Show STOR4 mss I I The i Princess Elopes By HAROLD McGRATH Author of The Man on iho Box Hearts and Masks Etc Cowrliiht 1005 ltoljb llcrrlll CoJ SYNOPSIS The American consul to nurschclt n principality of Iluropp tells how the rclKiilns grand duke hnd tried to and a liusliunil for hilt rebHllloun niece tho Princess HIldcKdrde finally ileercclnB thnt sho wed the PrInce of Doppelklnn nn ugly old widower ruler of the neighboring neigh-boring principality Though ho linil been In tho country for six man II + s the American the princess can consul hud never sewn While horseback riding In the country eight overtakes him and he seeks accommodation accom-modation in u illlaiililatfil old insl o In It ho Minis nn old servitor and two le and a women the Princess HlldeBorde friend the lion Betty Moore of England They detain him to be n witness to u mock marriage of the Princess lo Stein bock a disgraced military olllcer ns n means of escapltiK the mnrrlugo with Prince Doppelklnn WnrriiiRtun the American consul Is I hidden behind the portiere when Stelnbock arrives CHAPTER IIIContinued I heard the crackle of parchment The certificate was being unfolded It occurred to me that while she was about It tho princess might just as well havo forged tho rascals name and wholly dispensed with his services The whole affair struck me as being Ineffective nothing would come of It If sho tried to make tho duke believe that she had married Stelnbock her uncle would probe tho matter to tho bottom and In the end cover her with ridicule But you can not tell a young woman anything when she Is a princess prin-cess and In the habit of having her own way It Is remarkable how stupid clever women can be at times Tho I Honorable Betty understood but her highness would not be convinced Thus she suffered this needless affront Pardon Par-don this parenthesis but when one talks from behind a curtain tho parenthesis par-enthesis Is the only available thing There was silence I saw Steinbock poise the peu then scribble on tho parchment It was done I stirred I restlessly There i cried Stelnbock His voice did not lack certain triumph And now for the duplicate Her highness stuffed the document Into tho bosom of her dress There will bo no duplicate Tho frigidity of her tones would have congealed the blood of an ordinary rascal But Stein bock was not ordinary But suppose the duke comes to mo for verification 1 ho reasoned You will be on the other side of tho frontier Here are your thousand crowns The barb of her contempt penetrated oven his thick epidermis His smile hardened I was once a gentleman I did not always accept money for aiding In shady transactions j Neither your sentiments nor your opinions aro required Now observe mo carefully continued her highness I shall glvo you 24 hours to cross the frontier In any direction you choose If after that time you are found In DarscliGlt I promise to hand you over to the police i It has been a great day said the rascal with a laugh I A thousand I crowns 1 separated the portieres an Inch I Ho stood at tho sldo of the piano upon which he leaned an elbow He was certainly handsome much sought after by women of a low class The princess stood at Steinbocks left and tho Hon orablo Betty at his right erect their faces expressing nothing so forced was tho respose I I never expected so great an honor To wed n princess when that princess Is your highness Faith It Is fine I You may go at once Interrupted her highness her voice rising n key Remember you havo only 24 hours between you and prison You waste valuable time What you wish to ho rid ot me so soon Why this Is tno bridal night One does not part with ones wife at this rate I Leopold the caretaker made a warn Ing gesture Come Leopold I must havo my jest laughed Steinbock Within certain bounds returned the old man phlegm tlcally it Is i high lime you were off You are fool hardy to match your chances with justice Prison stares you In tho face Bah Do you believe it It is a positive fact added tin princess But to leave like this has tho pang of death Steinbeck remonstrated What shall I bo off without having oven kissed tho bride Tho bargain Is concluded on all sides you have your thousand clowns But not loves tribute I must have that It is worth a thousand crowns Besides with a perceptible change In his manner shall I forget the con tempt with which you have always looked upod me even In the old days that were fair and prosperous Scarce t B Opportunity Is a thing that can I jyl not bo permitted to pass thus lightly wrinkle he Then I observed his nasa I sniffing Tobacco I I did not i was now that you smoked Leopold I Bo gone cried the old fellow his hands opening and shutting Presently I With ft laugh ho prang toward her highness but Leo poll was too quick for hint and I There was a short struggle saw tho valiant old man reel fall and strike his head on the stone of tho hearth Ho lay perfectly motionless So unexpected was this sceno to my yes that for a time I was without any of movement I Blood mrtlcular sense Stein1 like stone With an evil laugh Stein bock sprang toward her highness again Quick as light sho snatched tip my crop which lay on the table and truck the rascal full across tho eyes again and again and again following him as ho stopped backward Her defense de-fense was magnificent But as fate letermlned to have It Stelnbock final Iy succeeded In wresting the stick from her grasp Ho was wild with pain and chagrin It was then I awoke to the fact that I was needed I rushed out hot with anger I caught Stelnbock by the collar just Inline In-line to prevent his llp from touching her cheek I flung Ida to the floor and knelt upon his chest I am ashamed to confess It but I recollect slapping tho fellows face as ho struggled strug-gled under me You scoundrel I cried breathing hard Kill him whispered her highness Sho was furious tho blood of her unraudlng ancestors swept over her checks and If over I saw murder In a womans eyes It was at that moment Hush Hlldegarde hush The English girl caught the princess In her arms and drew her back Dont let m d 1 I III t i l I E I I at I Its I s tr e a r get ge-t e sL 1 I llI1 0 7 7WAJ 9AX ttm s IIt i I I f iF Struck Me Squarely Between the Eyes t mo hear you talk like that It Is allover all-over Get up I said to Stelnbock as I sot him free Ho crawled to his feet Ho was very much disordered and there were livid welts on his face Ho shook himself eyeing mo evilly There was murder In his eyes too Empty your pockets of those thousand thou-sand crowns peremptorily I was certain that i smelled tobacco to-bacco ho sneered It would seem that there aro other bridegrooms than myself Those crowns or Ill break every bono In your body I balled my fists Nothing would have pleased mo bettor bet-tor at that moment than to pummel the life out of him Slowly he drew out tho purse It was one of those limp silk affairs so much affected by our ancestors Ho balanced It on his hand Its ends bulged with gold and banknotes Before Be-fore I was aware of his Intentions ho swung one end of It In BO deft a manner man-ner that It struck me squarely between the eyes With n crash of glass ho disappeared dis-appeared through tho window Tho blow dazed mo only for a moment and I was hot to be on his tracks Tho Honorable UottJ stopped me Ho may shoot you she cried Dont go Although half through tho window I crawled back brushing my sleeves Something warm trickled down my nose You have been cut exclaimed her highness It Is nothing I beg of you to lot mo follow U will bo all over with that fellow at large Not at nil Her highness eyes sparltled wickedly Ho will mako for the nearest frontier lie knows now that 1 slmall not hesitate r a moment to pat his affairs In the hands of the IlOlIce lo will boast o what ho m has done Not tm ho has Spent those thou sand crowns Siam crossed time room and knelt at the side or LeoPold dash lag some water Into his fare ently ho opened his eye r stunned Poor Leopold wll 4lj4 I helped tho old man to he l rubbed the back his f of hIs hea Ur He drew a pocket revolver troy I had forgotten all said contritely about I Shall 1 follor your highness Ollo Let him go It docsnt t Betty you were right as mattet are I havo played the pea fool I would havo my OWn part lof a matter Well I have tofi a1la thIs i paper At least I 1onb 1 can t duke and rJghltt that Is something U Oh my dear If only you listened to would r my advice the said There was deep ellscourag other In her tones I warned d that it would you BO come to thIs end ° Lot us drop the l said her highness matter enUre s I gazed 0 admiringly at herto her sink suddenly into a i chair weep nbandonedly f Leopold mournfully while the English eysl t rushed to her side and i around her soothingly nuns hea J I am very IInhaIIIJ s + said the ciss lifting her head and shaking w tcaib from her eyes i am ht on all sides I am not allow allowed danl Dl it of my own I wish I were a J i ant Thank you thank You for you that wretch would hawk i me Sho held out her hand toy and I bent to one knee as I kissed Sho was worthy to be the wife off PI finest fellow In all the world I very sorry for her and thought la d uncomplimentary things of the dgYtl it I shall not ask you to forest p weakness sho said i It is already forgotten i Your h 1 nessUnder Under such circumstances I mM st Princess Hlldegardo of Barscbeit I 1 never betrayed her confidence ut I this writing when I have her tIP i permission Of Hermann Stcinbock I never anything more Thus the only hare passes from the scene As I peatedly remarked doubtless to j weariness this is not my story at add that i but In parenthesis I may tween the Honorable Betty Moorti Jrte1 myself there sprang up a which later ripened Into sometW finitely stronger I I This then was tho state of tf j when one month later Max SC bl handsome fenstein poked his head over tho frontier of Barscbe cue as the dramatist would say tor hero TO DE CONTINUED |