Show L LO L je V e JV AMY ROBERTS 1 1 d THE COUNTESS TRAPPED BY terrorists FACES CRUCIAL TEST OF HER LIFE lymp the I 1 crown prince a ot of lir livonia liri I belill ferdinand it william otto too ten years old taken take to the ile opera by his hia aunt abat tires of the singing rod and blips f as away to the park where he makes the acquaintance re of bobby thor in 0 a little american boy return returning I 1 as to the palace at he jadv everything la in BD an uproar as aa a result or of the search which has been made tor for him the same night the chancellor mile calls to consult the buys hoy a grandfather the old king B ho Is 1 very fl III the chancellor sug flats that to preserve the dingli lii nedom am the friendship of the neighboring kingdom of berala be secured by giving the princess Fird hedwig wilt in mar rm mage 91 to king harl of that country count countess lonchek Loi chek lad lady y in u halting a biting to princess annunciate annunciata mother is ia la in love with fill king karl and plots plate to prevent at his marriage to ig ili who loves lovea nik nikky I 1 y Lar larisch carlill lill ottos aid it dp count Is 11 clist viviand u when 1 I told ot of the plans for her marriage countess hoschek sends ad a secret message to king hing I 1 aarl I 1 the messenger Is attacked by agents ot of the terrorists and a dummy letter substituted captain larisch unaware ot of the subs titu tion ban holds up harl earlb cha chauff fur and ad secures rc the en envelope elope the captain impersonates karl karls cli chauffeur and tl the e sheet athla the e envelope elble tor far vine some cigarette on dealier delivering g ill the envelope envelop to ba aarl Lar larach lich Is made prisoner prison ili when ill alie deception is discovered me itch chancellor of etli livonia goes to barnia and ari ananies anges with IC karl t for far hit alg marriage to hadwig red thereupon beleas releases captain lreh counters le LosI hIll falls fand her room in the palace searched and sting tins documents document stolen state CHAPTER X continued 9 A glance about showed chosed her that her code book vas gone in the tray sho ate osbor her jis jewels remained untouched be her pearl earl collar the diama diamond A it knick knacks image the archduchess had given her on all cese even a handful of gold coins nil all were safe enough but tile ibe code book was gone then indeed dill did the countess look death in the fats face and found it ter ro for a moment she could not so much 0 as stand without support it was then that she saw a paper folded under mider her jacla and took it out with shaking 6 gem in sue file copperplate 5 script she read md madams tonight taht at one I 1 1 clock I a doled fiacre nil ir it you I 1 in the a street rest A of the six V IBB vas near car the church you will so BO in he it ac without fall lo 10 wherever et it akca ks k s you ing Bl gued led th the committee at 0 T ton the committee of tent ten this thia thing had happened to her then it was true that the hall half mythical committee I 1 of is tea existed that this terror of lt LI va vonia onto was a real terror which had her by the throat for there them was no estape escape none 1 now I indeed she knew that to spoke the truth aad ad that the terrorists were a everywhere in daylight they had bad entered her room main they had it known w of the safe known of the mile code known how much else WI wild I 1 d ideas of flight crossed he her I 1 A mind ind to be as instantly abandoned tor for their JIM futility I 1 ty W where h ere could she go rab th that at they would all id not at fol follow 1 in her rl when U an she he had reacted from her first reacted abo chock e it she he tell fell to pondering the mat ter pro and COD CIA what could they we want I 1 of h herl C 2 it if ali she we was A an enemy armity to the country ho do were wen they but even that led noudi nowhere for fop after all the terrorists were not at enemies to Lb ranks they claimed indeed to he be its friends bold to hold in their hand band its ita future and it its be betterment I 1 at enemies of the royal house they were of course she was nearl nearly y distracted by that time she we was a in brave woman phy b and ad in mentally am jolly ol 01 1 hard fiber but but the very cry name imme signed to tile the paper set her bar nerves erac to twitching hing it was the committee act of t ten I 1 which had bad murdered dared prince hubert an and it hta big young wife the I 1 committee or of ten which had bad exploded a bomb in the cry palace itself and ad killed old breidau of the king s coun if ell the committee of ten which had bad homed burned the go government ament house and had led the mob 1 in the student riots a y year an r or BO an bai before 1 in this dread presence then n she would find herself that night for at bhe would aid 11 go there them we was no an ray ft ay out th the coic co counters wC r rang lor or her maid old she waa cool coal enough now and dwhite white with ill a cruel line about her mouth that mum minna knew well law fhe vent to the do door orito into the corridor and locked it then she t turned w told a on the maid 1 I am ready top far you yon now 1 madame will ill in retire ti rea to you A little I 1 foell you lou know what I 1 am ready tori the maid laid stood load still her wide bovine eyes fl flit with alarm watched the countess 1 as I abe moved swift swiftly y bems berosa the room mom to her wardrobe when hen she he turned about again she held b in her hand head a thin black riding crup crop s ruddy calor faded she knew the Lo lose bait knew their furles furies madame elie he tried cried and tell fall on a her he knees what stint have I 1 donel done ola what have I 1 done 1 that 1 la ob what it you will tell ill 1 mes me said the countess and brought town down crop A ill livid le it stripe acm the girl face tweed tinted slowly lowly to red 1 I 1 have done dome nothing I 1 swear goes mother of VAY sty help me F I 1 have base it ahw nothing if the top rop descended again this on me ot of the great alsover of he pea peasant beem but costume so 60 thin it we was th use his uw that it cut III into it groaning the girl fell fail for word wars I 1 on list her face the count counter con a tinned to strike pit pitiless less blows into which she put nil all her ber fury her terror her raved frond and ragged nerves the girl on the floor from whimper ing fell to crying hard with great noiseless sobs of pain gaiu and beu bewilder ilder went ment when ichon at last the blows bloo ceased she toy lay still the countess prodded be her with her foot flat get up she bhe in commanded but she u tag as startled wh when A she saw the girl girls a ace fice it was a she he who ho was the fool T the a welt would tell its own on story and the other servants is would talk I 1 it iless was already adeep a deep purple and awn swollen ain do both it women were trembling the countess still holding the crop sat dun down now I 1 I 1 she old bald I 1 you foil will wiil tell me to whom you gets gae a certain small book of which you irn know a W 1 I 1 madaler in ado me 7 I 1 you but what bocht I 1 have given noab ing mad madame me I 1 swear RI it then you admitted some come one to this room mom no one madame except she I 1 hesitated well wall there them came this afternoon the to men who ho clean windows no one cl caw madame she put her let hand band to her cheek check bud and looked furt furtively hely to see it lor flir fingers finger were onn stained with blood the 17 he countess muttering fell to paging pacing of I 1 ill I 1 0 s 1 I 1 have done DIM nothing I 1 sun swear it the he room so that was it of course the girl was waa telling the truth she an was to too stupid to R lie then the corn cona bouttee of ten indeed knew everything cry hd had known know that amna would until be away alay had ilan known of the window clean ers am had known ot of the safe id and tier her possession of the code she dismissed the girl and ad put away the riding crop then the she bhe smoothed the disorder ot of her hair and dress the court physician calling a half hour later f found her reading on a chides chaise loeu longrie I 1 in her boudoir looking pal pale and handsome and spent at what he consid ered a pleasant halt hour with her then the at last he was gone game and she w went ent about her heavy hearted taxis hona tor far the night from a 4 corner comer ot of her he wardrobe she bhe drew draw a long peas ants at otte cape such a cape as minns minna slight might we wear over her head bead instead of a hat she ehe threw a gray veil A cuts care loss alga illi gulbe s but all 11 that vu was naceb be very SOFT the ibe sentries through and about the pwee palace were not unaccustomed to such shroud d figures jipping out t from its 1 gloom to ight nud and perhaps to I 1 before she left she looked about tile to room what assurance had bad ehe be that this very y e excursion 1 I was an not t a crap nad and the that I 1 in he her absence 1 C the vault tap would old not be looted again it ran con ind talked led now something infinitely val us baule tile and I 1 ingrim inn ting the lim roll of him alm she glanced a need ab about id flad seeing a silver vase ot of roses mass hurriedly emptied the water out wrapped the ill olm 1 to olli 11 d paper and dropped drappel it down among tile the stems th the Is street of the wise virgins we waa A not at near the pulse palace eve even by walking b briskly she he was sea 1 la danger of 0 being into at th the wind kept her back li to too tile then at lust last the valreet of ft the 1 I W wise V virgins g A a and the fiacre faces st standing andini g at ill the libe curb with a driver wrapped t in rugs g against the cold ot al the february night and ad ili his hat but p pulled tied dw down over or hla his eye I 1 lh be counter wr stopped beside him 1 lou I are expecting a P passenger carl lea I 1 ro adame do with her hand bond on the door the countess tea r realized biz that it the fiacre m we was messily already occupied A As she peered ebeck I 1 into ity darkened interior ill the a shadow re ached aih ed itself into a cloaked cloake it and masked figure she break back bach I 1 enter madame mada rae said a vote voice I 1 ahe he figure appalled her it was not act a sufficient to know that behind the horrifying mask allies which covered the in en tire fare end and head there them us was a jim hu man figure bum human a a pulses pulse that beat luman human eyes that op praised appraised her she hesitated quickly said fit the voice ail she ilbe got in ehrl shrinking into a corner of the carriage carr lace her lips were dry the roaring marfing of terror was in her ears cars the door closed then commenced a drie of which afterward the countess counters dared not t thinh hick the figure neither moved nor spoke l blaside file the carriage reigned the most eat ca complete pleta silence th then the I 1 car 1 arlage ariage stopped and at last the shrouded figure moved and spoke 1 I regret countess that roy my orders are to blindfold you K V she submitted ungracefully ungraceful Iv while he bound a black cloth over her eyes eye he drew draw it verv ill close mut and lm knotted tied it behind in 11 the act ill hla alge fingers t touched it her face and ad she Is felt I 1 t them cold old and ad clammy the carl contact t edick sickened ed her your tour hand band madame she was led out a of the carriage and across A soft ft earth a adlla devious course one again as though the they y avoided idd small it obstacles once her foot touched something low and ad hard like marble marb a again 1 in the darkness they stumbled over a mound she knew where ob ehe was abr then 1 in a gm graveyard frd but which tell there them were sere many about the city A an pea open sj at am ace tile the opening paul g of if a ateer door the that t squeaked a fit light I 1 of steps that led downward and a breath ot of musty told cold air dump damp and cello like at last still in unbroken silence she know knew that they had entered a large space pace their footsteps no longer echoed and re echoed her guide walked more slowly and at last paus sit cd rele ing her hand band she felt again the touch of his clammy fingers as he untied the knots ot of her bar bandages he took it off at first she could see little R when botre tre ceeder ac bc lier eyes grew w accustomed 0 d fi ene he made mad out the see scene slowly stone witult wi A great stone vault its walls broke iroler 16 aap is which had COQ con wined caske caskets Is of the dead but the clie C caskets lie is had been removed and ad we were pe piled in a corner and in the niches were sere rifles in the center was uns a pine table able curiously incongruous and on it writing materials a cerop clock and a pile of documents there were two wo candles ay only and these were vere stuck stack in n skulls old brown brola skulls skull GO a infinite IY y removed d from all semblance bombl to the from hu human a that at it they by were ere not at cie even in hor it was as it if they had been used not to inspire terror but because they x were are at hand baud bud and ciway convenient t f for t the purpose urpo e in ID the shadow ranged range in a s semicircle were are nine line figures gave all 11 an mo ti Ll onless finis fall 11 masked led bud and cloaked in black they sat at another ther I 1 incongruity aulty rul ty oa plan plain wooden ad chat chairs but BA la in spite of that they were figures of brud the one who had brought her made tile I 1 tenth th had she not known the past record of the men before her the rather up opera A gouffe setting with ith which they ose iose to surround themselves might have hais arous aroused d list her scorn but olga lo 10 s click anew too much she goes guessed ad s shrewd belld ly that with mith the class clasa a of f M men e n with whom hm they dealt it was not lot e enough id that their name spelled terror term they must visualize it it they tied had taken take their cue from that very church I 1 in died ded benrath which aich they hid the ch church ach with sith its silence shrines and ad images image appealed to the eye hey too to up ap pealed to the eye their w masks als the carefully constructed and upheld mystery of their ill idi auty the tra trappings ot of death about them it was skill fudy do done still 1 no I 1 one I spoke the countess faced them only he her eves go showed her nervousness she stood haughtily hought fl her head held high but like most women samen she could not at endure silence for long at rest least the silence of shrouded shroud ial hearel figures and intent eyes now that I 1 am here 1 I she fie fh amandd may AILY I 1 ask bit why I 1 have been bass summoned gr amonell it was number seven seve who replied it was umi number seven who ho during the hour that followed spoke epke far or the oth or era none hone moved aimed or but slightly evidently all 11 had b been can carefully prearranged look on the table countess awata you will find there some pope papera you will MR perhaps recognize recognise she took I a stab toward the table and nd glanced down the mile code book I iny y there them also alan the letter she be had sent by peter alburg she made no effort to disclaim them 1 1 I I recognize them ali ehe said it clear ly do you realize what but will happen dome it if these paper ale turned ovin over to the authorities she shrugged hrag gd her shoulder and now low naab number soi 1 rose a tell figure of niri tery old and spoke it at length I 1 lo 10 a cultivated softly ft intoned voice the countess listening bening felt the voice vaguely re miller Kar 8 at were the burning by eyes behind the maik it it ft Is 1 our or hope balm madame 1 I 1 he I said old that im you will 1 make it unnecessary 8 belt kuae sty for the committee ormill a ol of ten to use t those 1 I me papers ft N e have no quarrel with women A we wish ulah rather A friend than in 11 enemy the committee of ten to 1 I who know its motives he has the and A mae |