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Show I JOANaWMMMl) (Copyright. 1893, 1900, by B. It. Crockett) BB CHAPTER V. Continued, ft "Which Prince?" eald the officer lUH "Why," answered the secretary, B wUh a glad heart, ''there is but one BE ho who won tho prize yesterday at K tho tilting!" BJj "God's truth! and you say true," Br ejaculated tho guardsman, starting; IH "but who aro you who dare blurt out LB on 'ho steps of tho palace of Court KB land that which ordinary men aye, IB even good soldiers durst scarcely Bit think In their own hearts?" "I am secretary of the noble Am- BB bassador of Plassenburg, and I como BE to see tho Prince!" BE And just then tlioro came a clatter Hi of horses' hoofs across tho wide IB -spaces of tho palace front, into which B tho bright forenoon sun was now beat- ftfl lng, and a lady of tall figure and a iH head nil arlpplo with sunny golden B curls dashed up at n canter, the At stones spraying forward and outward Hj as sho rolncd her horso sharply with K her hands low. "Tho Princess Margaret!" said tho first officer. "Stand to It, Paul." K Tho two officers saluted stiffly, and ffi tho lady looked about for someone to Bj help her to descend. Sho observed IB Johann stnndlng by tho gato. IB "Como hither!" sho said, beckoning IB with her finger. H .ft "Ql vo mo your hand I" sho com- BJ 1 manded. MB Tho sccrctnry gave It awkwardly, B and tho Princess plumped rather IH sharply to tho ground. Hi "What! Do they not teach you how BJ to help ladles to alight In Plassen- burg?" queried tho Princess. "You IB accompany tho new ambassador, do W you not?" K "You aro tho first I over helped In V my life," said Johann, simply. "Most- l "What! I am tho' first? You Jest. m It Is not possible. There are many W ladles In Plassenburg, and I doubt not m they have noted and distinguished a n youth llko you." J Tho secretary shook his head. 1 'Not so," ho said, smiling; "I have '9 never been remarked by any lady in Plassenburg In my llfo." I "Well, at any rato," said tho Prln- fl cess, never taking hor eyes off tho R young man's face, "you will bo good K enough to escort mo to tho Princo's room." As sho took tho young man's arm, a cavalier suddenly dashed up on a smoking horse, which had ovldently been ridden to his limit. Ho was of ; (-A mlddlo size, of a flguro exceedingly i elegant, and dressed In tho highest fashion. His oyo glittered like that of a snako, with a steady, chill sheen, unpleasant to linger upon. Ho swung from his horso, casting tho rolns to tho nearest soldier, and sprang up tho steps after tho Princess and her ! young escort. "Princess," ho said, hastily, "Princess "Prin-cess Margaret, I beg your pardon most humbly that I havo been so un-fortunato un-fortunato as to bo Into in my attend-anco attend-anco upon you. Tho Prlnco sent for mo at tho critical moment, and I was bound to obey. May I now have tho honor of conducting you to tho summer sum-mer parlor?" Tho Princess turned carelessly, or rathor, to toll It exactly, sho turned hor head a llttlo back ovor her shout-I shout-I der with a beautiful gesturo peculiar If to herself. J "I thank you," Bho said coldly, "I I havo already requested this gontloman to escort me. I shall not need you, R Prlnco Ivan!" I And sho went In, bonding gracious- ly and ovan confidentially toward the Gazed after the pair till they dlsap- 't peared. I secretary, on whoso nrm hor hand re- f po'sod. Tho cavalier In banded yellow stood a moment with nn expression on his Ifaco at onco humorous and malevolent. Ho gazed nftor tho pair till the I door swung to and thoy disappeared. Then ho turned blttorly toward tho noarcst officer. "Toll mo," ho said, "who Is that lout In black, who looks llko a prlost-cub prlost-cub out for a holiday?" "Ho Is tho socrotary of tho ombassy of Plnssonburg," said Otto, tho guardsman, restraining a dcslro to i put his Information In nnothor form, i "Ha," said tho young man. "I think j I shall go Into tho roso garden; I may L havo something further to say to tho 1 most honorable secretary of the em- r bassy of Plassenburg!" And summoning sum-moning tho officer with a curt monosyllable mono-syllable to bring his horse, he mounted mount-ed and rode off. CHAPTER VI. H. R. H. the Prlnceat Impetuosity. Tho Princess Margaret spoke low and confidentially to tho secretary of embassy as thoy paced along. Johann Pyrmont felt exceedingly awkward. For ono thing, the pressure of tho Princess' hand upon his arm distracted distract-ed him. Ho longed to havo her on tho other side. "You aro noblo?" she queried, with a look down at him. "Of courso!" said tho secretary quickly, Tho Princess thought that it was not nt all of course, but continued. "I understand you would learn diplomacy under a man so wise as tho High Councillor von Dossauer. I have hoard of such sacrifices." "An agreeable princess I shall get on well with her!" thought Johann Pyrmont. Then Uio nttentlon of his companion flagged and sho was silent and distrait for a little, as they paced through courts and colonnades which to tho secretary seemed Interminable. At Intervals tho Prlncoss silently Indicated In-dicated the way by a pressuro upon his arm which was almost more than friendly. "Wo walk well together," she said presently, rousing herself from her rovorlo. "Yes," answered tho secretary, who was thinking that It was a long way to tho summer parlor, whero ho was to meet tho Prince. "I fear," said tho Princess Margaret quaintly, ."that you aro often In tho habit of walking with ladlos! Your step agrees so well with mine!" "I novor walk with any others!" tho secretary answered without thought. "What?" cried tho Princess, quickly taking her hand, "and you swore to mo even now that you novor helped a lady from her horse In your llfol" It was an impasse, and tho secretary, secre-tary, recalled to himself, blushed deeply. "I soo so few ladles," he stammered in a tremor lest he should have betrayed be-trayed himself. "I live In the countryonly coun-tryonly my maid "' "Heaven's own sunshine!" cried tho Princess with a llttlo scream of laughter. "Havo tho pretty young men of Plassenburg maids and tirewomen? tire-women? Small wonder that so fow of thorn ever visit us! No wondor you 11 vo on In that happy country!" Tho socretnry recovered his presence pres-ence of mind rapidly. "I mean," ho explained, "tho old woman Botto, my nurse, who still, though now I am grown up, comes ovory night to see that I havo all I want and to fold my clothos. I have no other women about me." "You aro suro that nctte, who comes for your clothes and to see that you havo all you want, Is old?" persisted per-sisted tho Prlncoss, keoplng hor oyes sharply upon her companion. "Sho Is so old thnt I novcr remember remem-ber hor to havo been nny youngor," replied tho secretary, with an air of engaging candor. "I bollovo you," cried tho outspoken Princess; "no ono can llo with such eyes. Strange that I should havo liked you from tho first. Stranger still that in a'h hour I should toll you so. Your arm!" Tho secretary Immediately put his hand within tho nrm of tho Princess Mnrgarot, who turned upon him Instantly In-stantly In profoundest astonishment. "Is this also a Plassenburg custom?" cus-tom?" sho said sharply. "Was It old Detto who taught you thus to tako a lady's arm? It is othcrwlso thought of In Ignorant Courtland!" Tho young man blushed and looked down. "I am sorry," ho said; "It Is a common com-mon fashion with us, I cravo your pardon If In aught I havo offended." Tho Princess Mnrgarot looked quizzically quiz-zically at her companion. "V faith," sho said, "I havo over had a curiosity about foreign customs, This ono I find not amiss. 'Do It ngaln!" Tho Courtlander Otto, who had boen on guard at the gato, had mean-tlmo mean-tlmo boon rolloved, and now followed Uio pair through tho corridors to tho summer palaco upon nn errand which ho had Invented. At this point ho stood astonished. "I would that Prlnco Wnsp wns here. We should sco Ills sting. Ho Is Indeed n marvel, this fellow from Plassenburg. Qlad am I that ho does not know llttlo I-enchen up In tho Knlser Plntz. No ones of us would hnve n maid to his namo If this game-stor game-stor abado In Courtlnnd and mnde the running In this stylo!" Tho Princess and her squlro now went out Into tho open air, Kor sho had led him by duvlous ways almost round tho entire squnro of tho pnlnce buildings. Thoy passed Into a thick nvenuo of acacias and yows, through tho arcades of which they walked si-lontly. si-lontly. For tho Princess wns content, and tho socrotary afraid of making nny moro mistakes, So ho let tho "foreign "for-eign custom" go nt what It might bo worth, knowing that If ho tried to bettor bet-tor It, ton to ono a worse thing might befall. "I havo changed my mind," said tho Prlncoss, suddenly stopping nnd turning turn-ing upon her companion; "I shall not Introduco you to my brother. If you como from tho Ambassador you must havo matters of Importance to speak of. I will rest me here In an arbor and cono ln later. Then, If you aro good, you shnM perhaps bo permitted to reconduct rco to the palace, and as wo go, you can teach me any other pleasant foreign customs!" The secretary bowed low, but kept his eyes on the ground. "You do not say that you aro glad," cried the Princess, coming impulsively impulsive-ly a step nearer. "I tell you there Is not one youth but no matter. I see that It springs from your Innocence, and I nm not suro, thnt t do not like you tho bettor for It." Bohlnd nn evergreen, Otto tho Courtlander nearly discovered himself at this declaration. "His Innocence magnificent " Karl the Great. This Plassenburgor'a innocence inno-cence God wot! He will not dlo of It, but he may bo tho death of mo. Oh, for tho opinion of Prlnco Wasp of Muscovy upon such Innocence!" "Como," said tho Princess, holding out her hands, "bid mo good-byo as you do in your country. Thero is tho prince, my brother's horso, at tho door. You must hasten, or ho will bo gono ero you do your message!" At this tho heart of tho youth gavo a great leap. "Tho Prlnco!" ho cried; "ho will bo gono!" "Nover mind tho Prince think of me," commanded tho Princess, stamping stamp-ing her foot. "Glvo mo your hand. I am not accustomed to ask twice. Now bid mo good-byo." With his eyes on tho white chargor by tho door tho secretary hastily took tho Princess by both hands. Then, Kitted her twlftly upon both cheek. with his mind still upon tho departing Prlnco, ho drew her impulsively to ward him, kissed her swiftly upotj both cheoks, and finished by Imprint ing his lips heartily upon hor mouth I Tho Princess Mnrgarot stood rooted to tho ground. A flush of shamo, anger, an-ger, or somo other violent emotion, roso to hor brow and stayed thoro. Then sho called to mind tho straightforward, unclouded eyes, the clear Innocence of tho youth's brow, nnd tho smllo camo slowly back to her lips. "After all, It is doubtless only his foreign custom," sho mused. Then, aftor a pause, "I llko foreign customs," cus-toms," sho ndded, "thoy aro Interesting Interest-ing to learn!" Behind his tree the Courtlander stood gasping with astonishment. "God nover mado such a fellow," ho said to hlmsolf. "Well might ho say ho nover kissed any but Indies. Such abilities wero lost upon tho cheeks of moro men. An hour's acquaintance nay, less and ho hath kissed tho Princess Margaret upon tho mouth. And sho, Instead of shrieking and calling call-ing tho guard to havo tho lnsultor thrust Into the darkest dungeon In Courtland, falls to musing and smiling. smil-ing. A dovll of a secretary this! Of a certainty I must havo llttlo Leuchen out of town this very night." (To bo continued.) |