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Show 3 The 1 ' 1 Princess ; Elopes j: By HAROLD McGRATH j ( Author cf I "Tho Man on tho Ho." fc "lloatts and Masks," Uto. V (Cuprrlsht, 1105, Ilobbt-MiTrlll Co.) SYNOPSIS. Arthur Warrington, Aini-rk-an ronBiil In lii'tm-lli'tt, ti-lls hiiw I'elRiilliK Clrntiil luki iitti-inptH to form lilx mhIip, I'r'n-!-ni llllili'Kiirilp, to marry I'linci1 Popple-klfin Popple-klfin mi olil wiilourr. Warrington does mit Know tho prtnrvM even liy night. While rlillim horsolmrk In tho country I night owrliilii-.i hliu unit tin m-oks iiccom- nii.ilii i Ioiih In n illlaphlnti'il castle. Hero In- Ilii'lM two women und nn old mull I B'TMiiil One woinnit In 1'rlncedn Initio-I Initio-I entile nnil the other a frlenil. Hon. Hutty Moore, of Kiichiiiil. They iletttln him to IwliniM n mock iimrrliii?e holwcen tliu , pilnceM ami n illMKrneeil nrmy ollleer. 1 Hteinhoek, ilotio for the purpose of foiling the grand ilitlie. Hti-luhoi-k attempts to kins the prince nnil Hhe In rcKi-iled liy Wiirrlir,'ton. Hlelnlioilt illmippeurH for gooil. Mux Sehnrfenteln. an old American Ameri-can friend of Wiirrlimlon'n renehes Hnr-Behcll. Hnr-Behcll. Vimltigton lulls hltn of tho prln-ooh.i. prln-ooh.i. Behiirfennteln hIiowh Warrington a locket with a plrttiro of a woman In-Bldo. In-Bldo. It was on his lieelt when he. ns n hoy, wnH picked tip mid ndopted by 111 fiwrtcr futher. whose tiiiine lie wns Riven, lie hcllevcH It to lie n picture of Ills mother. The gruml duke minoiinces to thn ptlticess that she Ib to-marry popple-klnn popple-klnn the following wcelt. Paring n morn-I morn-I Inir's ilde Hhe plans to escape. She ineetN I ScharfetiHlelii. Ho flndM a purse Bho lias I dropped hut does not dlnrover her hleri- Ity Wnrrlngton entortiiltm nt a public 1 icBtiiutmit for a niimlier of Ainerlcnn I lueillcul students. Max arrives late ntnl relateH nn liiti-roMIng hit of gossip to tho effect that the princes ban rim nwuy from llarschclt. Ho unwittingly offends n natlvo nlllcer mid BtlhJectB himself to certain arrest. Max Is persuaded to tako mm of tho American student's passports und cBenpe. Tho grand duko discovers I tho scnpo of the prlncesn. Oho leaves a 1 noto Haying she has eloped. CHAPTER VIII. Continued. Tho valet hurried to tho dresser and roturned with tho duko's stato eyeglasses. eye-glasses. Theso tho duko perched do-llberatoly do-llberatoly upon tho end of his nohlo noso. Ho opened the letter and read Its contents. Tho valet, watching him slyly, saw him grow pale, then red, umr Anally purplo, wrath hns Its rnlnbow. Ills handB shook, tho glasses slipped from his palpitating noso. And I grlovo to relate that his serono highness sworo something mnrvelous to hear. "Damnation!" ho said, or somo such word. "Tho llttlo fool!" Then, sud-ictily sud-ictily remembering his dignity and tho phrase that no man Is a hero to his valet, ho pointed to his glasses, ut tho lame time returning tho letter to Its envelope, this letter which had caused this momentary perturbation. "Call tho minister of police. You will find him In tho smoking-room oft tho conservatory. con-servatory. Moko nil hasto!" Tho valot flow out of tho door, whllo tho duko began pacing up and down tho room, muttering and growling, nnd balling his fists, nnd Jingling his shining shin-ing modnls, He kicked over an Inof-fouslvo Inof-fouslvo hnssock and his fnvorlto hound, and I don't know how many long-wind-cd Gorman oaths ho let go. (It's a mighty hard language to swear In, especially when a man's under high pressure.) "Tho silly llttlo fool! And on n night llko this! Curso it! This Is what comes of mixing Rpnnlsh blood with Gorman, of letting her aunt's wishes overrulo mlno In tho matter of education. Hut eho shall bo brought hack, oven If I hnvo to nsk tho aaalnt-anco aaalnt-anco of every sovereign In Uuropo. 1 This Is tho end. And I had planned such tx pleasant ovenlng at cards!" Tho duko was not wholly unselfish. In less than ten minutes' time tho valet returned with the minister of police Tho duko Immediately dismissed dis-missed tho valet. I "Your sorcnu highness sent for me?" asked tho minister, slinking In his hoots. Thcro had hcun four ministers of police In threo years. "Yes. Head thlB." Tho minister took the letter. Ho send It with bulging eyes. "Good heav-pus, heav-pus, It must ho ono of her highness' Jokes!" "It will bo a sorry Joke for you If sho crosses any of tho frontlors." nut" "Hut!" roared tho duke. "Don't you dare bring up that word scandal! Seek her. Turn everybody out, tho nrmy, tho pollco, everybody. When you locato hor, telegraph, nnd hnvo n special ettglnu awaiting me at tho sta tion. Anil If you play a poor game of cards to night I'll take uway your portfolio, port-folio, llcmomber. If sho passes tho frontier, off goes your olllclal head!" "And tho fellow, who Is ho?" "The good Lord only knows! Thai girl! . . . Witness theso gray hairs. Put tho rascal In Irons; I'll nttend to I his case when I arrive. . . . Whoro Is Stelnbock?" "Ho was nrrosted this morning In Merlin; I huvo already applied for his extradition." "Good! Now, ho off with you I Lenvo no stono unturned. Tho exponso Is nothing; I will gladly pay It out of my prlvnto purso." "I'll And hor," said tho minister grimly. His portfolio hung la tho bal-nnr.e. bal-nnr.e. All al ouco '.V.o duke struck his hands together Jubilantly. "What la It?" asked tho minister. "A cloW" "Nothing, nothing! Bo gone; you aro wasting time." Tho minister of police dashed out of tho room ns If pursued hy n thousand devils. Ho knew tit" duke's mood; It was not ono to cross or Irrltnte. No sooner was he gone than the duko left his apartments and Bought those of his niece. It might ho a Joke; It would do no harm to find out positively. Hut the beautiful suite was empty; even hor highness' maid was gone. Ho then knocked on thu door which led Into Molly's boudoir, not very gently either. "Open!" ho bellowed. "Who Is It?" demanded a maid's filghteued voice. "Tho duko! Open Instantly!" "It Is qulto Impossible," said another volco from within. It wus calm and llrm. "I nm dressing." "I must see you this Instant. Open or I shall force tho door!" "Is your snreno highness mad?" "Will you open this door?" "You command It?" "A bundled limes, yea!" "Sinco you command It." Tho volco was no longer culm; It wus sharp nnd angry. The wait seemed an hour to his serono se-rono highness, Herone no longer. At length the bolt slipped, nnd tho Irate duko shouldered his way In. Tho ab- lean which met his gaze embarrassed him foru space. He was even ashamed! Tho Honorable Hetty stood behind n tall-backed chair, an opera cloak thrown hastily over her hare Bhouidors. Her hair was partly down. A beautiful woman In a ragu Is a fascinating sight. Tho duko sttired nt her Irresolutely. "Will your highness explain this ex traordinary Intrusion?" sho demanded. "You hnvo literally forced your wny Into my room while I am dressing. It Is utterly outside my understanding," "I nm old enough to ho your father." "That Is the woakest excuso you could give mo. At your age one's blood ought to bo cooled to n certain discretion. discre-tion. My father, If ho had had anything any-thing Important to say. would havo remained re-mained on tho other side of tho door. 1 am not denf. Your explanation Is In order." Tho duke had novor been talked o so plainly In nil his life. For a while ho was without volco, but hnd plen'y of color. "It Is easily explained," So finally hawlod out to her. "Hor highness high-ness lias eloped!" Tho girl stared at him with "wide eyes. "Kloped?" she breathed faintly. "Yes, eloped." Hetty wondered If sho heard nrlght, or If the duko were out of his mind; and then sho recollected hor conversation conversa-tion with tho princess. Her mouth opened as If to speak, but Instead sho closed her lips tightly. That wilful girl; whntover would become of hor! "Give this letter to your mlstross," said tho duko to the mold. "I will station sta-tion myself In tho window whllo sho rends It." Ho strode over to tho window and drew tho curtnlns about him. llelow, tho night crowds wero wandorlng about tho streets: the baud was playing play-ing In tho Volksgiuten; carriages woro rolling to und from tho opora; the fountain In tho center of tho squaro sparkled merrily In tho gluro of the arc lights. Hut tho duke saw nono of thoso things. Itather he saw tho tolo-graphic tolo-graphic dispatches flying to the four ends of the globe, telling tho peoples that he, tho Grund Duko of Ilnrschclt. had been outwitted hy a girl; that thn Prluacss Hlldogurde hnd eloped with n man who wus not tho chosen ouo. In other words, ho saw hlmsolf laughed at from ouo end of tho continent to tho other. I Then) Is somothlng very funny In domestic troubles when thoy occur In another man's family!) No, tho duko saw not tho beauty of tho night; Instead of stars ho saw asterisks, aster-isks, that abominable astronomy of tho lampoonists. Ho had never doubted doubt-ed tho girl's couraga; but to olopol . . . And who tho dovll had doped with her? He knew the girl's natural prldo: whoever tho follow might Lis, 1 ho could be no loss than a gentleman., Hut who, who" "Your hlghuefts?" called a quiet (1 night Ray deceptive) voice. The duke came forth. "Your highness will do mo tho honor to make out my passports to night. I deBlre to leave tho palace Immediately. Immediate-ly. The affront you havo put upon mo, even under the circumstances, Is wholly whol-ly unpardonable. You Imply that I luive had something to do with her highness' uet. You will excuso me to her Bercno highness, whom I love nnd respect. My dignity demands that I leave nt once." A flicker hut only a flicker of admiration ad-miration lighted the duke's eyes. was u plucky little baggage. "I will Issuo your passports upon ono condition," he said. "And thnt condition?" proudly. "Tell mo everything: Where has sho gone, and with whom?" "I know absolutely nothing." Silence. Tho duke gnawed his mustache, mus-tache, while his eyes strove in vain to beat down hcrfl. "Tlmnk you, I believe you." Then, giving way to his wrath: "You English Eng-lish people, you aro all tho same! You never understand. I have brought up this girl and surrounded her with every luxury; against my will and reason I hnve lot her become educated In foreign for-eign lands; I have given hor the utmost freedom; this Is how I am repaid." "You forgot ono Important thing your highness." "What?" haughtily. "Affection. You havo never given her thut." Tho duke felt himself beaten Into silence, and this did not add to his umlablllty. "Your passports shall be made out &?A1 The Duke Stared at Her Irresolutely. Immediately; but 1 beg of you to reconsider re-consider your determination, and to remain re-main horo as long ns you please. For tho sako of appearances, I desire your presence at the dinner table." "I shall leave ns soon as tho dinner Is over." This glrl'B mind Bcemed Immovable. Im-movable. Tho duko shrugged. Thero was no use In beating against this wall. "I wish you knew whither she has gone." "Frankly, If 1 knew I should not toll your hlghnebs. My father taught mo never to betray n confidence." "As you will. 1 beg your pardon for tho ubruptness of my entrance," ho said, choking down his wrath, He could not allow himself to bo outdono In the matter of coolness by this chit of an English girl. "I grant It you." Tho duko then retired, or, I should say, retreated. Ho wandered nlmlcsuly about tho palace, waiting for nows nnd making wretched all thoso with whom he came In contact. Tho duchess was not feeling well; a wrangle with hor wnstout of question; besides, ho 4vould mnko himself bourse. So ho waited and waited, uno" ro-rend tho princess'' letter. At dinner ho ato nothing; his replies wero curt nnd surly. Tho Hon-orublo Hon-orublo Hetty also ato nothing. Sho sat, I wondering If her mnld could pack flvo trunks In two hours. I had quite u tlmo of It myself that night. As I predicted, I receive a visit from tho police In regard to Mr. Schnrfenstoln. I explained tho matter tho best I knew how, and confessod that ho had hurriedly left tho city for parts unknown. I did not consider It absolutely essential that I should declare de-clare that I had seen him enter n railway rail-way carriage for Dresden. Hosldca this, I had to stand sponsor for tho other hoys and explain nt length thnt thoy wero In no wlso concerned with Mr. Scharfenstelu's groat offense. Tho pollco woro courteous and deferential, admitting that Max was tho culprit. Ho had drawn a revolver In n public rostaurunt; ho had broken a grnvoluw. Tho Inspector wroto n dozon telegrams and dispatched them from tho consulate. con-sulate. I hud, at his request, offered him tho blanks. (TO BI-3 CONTINUED.) |