" -a The Princess Dehra BY JOHN REED SCOTT. Copyright. 1908. by John Ree4 Scott \ - --- -^at- ___ 7. “It isn't a# lie—that’s the pity.” “Then why all this bother as to the succession, and search for the book?’’ she asked incredu lously. “Because, my dear, I’m the only one wh(s knows it’s there— listen, and I’ll tell you how it happened.” AT last! at last! she was to know—and she nestled close to him and waited. Truly, this was her day. And he told all, not even omitting the killing of the valet. Her first question was typical of her mind, it went straight to the crux of the whole matter. “But why can’t you get the hook?” she asked. ^ -“Because I can’t get at it. The inferndi American has put a cor don of troops around the palace, so that it’s impossible to pass at night without declaring myself; Aloore occupies the library; and finally the combination on the vault has been changed.” “Isn’t it absurd?” said she; “the book actually in its place and yet lost.”—She sat up sharp ly. “I)o you really want it, Ferdinand?—because, if you do, may be I can help you.” “Assuredly 1 want it. If the decree is against me, we will de stroy the hook and go on with our game.” I hen, dear, let us go after it —and now, now! The regent is absent, hence less vigilance in the palace; Moore is with her, hence the library is deserted; it should be easy for you to get us in it by day and unsuspected.” “And having blown open the vault, be caught in the act,” he smiled. That is where l come in, dear; I will engage to open it, noiseless ly, and in less than 15 minutes, too.” “ is it possible that you are one of those wonder workers who can feel a combination?” “Yes,” said she, “though I’ve not tried it for years.” “Come, eome, try it now !” in dicating a small iron safe in the far cornar. ^ She went to it, and sinking to the floor with sinuous grace, she put her ear close to the dial plate and fell to manipulating the knob with light fingers; turning it back and forth very slowly and with extreme care. And the duke, leaning against the safe, watched her with eager eyes -could she do it?—if she could Mrs. Spencer sprang up. “That was easy,” she said. Lotzen reached over and seized the handle; the bolts snapped back and the door swung open. With the first burst of impulse she had ever seen him display, he whirled and caught her in his arms. “We will win now, my duchess!” he exclaimed, “we Mull win sure. No burglarious entry—no explosion -no flight; instead, the Duke of Lozten and his aide will go openly to the li brary, and then in a trice will we have the book and be gone. . . . And I shall owe it all to you, dear—ma eherie duehesse.” She closed her eyes; truly, this was her day I * “Let US go to Dornlitz this ver> night,*’ she said. . He shook his head. “We must wait a day, little one; until our friends across the valley have as sured themselves that 1 am here. But tomorrow night we will steal away to the capital, and get the book; and then, if necessary, wo will eome back, and send our dear cousin to the devil where he belongs. ^ CHAPTER XX. The Princess Turns Strategist. The archduke put up his field glasses and turning to the prin cess, waived his hand toward the open country, and around to the castle behind them. “So, dear,” he, said, “this is home—the Dalberg aerie and its feeding grounds. 1 like them well. Anil particularly do I like the way the nest itself has been kept up to the time in comforts and appointments.” “Do be serious, Armand,” she protested; haven't you any senti ment! Look at the wonderful blue of the Veragian mountains; and the shifting shadows on the foothills; and this spur, and Lot ten’s yonder, trailing out from them like tendrils of u vine; aud the emerald valley, streamed through the center by the spark ling Drear; aud the fair lands to the south, as far as eye can carry, and yet farther, league upon league to the sea—yours, lay lord, all yours—the heritage of your house—the kingdom of your lathers.” ‘‘You have forgot the loveliest thing in af! the landscape,” s'aid he, ‘‘the one thing«that makes the rest worth while.” §be sprang from him. “No, sir, not here on the wall in view of the bailey and every window; confine your sentiment at pres ent to the inanimate portion of the landscape.” He went over and leaned on the parapet beside her. “I fear I have quite too much sentiment” he said; “I have al ready expended far more than you would believe—on the castle, and the mountains, and the val ley, and all the rest. Now I’m done with it, except for animate objects; the business we have in hand promises to be sufficiently occupying. Yonder is the book; and how to get it, and quickly.” He leveled his glasses at Loten eastJe and studied it a long time. . . “A pretty hard prop osition,” he remarked. “Have you ever been in itf” “Unfortunately, no; but Ma jor Meux has been constable here for two years, and siJrely must have been there often—yonder he is now, by the gate tower.” The archduke caught Meux’s glance and motioned for him. “Major,” said he, “can you give us an idea of the plan of Lotzen Castle?” “I can do better than that, your highness, I can show you a complete. 1 came upon it in the library only last week. It’s more than a hundred years old but I thing it is still in effect accur ate.” I wonder how it happens to be here?” said the princess, with the peculiar curiosity of a woman as to non-csentials.' ‘‘At the time it was made Lot zcn was also a royal castle,” the constable^ explained; “it was very natural to deposit the draft here with the king’s own rec ords.” As they crossed the main hall, they chanced upon Colonel Moore, and, taking him with them, they went into the library —-a great, high-ccilinged room, on the second floor of the keep, the walls hidden by massive, black oak cases, filled with books and folios, iu bindings of leather stamped with the Dalberg lion— and from a shelf in a dark corner the constable brought a small portfolio, made to resemble a book, in which the draft was folded. “This is admirable,” the arch duke remarked, examining it with the trained eye and in stant comprehension of the engi neer officer; “it could not be done better now. ... . . See, Debra, it is the whole fortifica tion, as plain as though we were on the high tower, here—” indi cating on the draft. ‘‘I suppose so,” she smiled; ‘‘but to me it looks only like a lot of black lines, flung down at random and with varying de grees of force; sort of an em broidery pattern, you know.” Armaiui, bending over the sheet, did not hear her. ‘‘What did you make out of this, major?” he asked; “there seeins to be nothing on the key to explain it—might it be intended to indicate a secret passage from the second floor of the keep to the postern?” ‘‘That puzzled me also,” said^ Mem, ‘‘but your explanation, sir, seems very likely.—Possibly old Jessae might know some thing? be has been here for more than 70 years, as a boy, and upper servant, and steward, and now as sort of steward emeritus and general reminiseer; and he lias the legends and history of this castle at his tongue’s end.” "Yes,” said the prinr.ess, ‘‘if anyone know, it’s Jessae, and I think he served for a time in Lotzcn castle—have him here, major, if you please.”' The old man came, tall, slen der, shrivelled of face, white and thin of hair, yet erect and vigor ous, despite his almost four and a half score years. They raised men, and kept them long, in the tingling, snapping, life-giving air of the Yoragian mountains. ‘‘Don't kneel, Jessae,” the re gent exclaimed, giving him her hand. lie bent and kissed it with the most intense devotion. ‘‘My little princess! my little princess!” he repeated; ‘‘God is good to have let old Jessac see you once more before he dies." Then he straightened, and, turn ing sharply toward the archduke, scanned him with an intentness almost savage. Suddenly his hand rose in salute. “Yes, you’re a man, and a Dalborg, too—the iinest Dalberg these old eyes ever saw.” And Arraond understood, and went to him, and took his hand, and held it. “Every one loves her, Jessac,” he said, “but none quite as you and I.” Then he drew him over to the table. “I)o you know the interior of Lotzen castlef” he asked. “As I know this one, my lord —I lived in it for 20 years in my young days; even now I could go blindfolded from gate to high est turret.” “is this plan accurate now? See, here is the gateway, and this is the keep.” l understand, sir. —He studied it for a little while, fol lowing the lines with his finger, and muttering brokenly to him self, under his breath. “Yes, your highness, it’s about the same, except that here is an outer building for servants, and here a storehouse; and the ar rangement of the rooms in the main part is some different, par ticularly on the second floor, where several have been made out of one; but the stairway and hall are still as they always were. Indeed, sir, there has been small change or improvement since long before the present lord’s father died. Duke Ferdinand had never visited it for more than a score of years, until a few weeks ago, just a little while be-» fore our gracious master was called-” The old man was garrulous; so far, age had not missed him; and here the archduke interrupt ed. “ Jessac,” he said kindly, “you have made all that very clear; now can you tell us if there is any secret passage in the castle?” “One, sir,” was the prompt an SAver; “leastwise, I know one, there raav be others.” “And'it?” “From the library to the pos tern gate, near the Avest tower— this is it, sir,” indicating the line on the plan; “many is the time I've used it, his lordship being absent, when I wanted to get out at night; indeed, sir, there is a key to the postern still here, as Avell as duplicates to almost every door. They were not surrendered Avhen King Henry gave the place to the late duke—all the locks had been changed shortly before that. Would your highness care to see the keys?—they are in the armory. ” wring mem nere, saia the constable quickly.“I know by experience, sir, that if iJessac get yon into the armory, you won’t escape for hours; he has a story for every piece in it, and wants to tell them all.” The old man came back, a doz en large keys jangling; and laid them on the table. “This is to the postern,” he said; “it’s smaller than the oth ers, so it could be carried more easily, you know, sir—these brass tags, sir, show where they be long.” The archduke looked them over. “I don’t see the key from the library to the secret passage,” he said. “There is none, sir; the big stone in the middle of the side wall of the library, and the one on the right just inside the pos terif arch, revolve when pushed at the upper edge—-this way, your highness,” and he demon strated, using a book as the stone. “Thank you, Jessac,” said Armand, with a smile and a nod of dismissal; “we may want you again tomorrow. I’ll keep the keys,” and he. swept them into a drawer of the desk. Then the constable withdrew, and for a while Armand and Moore studied the plan, and went over the problem confront ing them; and- which, though i greatly simplified now, was still difficult and delicate beyond anything either* had ever been obliged to solve. Perilous it was, too—but that neither regarded for himself; ami Moore would gladly have assumed it alone oould he have insured thereby the archduke's safety. Through it all the princess watched them, harkening care fully to what was said, and say ! ing a few things herself, mainly | in the shape of questions which showed that, even if to her the draft did resemble an embroid ery pattern, she was astonishing ly apt at following the discus sion. But when Armand re marked that he would make tke attempt that very night, she in terposed promptly. “Wait until tomorrow,” she urged; “take at least one night’s I rest; you need it; and the extra ; day may disclose something as to the situation in Lotzen cas tie.” “Tonight is the proper time,” said the archduke; “we may not be expected then; we shall be most assuredly tomorrow; it’s our chance for a surprise.” “And with our dear cousin that chance is no chance, as you are very well aware,” said she; “he knows you are here, and why you are here, and he is ready for you this instant. No, no, dear, it’s simply your natural impetuosity, which I came along to moderate; and here is my first veto: not tonight.” She put her hand on his arm. “Please, Ar mand, please; don’t you under stand—I want to be sure of you a little longer; the day you en ter Lotzen castle may be our last.” Moore turped quickly away— and the archduke looked once into the soft eyes, and at the adorable smile; and the eyes and the smile conquered, as eyes and smile always will when the one woman uses them, as the one woman always can, if she try. ‘‘I ought not to let you per suade me,” he said, with a half serious shake of his hand, “but— you’re pretty hard to resist. At least, you won’t prohibit my rid ing over toward the castle, and having a look at it now, in broad day, if I promise not to venture inside nor very near.” ‘‘On the contrary, I should like to go with you; come, we will all go—you tell the ambas sador, and I’ll get Helen and Elsie,” with a nod and a smile at Moore. ‘‘A reconnaissance in force!” the archduke laughed, when the regent had gone; then he ordered i the horses, and he and Moore went off to get into riding uni form. A wide, macadamized avenue wound sharply down from the castle to the valley, where the roads were of the soil, soft and sandy. Once there, the six loosed bridle and sped away across the level country; nor drew' rein but thrice until they came to the forks, where the road to Lotzen took off for its mile of tortuous ascent. ilere tney halted, and Armand and Moore scanned through their glasses the castle and its ap proach ; and by riding a very lit tle way up toward it, they were able to soe the postern gate, which was on the edge of the hill about a third of the distance around from the bridge, and was approached by a narrow, rain washed, boulder-strewn path, leading almost straight up the side of the acclivity. The moat ran only across the front, the almost sheer descent on the oth er sides of the wall having been deemed, even in the old days, quite sufficient protection against assault. “Well”, said the archduke, a'S he shoved the glasses back into their case, “thank God, we have old Jessac to tell us how to find that postern path—and, colonel, before we start, it might be wise for each of us to make his will, and to say good-bye to his lady, for, of a truth, it is going to oe a rather serious business.” They r»de back by way of Porgia, the garrison town, five miles down the valley. It was also the railway station for both castles, though some years be fore, King Frederick had run a track over as close as possible to Dalberg, so his own train could always be at hand to hurry him away. And there it had brought the regent that morning, and was now waiting, ready for instant use. A regiment of Uhlans were at drill on the edge of the town, and the princess waved her cocked hat to them as she cantered by. The colonel in command an swered with his saber, while from 2,000 lusty throats went up a wild cheer of passionate de votion. Armand reached over and patted her on the arm. “Surely, dear, the soldiers love you,” he said. “They seem to,”—then out flashed the smile again; “but there is only one I’m sure of,” leaning over close. “You little temptress!” he said, “I’ve a great mind to prove it now.” (To Bo Continued Next wTekT) ~ Ho Would Try One. A young married couple engaged a pretty cook. But her cooking was ter rible. On the first morning the bacon was burned to a cinder. "Darling," said the wife. "I'm afraid cook's burned the bacon. 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