| Show STORY l WI The Princess Elopes I By HAROLD McGRATII I Author of I The Man on tho Dot Heads and Masks Etc I = r J I tCuprrlaht IM IlobbKMcrrlllCo SYNOPSIS Arthur Wimlnftton American con ut to HurHthllt I tel Ia how I retailing Gianil luu attempts to forrc hIs nell Priu elHi JIlhliKimlt I lei iwirry Irliua Uoppliv lliui tin old widower wnrrlnstun dotS not know the princess oven by Bight While riding lidntultnik In tho country night oveilukcM him nnil hu Berks nccom rnodutloiiH I In a dilapidated castle Hero lie Minis two women nml an old manservant man-servant One woman Is 1rlnress IlllOn i Kin ilii amid thu other n trlend lion Betty Moon of IIiiRliuid They detain him to wltneea n mock marriage between tho ptlneeBs and a disgraced army olflcor Btelnbock done for the purpose of folllnB the Kninit diiko Stelnbock attempts to kiss tho princess nod sho Is rescued by Warrlncton Stelnbock disappears for Rood Max flclmrfcriHteln an old American Ameri-can friend of Wnrrlnctons roaches liar nchelt WnrrliiBton tells him of tho princess prin-cess 8charfcnsteln showB Wnrrln ton a locket with a picture of n woman In Bldo It was on Ills neck when lie ns a boy WOK picked up anil adopted bv Ills fnmer father whoso name ho was given Ho licllovon It to bo 1 a plctuio of his mother Till Brand dull announces to the princess that she Is to marry Dopple klnn tim following week Durlnp u morn lints ride she plans to escape Sho meets Sclinrtonsteln Ho finds n purse Blio has dropped but does not discover her Idea Ity Wnrrlnnton entertains at a publlo lestautiint for a number of American medical students Max arrives Into and relates an InterestlnB bit of gossip to tho effect that tho princess has run away from tlarschelt Ho urtwIttlnKly offends a native officer and subjects himself to certain arrest Max Is persuaded to taco ono of tho American students pasiports nnd escape Tho grand duka discovers the capo of the princess She leaves a note Buying slip has olopcd CHAPTER VIII Continued The valet hurried to the dresser and returned with the dukes state eyeglasses eye-glasses These tho luke perched deliberately de-liberately upon the end of his noble nose Ho opened the letter and read Its contents Tho valet watching him slyly saw him grow pale then rod and dually purple wrath has Its rainbow His hands shook tho glasses slipped from his palpitating nose And I grieve to relate that his serene highness swore something marvelous to hear Damnation 1 ho said or some such word Tho little fool Then slid jenly remembering his dignity and tho phrase that no man is a hero to his valet ho pointed to his glasses at the same time returning the letter to Its envelope this letter which had caused this momentary perturbation Call the minister of police You will find him in tho smokingroom off the conservatory con-servatory Make nil haste Tho valet How out of tho door while tho duko began pacing up and 4own the room muttering and growling and balling his fists and jingling his shining shin-Ing medals Ho kicked over an Inoffensive Inof-fensive hassock and his favorite hound and I dont know how many longwinded longwind-ed Gorman oaths he let go Its a mighty hard languago to swear In I especially when a mans under high pressure Tho silly little tool And on a night like this Curse It This Is what comes of mixing Spanish blood with Gorman of letting her aunts wishes overrule mine In tim matter of education But she shall bo brought back even If I have to ask tho assistance assist-ance of every sovereign in Europe This Is tho end And I had planned such a pleasant evening at cards The duko was not wholly unselfish In less than ten minutes time tho valet returned with tho minister of police The duke Immediately dismissed dis-missed tho valet Your serene highness sent for mo asked the minister shaking In his boots There had been four ministers of police In three years Yes Head this Time minister took tho letter Ho I tend It with bulging eyes Good heavens I heav-ens It must bo one of her highness jokes It will bo a sorry joke for you It she ciosses any of the frontiers limit But roared tho duke Dont you dare bring up that word scandal Seek her Turn everybody outtho army the police everybody When you locate her telegraph and have a special engine awaiting me at the station sta-tion And It you play a poor game of cards tonight Ill take away your portfolio port-folio Runiombcr If she passes tho frontier off goes your olllclal head I And tho I fellow who Is ho Tho good Lord only knows That Chi Witness these giay hairs Put the rascal In Irons Ill attend to his case when I arrive Where Is Stein Jock lie was arrested this morning In Berlin I have already applied for his extradition I I Good Now be off with you Leave no stone unturned The expense Is nothing 1 will gladly pay It out of my private purse Ill Hud her said the minister nrtmly Ills portfolio hung In tho bal nico All at oncj IVo duke struck his hands together jubilantly S r < < bat Is It asked tho minister AlA clew i Nothing nothing lie gone yon are wasting time The minister of police dashed out of I the room as if pursued by a thousand devils Ho knew the dukes mood It was noL one to cross or Irritate NoI I sooner was he gone than the duke left his apartments and Bought those of his i i niece It might bo a Joke It would do no harm to t IInil out positively Hut I be beautiful suite was empty even her highness maid was gone lie then j knocked on the door which led Into i Hettys boudoir not very gently cither i Open I he bellowed I Who la It demanded a maids frightened voice I Tho duke I Open Instantly I I It Is quite Impossible Raid another I voice fiom within It was calm and firm I am dressing I must sea you this Instant Open or I shall force tho door Is your serene highness mad Will you open this door You command It A bundled times yes Since you command It The voice was no longer calm It was sharp rind angry The wait seemed an hour to his se reno highness HCireuc no longer At length the bolt slipped and the irate dtiku shouldered his way In The tab > ball which met his gaze embarrassed him for a space Ho was even ashamed The Honorable Jetty stood behind a allbacked chair an opera cloal thrown hastily over her bare shoulders her hair was partly down A beautiful woman In a rage Is a fascinating sight Flic duke stared at her Irresolutely Will your highness explain this ex closed her lips tightly That wilful girl whatever would become of her Give this letter to your mistress said tho duke to the maid I will station sta-tion myself In the window while she reads It He strode over to the window and I drew the curtains about him Below I tho night crowds were wandering about time streets the band was playing play-ing In tho Volksgorton carriages were rolling to and from tho opera the fountain In the center of tho square sparkled merrily In the glare of the arc lights But the duke saw none of these things Rather he saw time telegraphic tele-graphic dispatches flying to the four ends of the globe telling the peoples that he the Grand Duko of Harschelt had been outwitted by a girl that tho Princess Hlldegardo had eloped with a mar who was not the chosen one In other words he saw himself laughed at tonI one end nf time continent to the other There Is something very funny In domestic troubles when they occur In another mans family No tho duke saw not the beauty of tho night instead of stars ho saw asterisks aster-isks that abominable astronomy of the lampoonists Ho had never doubted doubt-ed tho girls courage but to elope And who tho devil had eloped with her He knew the firls natural pride whoever the fellow might be he could be no IMS than a gentleman I Hut who who 1 called a quiet Your hlBlmeM voice light say deceptive Time duke camo forth Your highness will do mc the honor tonlsht I passports to make out my desire to leave the palace Immediately Immediate-ly I The affiont yon have put upon me even under the circumstances is who Iv unpardonable You imply that I with her lwe had something to do highness act You will excuse me to her eddie highness whom I love and 1 demands that respect My I dignity leave at once A nicker but only a flicker of admiration ad-miration lighted tho dukes eyes was a plucky little baggage I will Issue jour passports upon ono condition he said And that condition 1prOlIl1Iy Tell me everything Where has she gone and with whom 1 know absolutely nothing Silence The duke gnawed his mustache mus-tache while his eyes strove In vain to beat down hers Thank you I believe you Then giving way to his wrath You English Eng-lish people > ou are all the same You never understand I have brought up this girl nail surrounded her with every luxury against my will and reason I have lot her become educated In foreign for-eign lands I have given her the utmost freedom I this Is how I am repaid You forgot one Important thing your highness What haughtily Affection You have never given her that The duko felt himself beaten Into silence and this did not add to his amiability Your passports shall be made out II J Iii I I lliiit T ii I t fII12 I a I The Duke Stared at Her Irresolutely traordlnary Intrusion sho demanded You have literally forced your way Into my room while I am dressing It Is utterly outside my understanding I am old enough to bo your father That Is the weakest excuso you I could give me At your age ones blood ought to he cooled to a certain discretion I discre-tion My father If he had had anything any-thing Impoitant to say would have remained re-mained on the other side of the door I ant not deaf Your explanation Is In order Time duke had never been talked to so plainly in all his life For a while ho was without voice but had plenty of color It Is easily explained So finally bawled out to her Her highness high-ness has eloped Time girl stared at him with wide eyes Eloped she bieathed faintly Yes eloped Betty wondered If site heard aright or If tho duke were out of his mind and then sho recollected her conversation conversa-tion with the princess Her mouth opened as If to speak but Instead she Immediately but I beg of you to reconsider consider your determination and to remain re-main here as long as you please For tho sake of appearances I desire your prescruco at the dinner table 1 I shall leave as soon as the dinner Is over This girls mind seemed unmovable un-movable Tho duke shrugged There was no use in beating against this wall I wish you knew whither she has gone Frankly If I knew I should not tell your highness My father taught mo never to betiay a confidence As you will I beg your pardon for tho abruptness of my entrance ho said choking down his wrath Ho could not allow himself to be outdone III the matter of coolness by this chit of an English girl I grant It you Time duke then retired or I should say retreated Ho wandered aimlessly about the palace waiting for news and making wretched all those with whom he came In contact The duchess was not feeling well a wrangle with her 1 was out of question besides ho would make himself hoarse So ho waited and waited and reread the princess letter At dinner ho ate nothing his replies were curt and surly TIll Honorable Hon-orable Betty also ate nothing She sat 1 wondering If her maid could puck five trunks In two hours I I had quite a time of It myself that i night As I predicted I received a I visit from tho police In regard to Mr I Scharfcnsteln I explained the matter tho best I knew how and confessed that ho had hurriedly left the city for parts unknown I did not consider it absolutely essential that I should de claro that I had seen him enter a 1 railway rail-way carriage for Dresden Hebldes this I had to stand sponsor for uo other boys and explain at length that they were In no wise concerned win Mr Schnrfenstelns gicat ofTunso The police wore courteous and deferential admitting that Max was tho culprit Ho had drawn a revolver In a public restaurant ho had broken a grave law The Inspector wrote a dozen telegrams and dispatched them from the con emulate i1 hlld at his request offered him the blanks TO BE CONTINUUUj |
