“i
HEDWIG AND THE CROWN PRINCE WAIT IN VAIN FOR THE
RETURN OF NIKKY.
Synopsis~The crown prince of Livonia, Ferdinand William Otto,
ten years old, taken to the opera by his aunt, tires of the singing and
slips away to the park, where he makes the acquaintance of Bobby
Thorpe, a little American boy. Returning to the palace at night, he
finds everything in an uproar as a result of the search which has been
made for him, The same night the chancellor calls to consult the
boy's grandfather, the old king, who is very ill. The chancellor sug-
gests that to preserve the kingdom, which is threatened by plots of
the terrorists to form a republic, the friendship of the neighboring
kingdom of Karnia be secured by giving the Princess Hedwig in mar-
riage to King Karl of that country. Countess Loschek, lady-in-waliting
to Princess Annunciata, Hedwig's mother, is In love with King Karl
for her marriage.
Karl. The messenger is attacked
dummy letter substituted. Captain
Hedwig, Hedwig, who loves
by agents of the terrorists and a
Larisch, unaware of the substitu-
CHAPTER VL
m—i—
Two Prisoners. |
Herman Spier had made his escape
with the letter. He ran through tor- |
tuons byways of the old city, under
arches into court yards, out again by
doorways set in the walls, twisted,
doubled like a rabbit. And all this
with no pursuit, save the pricking one |
terror.
But at last he halted, looked abou$,
perceived that only his own guilty
conscience accused him, and took
breath. He made his way to the house
in the shadow of the park until, an
letter buttoned his coat,
and, finding the lurked
in the shadow of the park until an
hour later, Black Humbert himself ap-
peared.
He eyed his creature with cold an-
r.- “It {is a marvel,” he
that such flight as yours
brought the police in a pack
heels.”
“I had the letter,” Herman
sulkily. “It was necessary
it.”
of
now inside
doors closed,
sneered,
ha not
at your
RB
Pr
<
replied
to save
““
You were to see where Niburg took
the substitute.”
But here Herman was
sneer. “Niburg!” he sald,
well enough that he will
stitute tomight, or any
strike hard, my friend.”
The o«
they entered
street.
In the
niece, daughter of a
kept the bureau, answers f
after nine o'clock, when the doors were |
bolted, admitted the various occupants |
of the house and gave them the tiny
tapers with which to light themselves
upstairs,
softly when they entered,
“All right, girl. You may go,”
Humbert.
“Good
the one to
“You know
eno sub-
nelerge growled, an
the house
of
milk
«1 the hel
ahsence
She was sewing and singing
said
to bath."
Herman
gone,
the girl!
nod.
concierge
night
gave
you
eaid, :
When
locked
“And
the tre:
He rubbed together ns
Herman produced the letter. Heads
close, they examined it nader the lamp.
Then they glanced at each other,
“A ciplber” said the
shortly. “It tells nothing.
“Code !" And struck the paper with
hairy fist, “Everything goes wrong.
and
she
the door behind her.
Spier a
was the
now," said, a look at!
sure.” |
his hands
concierge |
a
I sent him off I”
the two,
Humbert furnished evil and strength,
but it was the pallid clerk who fur-
nished the cunning.
a suggestion
“rt
jut
Now, as between
is poss
id help.”
Are you mad?”
He knows codes. It
was by means of one we caught him,
I have heard that all these things have
one basis, and a simple one.”
The concierge considered. Then he
“It is worth trying,” he ob-
“Adelbert?
“The other.
rose,
served.
He thrust the letter into his pocket,
» two conspirators went out into
There, on a ledge,
and one he lighted,
the draft in the hol-
great hand. Then he led
* to the top of the house.
three rooms. One, the
Herman Spier's, a poor
ing at that, Next to it was old Adel
At the extreme end of the nar-
oorrid in a alm
blocked by old furniture, was another
room, a of attic, with a slanting
fold
tapers,
from
Here
=e, wns
were
1's.
row ORt
»
Ty s
passage
sort
ng sure
that old Adelbert did
not hear them, they went back to this
] which the concierge unlocked.
» the room was dark. The taper
little. As their eyes became
tomed to the darkness, the ot
lines of the attic stood revealed, a junk
room, piled high with old trunks, and
corner a bed.
ck Humlsget, taper in hand, ap-
bed. Herman remained
uear the door. Now, with the candle
r, the bed revealed a man lying
on it, and tied with knotted ropes; a
) n, with sunken and
desperate eyes. him,
a chair, were the fragments of a
meal, a bit of broken bread, some cold
on which grease had formed a
firm coating.
Lying there,
nd sleeping again,
in or
Bl:
proached
Ie
the
nen
cheeks
young ma
Jeside
soup,
sleeping and waking
young Haeckel,
ne time of his majesty’s secret serv-
i and student in the university, had
lost track of the days. He knew not
how long he had been a prisoner, ex-
cept that it had been eternities, Twice
a day, morning and evening, came his
Co
sort, and allowed him, not
out of mercy, but because it was the
pleasure that for a time
he should live, to move about the room
of a
committee's
limbs.
The concierge untied him, and stood
back. “Now,” he said.
But the boy-—-he was no more—Ilay
st. He made one efforeto rise, and
fell back.
“Up with you!" said the concierge,
and jerked him to his feet. He caught
the rail of the bed, or he would have
fallen, “Now--stand like a man.”
He stood then, facing his captors
without deflance. He had worn all
that out in the first days of his Im-
prisonment,
“Well? he sald at last. “I thought
“Right, my cuckoo. But tonight 1
|
i
“pA Cipher,” Said the Concierge Short.
ly. “It Tells Nothing”
That blond devil interferes, and now
this letter speaks but of blankets and |
loayes !"
The bell rung, and, taking care to |
thrust the letter out of sight, the con- |
clerge disappeared. Then ensued, In
the hall, a short colloghy, followed by
a thumping on the staircase, The
concierge returned,
But seeing that Haeckel was sway-
some
He can do nothing for us in
this state.”
He drank the brandy eagerly
it came, and the concierge poured him
a second quantity, What with weak-
ness and slow starvation, it did what
no threat of personal danger would
have done.
ance, Not immediately.
hard, when the matter was first
broached to him. But in the end he
took the letter and, holding it close to
the cafdle, he examined it
His hands shook, his eyes burned.
The two terrorists watched him.
Brandy or no brandy, however, he
He glanced up
suddenly. “Tell me something about
this,” he said. “And what v '!1 you do
for me If T decode 117”
The concierge would promise any
thing, and did. Haeckel listened, and
knew the offer of liberty was a lie,
| But there was something about the
| story of the letter itself that bore the
{ hall marks of truth,
| “You see,” finished Black Humbert
{ cunningly, “she—this lady of the court
| —is plotting with some one, or 80 we
i suspect. If it is only a laison—!"
He spread his hands. “If, as Is pos-
sible, she betrays us to Karnia, that
| we should find out. It is not,” He
ndded, “among our plans that Karnia
| should know too much of us.”
The brandy was still working, but
the spy's mind was clear. He asked
| for a pencil, and set to work.
{ all, if there was a spy of Karl's in the
| palace, it were well to know it. He
| tried complicated methods first, to find
that the body of the letter, after all,
was simple enough, By reading every
tenth word, he got a consistent mes-
| w hich the concierge had railed,
| special words for certain regi-
| ments. These he could not decipher,
“Whoever was to receive this,” he
said at last, “would been In
possession of complete of
code
have
data
He Crumpled Up in a Heap.
army, equig 11, and the loca-
tion of } Probably
you and your band of murderers have
already.”
oe
ie
ment and
yYarious regi nts,
& concle
And for
“l1 eannot
titionus, of course,’
Black Humbert scowled.
said. “You tell us only a part!"
“There is nothing else to tell,
as I have written here, the
ends: ‘I must see you at once,
"-
¢ nodded, no whit ruf
whom was it inten: 7?
envy. he address is fic-
“So he
Rave,
writer
Let me
know where,
The brandy was getting In its work
well by that time. He was feeling
strong,
less, ut he was cunning, too. He
“And in return for all this,
he demanded. “I have done
you a service, friend cut-throat.”
The concierge stuffed letter and
translation Into his pocket,
would you have, short of liberty.
“Alr, for one thing." He stood up
and stretched again. God, how stroeg
he felt! “If you would open that ace
cursed window for an hour—the place
reeks.”
Humbert was In high good humor In
spite of his protests. In his pocket he
held the key to favor, aye, to a plan
which he meant to lay before the com-
mittee of ten, a plan breath-taking in
{ts audacity and yet potential of suc-
cess, He went to the window and put
hig great shoulder against it,
Instantly Haeckel overturned the
candle and, picking up the chair,
hurled it at Herman Spler. He heard
the clerk go down as he leaped for
the door.
yawned,
what 7"
|
|
i
cierge had stumbled past the bed.
hefore,
seconds away.
He flung himself against the doors
{ to the street. But they were fastened
by a chain, and the keg was not in the
lock.
He crumpled up in a heap as the
concierge fell on him with fists like
flails,
Some time later, old Adelbert heard
in sound in the corridor, and peered
out. Humbert, assisted by the lodger,
Spler, was carrying to the attic what
| appeared to be an old mattress, rolled
up and covered with rags. In the
morning, outside the door, there was a
darkish stain, however, which might
have been blood,
* . » -
* - *
At nine o'clock the next morning
the chancellor visited the crown prince,
He enme without ceremony, Lately he
had been coming often. He liked to
| come in quietly, and sit for an hour
in the school room, saying netaing.
Prince Ferdinand Willlam Oto feund
| these ocenslons rather trying
“I should think,” he protested once
to his governess, “that he would have
something to do. He's the
chancellor, isn't he?”
The king had passed a bad night,
and Haeckel was still missing.
chancellor's heart was heavy.
The chancellor watched the
prince, as he sat ut the high
loboriously writing. It was the hour
of English composition,
Ferdinand William Otto was writing
a theme,
“About dogs,” he explained.
seen a great many, you know,
else
crown
I could
My pen
sticks in the paper.”
He wrote on, and Mettlich sat and
watched. He caught Miss Braith.
waite's glance, and he knew what was
in her mind, For nine years now had
come, once a year, the painful anni.
versary of the death of the late crown
prince and his young wife. For nine
years had the city mourned, with flags
And
grief
the old queen draped in black,
for nine years had the day of
Ol
destinies of the kingdom.
fn new sit
the
they «
uation. The
anniversary
nfronted
The boy was older,
would not be pos-
from him the
the procession
the with
again,
It
conceal
und observant,
Hi t
rnificance of
ing through streets
!
i
to
one
could not contr to lle
had been
rigorous upbring-
of an age to re-
m chancellpr sat and
ited, and fingered his heavy watch
They ne
boy. Truthfulness
the rules of his
And he was now
i 8 y
Ld
rn the
Ferdinand Will
then
hed wit}
Pr
his attention to the
it. Then, fit
looked up. *)
of it?
‘hancellor,
shall be honored, highness,” Not
did “hig!
o
am Otto put
fay I read
he demanded
you
of
ne
the chancellor ss
Beas”
“my child.”
Prince Ferdinand William Otto read
1, with dancing
hould like to
ght" he said
might ask my grandf:
“1 see no reason why you she
have a dog,”
the chancellor ol
“Not one to be kept at the stables,
Otto explained.
nlou
own a dog’
wistfully,
) wf
ither f«
tho
Tr On«
werved.
he time,
a bed”
ut here
his hands.
the chancellor threw up
Instantly he visualized all
the objections to dogs, from fleas to
nd he put the difficulties
w ” No mean speaker was the
~ellor when so He was
rabi
into
char minded.
a mu
logic and reasoning. He gpoke at
length, even, at the end, rising and
pacing a few steps up and down the
room. But when he had concluded,
when
gulped, and sald:
“Well, I wish I could have a dog!”
by changing the subject.
dering this morning, as I crossed the
park, if you would enjoy an excursion
Could it be managed, Miss
Braithwaite?
“I dare say,” sald Miss Braithwalte
dryly. “Although I must say, If there
is no improvement in punctuation and
capital letters—"
“What sort of excursion?" asked his
royal highness, guardedly. He did not
care for picture galleries.
“Out-of-doors, to see something in-
teresting. A real excursion, up the
river.”
“To the fort? I do want to see the
new fort”
As a matter of truth, the chancellor
had not thought of the fort. But like
many another before him, he accepted
the suggestion and made it his own,
“To the fort, of course,” said he,
And see the guns?”
jut this was going too fast, Nikky,
cared to, she too. But luncheon! It
was necessary to remind the crown
prince that the officers at the fort
mess. There was a short parley over
this, and it was finally settled that the
officers should serve luncheon, but that
there should be no speeches,
“Then that's settled,” he said at last,
“I'm very happy. This morning I shall
apologize to M. Puaux.”
During the remainder of the morn.
ning the crown prince made various
excursions to the window to see if the
weather was holding good. Also he
asked, during his half hour's intermis-
sion, for the great box of lead soldiers
that was locked away In the cabinet.
“I shall pretend that the desk is a
fort, Miss Braithwaite,” he sald. “Do
you mind being the enemy, and pre.
tending to be shot now and then?”
But Miss Braithwaite was correcting
papers, She was willing to be a passive
enemy and be potted at, but she drew
the line at falling over. Prince Ferdi.
nand William Otto did not persist. He
wag far too polite, Bat he wished in
«tL his soul that Nikky would come.
Nikky, he felt, would die often and
hard.
But Nikky did not come,
At twelve o'clock, Prince Ferdinand
William Otto, clad in his riding gar-
ments of tweed knickers, puttees, and
belted Jacket, stood by the school
room window and looked out,
inner windows of his suite faced the
court yard, but the schoolroom opened
over the place—a bad arrangement
surely, seeing what distractions to les.
sons may take place in a public square,
what pigeons feeding in the sun, what
bands with drums and drum majors,
what children flying kites,
“I don't understand {t,” the crown
prince sald plaintively, “He {8 gen-
erally very punctual, Perhaps—"
But he loyally refused to finish the
sentence, The “perhaps” was
grievous thought, nothing less
that Nikky and Hedwig were at
moment riding in the ring
and had both forgotten him.
Prince Ferdinand William Otto con-
It was of gold, and
a
together,
“To Ferdinand William Otto from
union.”
“It's getting rather late,” he ob-
Miss Braithwaite looked
doubt
she
something has det:
sald, with unusual
“You might work the
your Cousin Hedwig. Then
Captain Larisch comes, you ¢
have a part of your lesson.”
Prince Ferdinand William
brightened. The burnt wood
graph frame for Hedwig was
light, And yesterday, os sg
for the escapade of the ds
with an
or
at
Ness,
an
{ito
ph
his
pun
y bet
ut away
inality.
tfit was produced,
ifteen min Prince Ferdl-
m Otto labored,
his royal tongu
Put, abos the
of burning, his face
He was rald,
that he ha een
tos
on one side,
nrotrud
i rua a
ed.
wke
wistful,
afraid,
gain.
“I hope Nikky is not IL”
once. “He smokes a great man)
rettes,. He says he kpows
bad for him."
“Certainly
4d |
forgotten
they are ba
. Which is a violent
tine on the
will kill i.”
The reference was unfortunate.
“I wish I might have a dog.” ob-
served Prince Ferdinand William Otto,
Fortunately, at that Hed-
came in. She came trifle
although that un-
and “she also unan-
moment,
4
ib
1
passeq
wig a
§ tantly
defiantly,
noticed, came
'
!
And she stood inside the door and
stared at the prince. “Weli!” she
sald. “Is there to be no riding lesson
“I don't know.
come.”
“Where ig he?”
Here the drop of nicotine got in its
deadly work. ‘I'm afraid he is HL"
said Prince
sald he
cigarettes, and"
“ls Captain Larisch lI?" Hedwig
looked at the governess, and lost some
Nikky has not
smoked
Miss Braithwaite did not know, and
said so. “At the very least,” she went
on, “he should have sent some word.
I do pot know what things are coming
to. Since his majesty’s illness, no one
| sheet fron and steel, adorned with de
Jected greenery that had manifestly
been out too soon in the chill air of
very early spring.
A wonderful possibility presented
itself. “If I see Bobby,” he asked,
“may 1 stop the carriage and speak to
him?”
“Certainly not.”
“Well, may I call to him?”
“Think it over, Miss
Braithwaite, “Would grand-
father like to know that you had done
anything so undigoified 7”
He turned to her a rather desperate
pair of eyes. “But I could explain to
him,” he said. “I was in such a hurry
when 1 left, that I'm afraid I forgot
thank him, 1 ought to
(really. He was very polite
Mise Braithwal
and said nothing,
on something o«
| must remember, Otto,” she sald
Ami id
| kings, and our sort of governu
{is possible, isn’t it, that he
sent your being of the ruling
| Why not let things
| “We were 3
inand William n a small
{ “I don't think it would make any
y suggested
your
tr Suiwy
thank in
to me.
te gat still in her seat
just then. But later:
curred to her. °
this—this rican chi
be as they
very friendly,
Otto 1
| ference,’
But the
round o
seed was ¢ the
his
ywn in
f young mind,
g
quick fruit.
It the crown
Bobby first. He
bench, peering ove
Was
the crowd. Prince
eaw bh
“There he
“There
“lie
Otto
on
up straight
Braithwaite,
“May I }
“Otto I
errible vol
Tey 3 - ’
But a dreadfu
|
i : «a
| with an air of relief
you."
Upon the box the man beside
kept his hand on the mevo
word,” sald Hedwig, frowning. wy
don't understand it. He
been eo late before, has he?”
np quickly.
After a
and the crown prince took off his rid-
ing clothes, He ate a very small
luncheon, swallowing mostly a glass of
milk and a lump in his throat. And
afterward he worked at the frame, for
an hour, shading the hearts carefully.
At three o'clock he went for his drive.
The horses moved sedately. Beppo
looked severe and haughty. A strange
ian, In the place of Hans, beside
Beppo, watched the crowd with keen
and vigilant eyes. On the box be
tween them, under his hand, the new
footman had placed a revolver. Beppo
sat as far away from it as he dared.
The crowd lined up, and smiled and
cheered. And Prince Ferdinand Wil
liam Otto sat very straight, and bowed
right and left, smiling.
Old Adelbert, limping across the
park to the opera, paused and looked.
Then he shook his head. The country
was Indeed come to a strange pass,
with only that boy and the feeble old
king to stand between it and the things
of which men whispered behind their
hands. He went on, with his bead
down.
As they drew near the end of the
park, where the land of resire towered,
Prince Ferdinand Willinia Otto search.
ed it with eager eyes. How wonderful
it was! How steep and high, and al
luring! He glanced sideways at Miss
Braithwaite, but it was clear that to
her It was only a monstrous heap of
“There He 1s!” He Said.
‘carriage turned back
palace.
» *
toward the
Late that afternoon the chancellor
had a wisitor., Old Mathilde, his
servant and housekeeper, showed some
curiosity but little excitement over it.
| She was, In fact, fuintly resentful
The chancellor had eaten little all day,
and now, when she had an omelet
ready to turn smoking out of the pan,
must come the Princess Hedwig on
foot like the common people, and de
mand to see him.
Sn —
Nikky has an exciting inter.
view with King Karl and finds
himself In a serious predica.
ment as a result of his foolish
undertaking. Read about this
development in the next install.
ment.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Stone Church Without Mortar.
Although built early in the Christian
era without mortar, a stone church in
Jreland still is in excellent condition,