”
“How many do you wish.”
“Three, possibly four.”
“You may bring half a dozen
if you like,” she said, “though
the fewer, the less chance of
failure.”
“Very good—how is it to be
managed?”
She drew off her gauntlets,
and from one of them took a
sheet of note . paper—stamped
with the duke’s arms—on which
she had sketched roughly sc
much of the Ferida and its.
grounds as entered into her plan.
Spreading it out, she explained
how they were to gain entrance
to her apartments; and that
there might be no mistake, she
went over it again, cautioning
them that it must be followed
with the most careful precision.
At the end, she gave the map
to Moore.
“Of course, I shall not expect
your highness tonight,” she said;
“but I hope you will send Colo
nel Moore; it will be well to have
some one who can, if necessary,
use both head and sword—
though I don’t anticipate the re
motest difficulty in your--”
A volley of cheers from with
out drowned her voice. It could
only be the soldiers, and yet it
was such an extraordinary thing,
and with the field marshal, him
self, within sound, that the two
men looked at each other in puz
zled surprise; and when the noise
not only continued, but actually
grew louder, the archduke
frowned and went to the window.
And what he saw made him
frown still more, and he swore
so/tly to himself, as a man does,
sometimes, when unpleasantly
surprised and obliged to think
quickly, and to act on the think
ing, with a heavy penalty await
ing a mistake.
Crossing the courtyard, with
Mertz and Purkitz walking on
either side, were the regent of
Valeria and Mile. d’Essolde. And
even as Armand stood there, they
were out of saddle and Dehra
was running lightly up the
steps.
“Send Scartman to us in the
big room, if you please, captain,”
she called—then stopped, her
eyes fixed on two horses standing
a little way off—a field mar
shal’s insignia on the saddle cloth
of one and a colonel’s of her
househould on the other. So! sort
and they were too busy with ap
pointments of 4 to ride with
them. She caught Mile. d’Es
solde by the arm.
(To bo Continued Next Week.)
Nantucket Shoals, off the Massachu
setts south coast, one of the most Im
portant lightship stations In the world
and the point where many an Incoming
traveler gets his first glimpse of Amer
ica: will be marked by the last word in
light vessels. The new lightship will
have a radio fog signal, will be equipped
with electric signal lights and will have
an oscillator In plaoe of % submarine
bell, far use during foga.
I
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