" -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) ~
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