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Show ii &y EMCRSOW HOUGH (f5"01" Scenario by CPACeCONARO) AUTHOR of "THE LAOY?c e P(ftATe," "JOHN GAW'CTC. il ; INSTALLMENT SIX fd SYNOPSIS. m It Kitty Gray, newspaper woman, flnds in k ouno S I shop hlf of a brolion coin, tho mutilated lnooriptlon. on which arouses her curiosity and leads her, at M i tna order of her manafriner editor, to so to the prin-t prin-t ft clpali'y of Gretzhoffcn to piece out the story aug-r aug-r i A tested by tho inBcriptlon. She Is followed, and on ar-lJt ar-lJt !f fivnl 1" Gretzhotten her adventures while- chasing tha L 5 iecret of the brokon coin begin. 1 1 ' ;' CHAPTER XXI. n : I ?; t In the Underworld. k$ ;f Whichever -war she turned, escape seemed quite ft '. tsnt off 'or the young woman, whose adventures J novr bad carried her Into such desperate case. f Boated ner still rose the sounds of combat, whore 1 S. joieau and Landozi fought "with, the occupants I jj .jj0 remained in the thieves' den. On ahead, in m k the passageway, others of the gang swarmed In, a I cnttlng off exit by the main gallery. And here, boldtas her as his prisoner, was the man she $ feared most of them all, aa the most apt to win Jn this contest for the possession of the coin Frederick, the nobleman of Gretzhoffen, whose resolution matched her own. ghe boat at him with her hands as he swung her lightly from the ground, but he only smiled at 2 '1 ii0r protests only smiled when he saw himself I i outnumbered by these newcomers who confronted lithem In the main exit At bay, he stood beBlde $hls captivo and waited those who sought to make S lithem both captives. 'J 51 Roleau and Landozi, seeing that Kitty had es- f caped, glared at one another for a moment before if f they understood that they both were her friends. If From what they heard they know that she Btill Bwas besieged in the main entryway. A moment later Roleau forced his way out the rear entry of the den, closely followed by Landozi, aa agile as If himself. They armed themselves at the car which J ; had brought them hither, and sprang forward to jj 'the entrance of the main gallery, eager to assist the woman whom they both sought to servo. $ This flanking attack upon the enemy was more alithan offset by the march in the rear of the main f enemy himself Blake, the renegade, who, finding himself freed of his assailants, sprang into the ., passageway after Kitty. She, as he knew very 5 I well, was In possession of the coin. He found g her there In the company of a stranger a tall man j 1 whom he never before had seen, and who now i $ showed small fear of himself or of the others Genii Gen-ii 1 fronting him. There was no time for Blake to figure upon what relation these two might have I tho coin was all ho cared for. : "Give it to me!" he demanded as he sprang at J Kitty with a raised weapon. i 1 Count Frederick stepped toward him. "Fellow, I v7hat is It that you want? Leave this young lady l -alone." ift "Ho has it! Search him!" exclaimed Kitty 1 jpquickly, pointing to Frederick himself. That ln- :i afoMdual experienced a swift surprise at this sud- ! fi en turnm? of tue tables upon him. But the ruse JMf worked unceremoniously the apaches laid hands J upon Count Frederick and haled him back to the rf rear of tho subterranean passageway. Believing that he had taken the coin from Kitty, they set f hor advice into vigorous effect at once. $ A pair of the thieves still guarded the exit, but "Tthese now were to meet the escaped Roleau and this confederate, as keen for conflict aB they, and Abetter prepared for it Kitty heard rapid shots, I tho acrid smell of powder filled the place. Then, before she had further time for thought, she felt herself hurried forward, the strong hand of Roleau Ro-leau upon her arm. "Quick, excellency," he called, "there is yet time." As she felt the cool air of the outer world upon her cheek Kitty shook off a trace of hor despair. ; The coin still was in her hand she might yet es-; es-; cape. Cut off by some of the apaches from the car i toward which they sprang, Roleau turned and hur-, hur-, ried Kitty to tho two horseB which had brought f Landozi and herself thither. An instant later they were mounted and fleeing, leaving Landozi to fend : for himself, aa they well knew he could. What interested them more was the cries of the two ruffians ruf-fians who themselves had Bprung to the car and now were cranking it furiously with the Intent of " pursuing them in their own motor. "Within the den where these things had occurred Frederick, count of Gretzhotfen, now was prisoner ' to the rat-faced leader of the apaches, the renegade ' Blake. Tho latter stood menacing him. "Why be agitated, my friend?" demanded the ? nobleman, coolly enough. "You seo I have not the ' coin. Tho girl has outwitted you myself as well. I swear, her wit is nimble enough! She has loft me and you in the lurch, and has escaped onco I more. She has flung me to you, as Russian travel-! travel-! ors sometimes fling something to stop the wolves which pursue them. While you are rending me 1 she gqins time! But why rend me? If I had the I coin I would give it to you now, for I fancy a whole throat more than I do a divided coin. But you see . i I haven't it" "Nor have I," assented Blake, ruefully enough. ! "Ah? Perhaps you have something else, my friend a cigarette, let us say?" Blake tossed him a box of cigarettes, and Count t Frederick lit one calmly. !j "Very well, monsieur," said the renegado loader, "I am forced to believe what you say the coin Is ' gone, no one knows where by now. But you your-i your-i self shall remain here until my men bring back I those two-tho girl and the rufflan who used us I J bo hard In her defense. Landozi ho is safe . ) enough. We do not fear him, for in a way ho is V our brother. But tell mo, monsieur what is it-.' it-.' this coin? Why do so many pursuo It. 1 Kc turned a keen eye upon the nobleman who i remained so composed in these surroundings. v "Why, I may tell you but little," answered Count Frederick. "If I had It In my hand now perhaps I 1 could tell you more. But always, no sooner, do i I place a hand upon it than yonder young woman ? appears out of nowhere animates away with It t again! I have resolved to have it I admit that I as you know, monsieur, one does not readily giv It up resolutions of that nature wben formed. Is 11 ! "Frankly, I own a like desire," rejoined Blake ' "I will win-my men will bring her back. "I am not so sure. I Gnd her most active In hoi I'. a,Who Is she then?-and what is she to you, mpn ileur?,r demanded Blake. ' . I Count Frederick paused. for half an Instant, a. ft tho"qh himself engaged In' thought "Monsieur," said he, "you ask me a question 4here indeed! I have not yet myself decided upon that answer. Who is she? She is an American that is almost all I know of her. She may or may not be of quality In her own land, but she has some desperate errand here in ours." "With such beauty as hers," said the apache leader, "rank matters but little." "Stop!" exclaimed Count Frederick. "It is not for you to comment in that way." The blood surged Into the nobleman's face as ho spoke. "Why? What is it to you?" Tho covert sneer on the 'face of tho other Bhowed his own suspicions suspi-cions as to which way tho wind might set regarding regard-ing these two. 'It Is no matter what it is to me nay, I do not know in truth what it Is to me," said Count Frederick, irritated almost beyond speech. "She is, aa I have said, an American she has some business here I know little more." "And you did not answer my main question What is she to you?" The nobleman turned on him angrily, in loathing of such familiarity on his part "If I could answer that question, fellow," said he, "I would not Sinco I am not able to do so, I shall not" "Monsieur admires that jeune fllle!" The sneer of the renegado once more was evident "Yes!" Frederick turned full upon him now. "Monsieur admires her!" CHAPTER XXII. Tho Plunge. Rolean and Kitty learned soon enough that in a race of the best of horses against a good motor car the former has small chance. They heard the chug of the motor coming swiftly on. "Ride, excellency, ride!" called Roleau at Kitty's I lIBfrf ti NliilPgKpS ear; and scarce broke the silence again as they sped on. And Kitty settled herself to ride as never before had she ridden, forgetting tho risk of a Btumble in the darkness, having in mind only what was coming on behind. A sudden exclamation from Roleau came back to her after a time. He pulled his horse up strongly, and she herself reined in just in time. Ahead of them lay the brink of a sheer drop of unknown depth. "Pull off!" cried Roleau. "Go to one side and let them come let them come on!" She swerved quickly aside just In time, and pulled up at the brink. There she was the witness wit-ness of a sudden tragedy. Tho men in the car, their eyes fixed only on the two whom they pursued, did not seo tho brink of the bank in time. Throttle wide open, they camo on at speed. Too late they realized what was ahead. The car sped out into space how far, neither of its occupants over had time to know. Roleau's horse dropped into running water as boldly he sprang on out ahead of the car. Saved by his horse, he swam it to the bank. Not so fortunate for-tunate those In the car. The vehicle turned over even a3 it fell, and dropped a drop of many feet, pinning them under it beneath the surface of the stream. They were lost hopelessly, for had tho car not crushed them they must at once have drowned, thus Imprisoned. Kitty, trembling at what she saw, remained as though paralyzed by the scene, until at length she heard the voice of Roleau at her ear. That worthy had managed to scramble up the bank at some other oth-er point. "Excellency quick!" he cried once more. "Wo must get away. Ride! Ride!" And they hurried hur-ried off to one side into the darkness as best they might avoiding what they fancied would bo the lino of advance of their pursuers. "Which way, excellency?" panted Roleau, riding alongside. "Whore is Landozi?" demanded Kitty. "This is his horse." "Leave Landozi to his own care he will look for his own safety, excelloncy. A horse here or thoro is nothing. Which way? SbalMvo ride to the outlaws out-laws or where?" "Into the city," cried Kitty, "fast as wo can! I will bo safer at the hotel." And so, an hour later, she gave the management manage-ment of tho Ritz yet more cause for wondor, when, i in tho early hours of the morning, bedraggled, disheveled, di-sheveled, pale, she and her unpreposesslng attend-: attend-: ant pulled up onco moro in tho street in front of the door, i In her own room, after a certain time devoted to ; her toilet, which left her moro at peaco with hor-self, hor-self, Kitty sat for a time pondering. "They may kill him." said Kitty to herself. I could not endure the thought of that II would be - my own fault I will not admit that it was his fault I was used so cruelly by his man. Ho lilni- - self lias laid no hand on me until this very night and then not in rudeness. Indeed, for all I know, 3 had he not come when ho did. I myself might have - . paid the forfeit he may po paying now r Kitty paused for a time to look at her own fac In the glass. It was very pale, very unhappy. "I must set him free!" said she with sudden resolve re-solve to herself. "There has been life enough lost over thlft already his must not he added. I will help to get him free." CHAPTER XXJH. , Count Sachlo and Hla Friends. Far across the neutral lands, beyond the desert of Intergraffen, in his hunting lodge at the edge of the forest, Count Sachio for long hours of uncertainty uncer-tainty had nursed his own wrath and diBappaint-ment diBappaint-ment at the denouement of the scenes whloh he had seen take place about him. Paoing up and down, refusing food or drink, his rage always turned toward the unhappy agent Rudolph, his unsuccessful un-successful messenger. "You, Rudolph of Grahoffen," he exclaimed at last, "you should have died rather than betray me! Ah, you betrayed our country as well." The man addressed, now practically a prlsonor, and if not an object of suspiolon at least ono of hostility, sat moody and unhappy in the main room of the lodge. "I can say no more, excelloncy," said he. "I failed, it is true. But you do not count the skill and power of those who are arrayed against us." "How should I count them?" exclaimed Sachlo, fiercely. "Why should I? Can I explain to my own king can you explain to him? Bah! man, they come to nothing in life explanations, excuses, reasons. Results, results, results those alone count for aught." "Excellency, I tried." "You tried what is that? Rather say you failed, for that is tho main thing Tho efficient man alone is worth his salt at my table or that of the king of (1) Sho Saw tho Leveled Barrel of a Revolver Protruding. (2) "He Has It! Search Him!" Exclaimed Ex-claimed Kitty. (3) Others of the Gang Cut Off Exit by the Main Gallery. Ghahoffen. What good can come of excuses? I gave you a free hand and you failed. You were the weak link in our chain, and tho chain is done! Yet you had tho chance to do a great deed for your country and now you say you 'tried!' By the Lord! sir, if times were set back a century or so, your body would hang on the wallB for crows to peck at." "But, excellency," spoke up another man after a time, a friend of Sachlo, "if it is uselessto cry over Bpllt milk and we cannot wh611y mend this pitcher even the trifle of milk remaining in tho fragments may have somo value." "What do you moan?" "Well, this. The young girl who was the actual instrument of Rudolph's failure as none of us can doubt is still alive and still at liberty."' , "Well, what of that?" "If we found her and porbaps she can bo found we could even pick up our skein at the same knot whore we left it She is somewhere on top of earth she is not a spirit after all, elusive though sho seems." Sachlo grumbled some response, and the other wont on. "These strained times cannot hold together forever for-ever the break will corao before long. Our own monarch will not continue to endure this condition, half peace and half suspicion, that exists between the two kingdoms." "Yes war!" exclaimed Sachio. "But why war without success? War for plan or purpose or result re-sult yes, we could agrco to that But curse it! man, do you not pee that it all hangs on tho ownership own-ership of this spirit coin? Thero is the Issue. Without that wo could gain nothing if we did go to war, nor even though wo won tho war." "Tho economy of a king may mean much, my friond," went on Sachlo. "Michael, tho dead king, was a business man ho saved. Tho economy of a people is tho hopo of business tho economy of a kinff 1b the hope of a people itself. There are two sorts of folk in the world those who make mortgages mort-gages and those who pay them. King Michael the Second of Gretzhoffen is ono who makes mortgages. King Michael the First was one who planned to pay them. He Baved the money for that purpose-he purpose-he intended to leave his kingdom rich. "But where is biB hidden treasury? We know something of it it is under the fortifications of Gretzhoffen. Our own monarch knows bo much aa . , that but no more. He aBks me to learn more definitely the location of that treasury and what have I done? What can I do unless at length I shall gain not one but both halveB of this Gretzhoffen Gretz-hoffen coin? So, Is It not plain enough?" "Thirty years ago, your excellenoy," rejoined his friend, "these kingdoms did fight" "Yes, and that was ended by the alliance Michael the First formed with our own princess. Love did that messieurs he loved our princess, bo all was forgotten. He waB a good king and a strong' one. There is need for another strong man like him these days but not like the second Michael of Gretzhoffen. Why, he gave away his very birthright birth-right won by tho fair faco of a girl this strange young American, whoever she may be. .He gave her tho Gretzhoffen coin out of hand, as though it were no more than a farthing, for all he cared " "But she cared, that Is evidence enough!" "Yes, she cared, that is true! and so did another an-other care." "Count Frederick?" "Yes, now you have named them both," rejoined re-joined Count Sachlo, his grim jaws set "The young woman has half the coin, Count Frederick has the other half. They must both be found, and swiftly as may be. Who will rldo with mo? Not you, Rudolph someone must do the errand you failed in doing. You, Johann; you, Marco come. We must bring back not either half of the Gretzhoffen coin tonight but both halves." CHAPTER XXIV, The Quality of Mercy. A two-fold mental attitude occupied Kitty as she still sat In her own apartment trying to make just estimate of hor own necessities and those of another. an-other. "If I sent to tho police to rescue him," sho said to herself and noVf she called "him" ono who lately had been hor enemy "they would only laugh at mo. They do as they like these days. No ono knows whose friends they are those of tho thieves or of honest people No, it would be useless use-less to tell them. "I have it!" she exclaimed half aloud. "I seo it now. The king is still afraid of his people ho is hid in his own palace now lest he. see his shadow and all tho timo he is looking for a strong man i the same whom ho called to his Bide that night of the ball Count Fredoriok. Very well, King Michael wantB Count Frederick and he shall havo him. That is to say, ho shall know where he Is. If the king retains any power in this diBtracted country, surely he can prevail against tbievos such as these. Yes, I will wrlto to tho king." "Your Majqsty:" Bhe wrote. "It may interest you to know that Count "Frederick is being held a prisoner pris-oner by a band of apaches, in their dive near the sewers in the lower part of the city. Follow tho desert road for Grahoffen, take steps leading to cellar of last houso on left sido of road. Kitty Gray." The plan worked to perfection was- admirablo. Within two hours the king's men had rescued tho imprisoned nobleman and brought him onco moro to the palace, although of this Kitty know nothing at all. "Your majesty," he exclaimed when at length ha t i v" Sl'ilillfl IH mot the king, "I greet your majosty with joy antx . ,t l H I must say with surprise. How. could youykriow I'Slill 1 where I waa I sought in, vain to got out oomo ' i'ShlM 11 word." f'llllf "This was my advice," rojolned the king, and I'll I- 1 placed before him the note which he had but. now llllilf' 11 received from tho 'young American, Frederick I Ii c 1 gazed at it surprised perplexed. ,jP H "Again the American!" he exclaimed. "She seoxas ; HI!! everywhere. Is it not so? I swear " ' ' tp H "Vow not at all, my dear count! We do not yet ! Jjt IH know the end. She writes this from a hotel in the yl H city, but no one knows where she may bB now, or 1 ii IH what she may be doing." . l H Meantime the young lady of whom' they spoke I III fl actually remained at her own hotel, plotting yet ' Ul H other things. 6 W'l M Count Fredorick still had charge of her half of 'l the coin so she reasoned to herself. In all prob- i ' I t H ability he bad left it in the room whore he slept in p II H his own palace. What better timethan the prea- :' j'lg H ent, therefore, to make one more visit in that dan j I gerpus locality? IV 4 "itolcan," said she a few 'moments later, after ?(Mi 1 she had arrived upon this resolution. "Get our f . '? H car once. more," H "Which way now, excellency? "Must you still go W p'i H on in the3e dangerous adventures? Why not give !' jjj! H it up? You may lose, your life." 'W 11 "I caimot'give it up, Roleau,'". replied Kitty. "This v Yv IH time it should not be difficult we must make one I t H more effort for Count Frederick's portion of the 11 Lfl H coin." 'J H "That means we must go to the palace?" ; IJ J Kitty nodded. Soon the car was speeding once 'JH more down the avenues. M' j-l! H "Why do they still admit you here?" asked Kitty , I H of Roleau as once more they drew up In front of . )" I'll H the count's palace. "I should think they would !, Jrjj IH forbid us both." j jit' H "I am a person of no consequence, excellency. ' III! jH Once of the household staff of a nobleman of this "" II 1 H land, one is supposed to remain. You think him t H harsh to me so it may seem. But these otherB, I) Jill IH they figure that I still belong here. He would ' llJK H not speak to others of the matter at alL So I am - H'V, G H still admitted on the old footing," L llli H But as to nryself?" r.'h '' fli "Excellency, I may not tell you that" nil fi 1 "Why not?" 'UK IH "Because the truth may not wholly please you. 'j H You see, they admit you because they think you '- ' II H still to be a friend of Count Frederick one 6f his j Ij H friends I cannot explain." -1 I, I H Kitty, somewhat flushed, did not press the argu- ';" III I 11 ment Enough for her that once more they were Jllll H admitted freely to the .palace and once more .""j, M ill jH passed back through the wide halls until at length , 'gj fll they stood at the door of the sanctum sanctorum ..Uuj j ill IH of the place's master the little bedroom whero '-ff! I 11 II H Kitty was convinced he kept his socret of the coin: ' 's'l k W jjjl jH She placed Roleau on guard in the hall while fhe & ' 11 1 jH herself went about an errand suddenly grown hate- ; f !,i II jH ful to herself. pi H But though she sought here and thero hurriedly I jH In the drawers of the dresser, here and there .In v U II M such places as came to her mind, she found noth-. 1 jj HI H Ing there was no trace of the missing objecC J xj-hj il H "Roleau," she exclaimed excitedly, going to, the"' i$J ' H hall, "It will take time. Keep watch. I have 'no" $'ij& g H idea where he can havo left It" ' ; fK ' V H Puzzled, she turned from one corner of the room y- st ' Pi to tho other, examining the furniture.-' whldh , , J ji H showed a strange mixture of lurury and asceticism.' ' t v j Close by tho head of the little Iron bHstead which ' 'j jj: H seemed sufficient to content to master of th? ., fl jj M place, she saw a delicate cabinet of boulc -fttf!i '! K The front of this desk vas a drop leaf, which . mi? I R M pulled out after It was set in place by a metal 43 i; M hinge. Back of this, In the interior of the cabinet '? ' I IH below a series of little pigeonholes, stood a row 1 ' H of three drawers of rosewood, all beautifully fitted, f J 9 M which she carefully examined. ' . ' j M She sat despondent after all her search The v " H half coin was not here! She had failed once more. t 1 H Dubiously, at her wit's end for now she knew not - f H where to look further in the room she sat gazing I' H at the three little rosewood drawers before her. j I H Suddenly an idea came to her mind. She picked '- , H up one of the drawers and stepping to the side of " H the cabinet measured the depth of the drawer E H against that of the upper case which had contained , E It It was shallower than the full depth of the - H desk by som three inches. i H Hurriedly she stooped down in front of the desk, ' j dropping her eyes to the level of the drawers, I H which in the cunning of the maker had been 1 H placed precisely where the leycl of the human . ' J H eye would not bo apt to fall. She peered back into ' , , ' , j H the recess from which she had drawn tho three 1 H tight-fitting drawers. Beyond them she saw three I j H little ivory knobs. H She thrust in her hand, grasped one of the tiny " H ivory knobs, and drew It gently toward her. H A strange conviction came to Kitty that now she H was at the end of her quest Hurriedly her fin- jH gers turned over the contents of the little recepta- H cles. Ono held a framed miniature a beautiful H thing of a lady whoBe high and aristocratic fea- H tures reminded her of some face, she could not at ' first tell whoso. There was nothing else. Tho second was almost empty just an address or so on faded yellow papers, treasured for some , purpose, she knew not what and could not ask. ' I The last drawer was filled to the top with tissue j H paper which had been crushed down. Her hands, 1 half trembling, Kitty began to unfold this tissue. 1 All at onco she paused, her eyes gleaming. ' The half of the Gretzhoffen coin lay in hor hands! 1 :M She caught at the little silken cord about her 'H neck, pulled to view tho little chamois bag thus H suspended at her corsage. From thiB, her handa . H still trembling in her haste, she brought out tho" H king's half of the coin that "Which had glVen hert. , I l eo much trouble to regain. 4 ' i : "They match 'tis done," exclaimed Kitty, half J A H aloud. And indeed tho broken edges of the coin" $ fitted absolutely. Her errand was done at lastv'J . lf she had succeeded. '" " ,'t "Roleau!" Bhe started up now. But even as ahe.-'JJ , did so sho stopped once more,-arrested, the two i'" halves of tho coin still 1 held In her hand. ,' ! There was a little window at one sido of the j H room, a curtained window she had not stopped to "'.' jf see whether or not it was glazed. Now through ,.'.;i ; j ( jH the parted curtain of this little aperture she saw" :-,",V iiiH tho leveled barrel of a revolver protruding, its-aim- ' v ; jH directly at her as she stood. t ' j ) j j "Roleau!" she called once more, and as she apokfr " j j' jH cowered away as best she' might from-tho weapon j k IH whose aim waa full upon -her. .. ' ' H TO BB CONTINUHD.)(, ' : vj(t " ! fB |