le FimlKe Scenario iJvOPACE QW^ COPyQKjHr. 19t5, ^ WOrtT A.fHTTECSCW FIRST IWSTALUHEWT CHAPTER I. Th« Cry^e Coin. Gray, crack Mporter on tb« ' Bv^at Star, 1>ulle) out of her typ» writer the but sheet o( D&per and pil«4 lit OB the tittle h^p . of finished copy wbl«b ia7 at her right. Then sha cIMed her desk, stepped to the ward^ robe and took her coat and hat. Taking her little coUei^tioh of copy papei from the ,desk, witii the-privi lege of long tenure in office she walked to the desk of the pity, editor, who, al though himself a married mao, had all this time witlwut success tried to look at the work before him and not at the trim figure of Kitty Gray mak> ing ready for her luncheon journey. “When will you deign to return!” atked he with a certain lapse In jour^ nalistic dignity. “When I havo a ^etter story than thSa guft—in the vernacular/’ Kitty's favorite lunching place was; In one of the great department stores, where women were made welcome and comfoTtahle. and she bent thither her steps; but midway in her joiirney she paused, as often she did, to gate Into the window of the little antique shop whidk occttpled space in one of the unimportant side streets. Kitty Gray's eyes were arrested by isomethins that she saw—an object which she did not recall ever before to hav6 noted In the window. It lay close to the glass, just tilted back so that it might be the better seen. It apparently was an old coin or part of one, curiously dfjoe in some dark metal, probably silver badly oxidized As Kitty bent down to examine It more closely, she saw that the coin bore an inscription, or what appeared to be such—an inscription broken across by the fracture which had di vided the coin itself. Her curiosity excited, Kitty Gray stepped into the little shop, whose proprietor she knew reiy well. "Good morning, Mr. Mainz." she said with the custnmary newspaper in version of the order of the day, ‘hoWs business? Any new tans, idols, coins—?■’ "Coins/ Vot? Sure, I got eomet'ing new dot Is olt. I chooat fink of him. j He iss only a part of himselluf. Should I show him to you’" ■ "Oh. maybe I saw It in the window;" 6&id Kitty, simling. “You mean the broken coin?" ■'Sure. Vait till 1 got him.” She took up the coin now from the case, and srniio :~iFange sort ot thrill came over tier as 6h^ did eg, slie could not tell why. What was its mes sage. ha.Iiiag. broken, incomplete? Did it bold a story? What was the ' story? i ■'It’‘! odd. isii't it?" said siiy, and iaid it dowu again carciessly—with a careiessnes* well fi-lgned, for Kitty , Gray had bough; antiques before now, and linew well oiioush when io sup press iiitorert- “Odt? I phould say it vas cdt.” re joined the old Ut'ulor. Kitiy had picked ii|) un iniaiti nu-'.l,ir oi p.^uvl fan and was stuiiiou.sly examining that now. "How much?" asked she. holding\ip the "I’or the broken coin?" i ■'Xo. the fan.” "I vent twelt toilar for him." "Per the coin?" "No. for the tan. Kor the coin—vat you Kif me?" “Why, what earthly use would 1 have for a broken piece of metal like that, Mr. Mainz?” “Gif me for the fan eleven dollar, und I make you a present of the broken coin anyway." Kitty Gray's heart gave a sudden lit tle jump. She would have given twice eleven dollars for the coin itself, but she made a good pretense. “Eleven dollais is a good deal of money,” said she. “I would have to go without lunch ior quite a wbileJ" “You are a goot sport. Miss Cray,” said the old dealer. "I daak you very mooch. I should wrap them up?" "The fan—yes. Let m« see the coin again." She pushed across the counter almost the last of the tightly folded bills in her purse. "Read the inscription for me, ead I knock off two collars from the fan!" said Mainz. "Vot is it? It is not Cher- man. it is not Pranzoeslsch, it is not English. I am all those. But I could not read him ” Kitty held before her the curious object, a slight frown puckering her brows. “Well, you see," said she, "it is broken right across on the right hand side—almost a third of the writing is gone. It says something about look ing for something under the floor, un der the pavement of some place of torture or torment.” “I r.d vot next?" “ "'rhesaur'—^that word's brokeii across, but It must mean ‘thesaurus' —that means 'a collection’—a ’collec tion (.f yalue,' don’t you know? “'n e next line Is one word; it’s alt' thert -TRegis.’ ” she went on, "That’s plaii: T.ex’—‘r*gis’~it means ‘kingV or ’o' the king.’ ‘The king’s treasures’ —what? I’m down to the latt words now. It ; is curioua~a-proper name. ItA only i'the Latin name of the kingdom, ot j GretzholTen; That’s a little bankrupt . kingdom ever in eo'Jthero ^rope. near ' the Jlediterraneau. I kiipw'^bout It— I did. a .story about it once, the time the kingdom was trying to float a loan In this country. I ^isd. to r^d up a whole lot.”. “i bet you could did it, alls* Cray," said .Mainz, admiringly. ‘‘Vieill, goot- by. Come again und tell me yot ypii find out, like a goot girl;’’ ■’Sure." said Kitty, and turned- to leave, her coin, clutcbed tightly in her hand. So iutent was she on her pur chase that she did not notice she bad dropped the package containing the shell-ribbed fas. Vaguely missing something as she emerged into the open air, she turned bUck, and alm(>st ran into a man who had passed her as she came out. He was a forel^- looklng individual, dark of Hair and eyes and skin, strongly built, a flgors such as one would note. He iMwed now courteously enough as .he handed her the package she bad let fall. Kitty thanked him and hurried on her way. This stranger entered the shop and spoke in some foreign tongue to the old dealer, who shook his head. “No,” said he, answering in Bngliah. “I chooBt sold it—to dot young lady who vent out. "Who Is sheT I know her very well. She is on der papers. Better took out or she put you in der paper sure. Miss Kitty Gray vos an oldt frent of mine. She read like a book vot vos on the coin: Vy didn't you telephone—maybe she sel! it back to you—^1 don’t know. She wouldn’t sold it back to me, I know dot. Vot! you are going?" aBOtti tite 3m mut' xatm, M then reused. T-he rug in the hall WM turned over at one corner—was it by secidentf The pictures oil hung on the walls, yet several werv. arkew'; sjid—the fit- tie wall-safe back of one of the pic ture—which had h*3d some small ob jects of little value, an oltf daguerreo type or two, sorat* silver spoons, a few gold pieces wiiich she had cher ished—bad been broken, open. Us r^nteiits liow iay upon the floor; Amazed. Kiuy &tcotW and picked them up. one by. one. Nothing' was missing—even the gpld eoiM vera there, S'othing had been harmed. But ^'ho had done rhi.a. and why?*' CHAPTER II. c3t.? CHAPTER »l. The Big Assignment. Kitty Gray did not go to her usual place for luncheon that day. Instead she hurried into a nearby delicatessen shop and bought a sandwich, which she put in her handbag. After this she hurried on back to the ofSce. Ar rived there, without ceremony she went again to the desk of the city edi tor, and silently iald down before him her empty purse, her antique fan. tier sandwich and her broken coin. Cutler looked up with professional calm. “Yes, MIh 0ray? Why ail this or derly arra »t fresh and interesting objects?" "That is my story," said she. “What makes you think so you seeing things. Miss Gray?" "Look here.*’ Kitty picked up the coin and showed it te him. “See, it is broken quite across—more than a third of it gone. The inscrip tion is Latin. It is not so much what is on the coin-!t is what is off of it. 5’erhaps it commemorates something.” "(■oiumemorati's what. Miss tSray?” “Precisely—what? That’s the stoTy'.” "By Jove!” Cutler was studying at the inscription. "’Sub’ means 'under' —wiiai does it say?—u.Tdfr me bam boo tree?”’ ".\o. ‘uader the side'vaik' vr the •flagstone,’ or ‘Boor.’" " rnderrieath the flagstone’ or ■pavement' or 'floor’—‘in the angle' or corner’—whatever that may be— chamber ot torture'—'room of tor ments’—whatever it is—‘there will be found treasures’—‘of the king'—‘of “—'Of Gretzhoffen!"' concluded Kit ty Gray, "You have not forgotten all 3'our I.atin. have you. ?>Ir. Cutler? There is a story for you—if we can only dig it out. There'd be an assign ment. wouldn't there? I'd rather do that than socicty in the summer time," Killy Cutler, time-tried news mfta. grown thin and grim and gray !it the business. £at for Just one moment in thought. "Wait a min-jte. please” said he at length, and rose te leave the room. Kitty did wait anxiously enough, for what reason she could cot tell. She sat at. her own desk, the mysterleus broken coin tight clutched in her hand. It seemed an hour before she saw the slender form of tlie city edi tor tecuming from the door which led to the oltice of the manager and pub lisher of the Evening Star. He looked at her thoughtfully as he approached. He held out a check. “Three tboysand dollars!" Kitty "ray's eyes grew' larger. “Expense money. Three months' vacation. Full powers as missionary plenipotentiary of the Evening Star to Gretzhoffen. ambassadress to any old place you happen to think of. Miss Gray. I never knew the old man to go off his head before, but he has this time.” «*•••*» Tugging at her heart the swift feel- itig that she was leaving her usual modest and safe lino of life to ad venture upon something perhaps fate ful—perhaps indeed fatal—Kitty Gray, sober-faced, turned from the door of the Evening Star and walked slowly toward the comer where customarily d'.a took her car for home. She entered h«r apartment, cast one . En Voyage. The great liner Anae of Austria lay In her slip at the dock, lier giant pulses just t'.irobl'ing now and then, Eve^where mein and women were hurrying to and fro In the customary orderly confusion of the last few mo ments. before the departure of aii ocean steamer. . Calmly kitty Gray passed on her way to the boat’s office and asked for her mail and her keys. As she turned, she ^most stumbled against a man who had just hurried aboard—a dark isnn, thickset, foreign in appeor^ce. She had the strange conviction that she had seen him be fore. Then slie turned to settle berself down in her quarters: So far ss she knew, she had not an acquaintance on the boat. Now, oddly enough, she recalled the face of the stranger,' the da^-visaged foreigner whom she had met at the ship's office. Surely Jt must bsve.been the same man who had buded her her package when she dmpited It in the little antique shop! Why should he be on board this boat? Wbrysbould he recognize her, remember her—for he bad: Trust a woman to know that —he had—he did. Yes, he bad known her. .\gain a cold feeling of appre-1 hension clutched at Kitty Gray's stout i little heart. She rose and tried to fling ol her depression by means of a visit to the dining saloon. But for some reason she felt she would be more comfort able—or safe—in her own room. Here she lay down upcm the single berth, which was directly beneath the porthole. She woke—site knew not whea''‘nor why—woke with her eyes staring, passing in her instant from sleep to waking. A face was looking in upon her! A chamois bag was held cnty a kerchief, a bit of powder puff, perhiips a little silver—nothing more. Her real trfeasures^he knew where they were now. The captain was outraged at what be learned when at length she gained admittance to his cabin. With marine precision, he acted at once. From that time on all through the voyage, a I boat detective stood at each end of the passageway which led to Kitty’s state room. . No trace of any other robbery could be found, nor any clUe by whidk tbe intruder could Iw identified. "It's Odd. Isn't It?" She said, worthless—it had wm their Oycter, •nd they bpeited tt «ed scraped Ute sheU. “Kow. in «a*e the Coeiit Frederick, thtt big pivincer. or hU man Grabame, or the UtUe King Hbdiad the Bee- ood, should (at hold of. the »> mafning cln* to the whereabouu ol old King Michael's treaanry—poof! -yon knoir what irotiM happen then. There would. ICiaa Kitty, tp quote a certain American ballad. *be a hot Uae lit the dd town’ in that case.” “It’s a itorr!” twld Kitty Oray. ^ip lag a long liraaUL Bat a ttonbled l^ht came to her eyea at the flame tlma. "Bow will a fdlow dig It ontf aha aaked whimiloally. CHAPTER IV. The Consul’s Story. The business of any true American consul is to have known the father, pr at least some relation, of any caller who comes from bis own nation. Con> sul Jethro Thompson of Ohio, cast away in the melancholy enterprise of representing the di?nlty of this repub lic in this small and none-too-welU known principality of Gretzhoffen. was glad—really glad—to see .Miss Kitty Gray. And he WtieifK—really knew— her father, or h^d done so at the tiuie j when he was still livin?. j "It's a grand little place, isn't it— CHAPTER V. man had been Io.king at her. or try-1 , , 1'',.““ .TV-.,, i , .1, I. 1 , GretzJi'inen ?' said Kitty Btnilmg. Ivei tag to look at iier, as she lay asleep. I j ... .. . .... u . ■ r-.. ■- I-..-.. . ' read about it—and written about It— Kitty Grays instinct spoke to her i . , r> .. , IT . . ,1 before now. But this isn t a vacation. some message—&tie could not toll | what. Swiftly she caught the chamois ! bag from her boscm, and. emptying Us main treasures into her hand, placed them In that other treasure house of woman—her stocking. Again feeling the drowsiness invoked by the fresh salt air, at length she lay down once more upon the little couch and re signed herself more comt'ortabiy to j slumber. | Are i But again she woke—this time it j was with a scream of terror. She had felt, the touch of a hand. Some- j thing had tugged at her neck. She raised her hand. The cham- 1 ois bag WHS Kone !t was the jerk I of the broken silk cord thnt had ! really. 1 am on a big assignment. The Encounter. Ueiinwhlle, doring the interview Kit ty Gray had with the American conaol, a scene of other import was enactlcg elsewhere in the Gretzhoffen qspital. In the Interior ot a white marble fronted palace, perhaps a mile or so distant from the humble Quarter* ot the American consulate, a tall, dark, imperious man was pacing up and down restlessly, his eyes now and again tnmed upon the door of the great apartment, as though he espect- ed someone to enter. At length the dcor did Open. A soft-footed servant appeared. "Monsieur Holeau, ercellency,” be Mr. I announced. “I Cheest Sold It to Dot Young Lady Who Went Out” awakened ber! And there was the band that had done it. a strong, dark band, full-veined, balry. It still clutched the bag—it still was visible at the porthole. A ribbon end bad en tangled itself for just an Instant in the porthole fastening—an instant loag enough for Kitty to see what had been the hand that bad committed this rob bery. But wtao was the robber himself? Quick as thought Kitty sprang to the door, ran down the deck, out the next deck door. The! band was giving its first saloon concert, and the decks were sparsely tenanted, it seemed. Ste off towards the bow a maa was pasa- Ing—what man sihe could not say. He seemed neither to hurry nor to lic$er. She could not make out who it was. dared not bang upon him he^own sus picion. M She turned to the captain now and made report of what bad happened ■ot once but twice; but eyen as site went she smiled grimly to herself, fte Consul. I may wnnt your help—the; only trouble is. I don't know what I lio j want to do—I am after a story. an'I !. don't know where it is or what it is!" The gaunt, kindly old man sroilei' | at her. " Well, usy dear, rest assured j that I win do all 1 (an for you. -An,!. ^ between us. wo ousht to start sonso-! thing, maybe; if it's stories you're! afler. ynu've coi’»- tc the place where : they grow, that's sure enough. Why.! Miss Kitty, the story of the king ol' tirci/liufiVn alone would fill a book," j “What do you know of Gretzhoffen, anyhnv.?" he asked suddenly. “Vou said you hal written iibout it. I,au;;- i pOSf—” i "Well you see," replied Kitty I 'whi n the big news' story about th ' I i^rojioji il Cr-'zhoffen loan—its bawli- j ing about the street and Its rejection— when that came out 1 was put on the I assi;r*;inr-nt of looking Into Gretzhoffen I in genor.il I reuipmhi'r that the old : kin.i; tii w ;.:: ^lUel. w it?" i “Til" OIK’ ;h;;t i!>d? Ye."’. Mi’ehae I tl*,e Fir.'-i. 11.- v.a:^ a good sort. Ifi.; death \»;is the u!ili;okiesE ihin.g th::: I ever hu|i|ifnt'(l I'. rthis iiooriittle p-. o- i rtie. Re was a p;cjd man, King !\!ielicel. ‘ and SI strong oi;e ujida just. So nuic;''! cannot be said. I am thinking, o; thf new incumbent cf the throne, Miohai l ’■ the Second. ^ "You see, this ^Tichael the Second i-; only a king in name, when it comes tn ■ facts. He Is only a little lieutenant-, lie has been put on the job by a bigger , and stronger man—Count Frederick is ' the rfcal power behind the throne in ; Gret/.hoifea—a strong and handsome ; man—be sure you don't fall in love with him. What Count Frederic-: plans no one knows. Perhaps he ; bait his own eye oa the throne—we i can't tell what may happen. I sty it is a tense sort of place. Gretzholten. But Gretzhoffen is broke. Michael, the king, ia broke. Count Frederick, the Warwick of Gret-,2hoIfen. also is broke. That is why they tried to make a loan in our own countty. “But they didn’t seem to have the collateral—no uuused revenues—noth ing which bad not been used or spent or wasted. “When Michael the First died, his treasury disappeared. He was rich, the old king was—rich in the name of Gretzholten. But the crown jewels, the imperial securities, the crown treasures of all sorts, the imperial mintage of every description—they disappeared. There was rumor that the old king hid bis treasures some where, hot that he left some sort of a mysterious record by which they might be traced. No one knows Just what was left for that record. It Is known, however, or supposed, at least, that it was put into -the possession of an old | servant—-one of the few men the old king trusted. Bat this man finally gave up some part of what he knew— part of the proof, whatever it was—to th* nevf king, when he himself was ahont to die. "Between them. Count Frederluk and Michael the Secord bankrupted U(is klBgd;>m, or at least Michaat dU. U 'What, nbleau!” exclaimed the tall man Impetuously, as the visitor en tered. “What has kept you? Tb* ship docked hour* ago. And have you got it? Come, come, man!" The individual addressed aa Rdleaa bowed deeply. “Excellency,” he esld, “I came as soon as 1 could be aure t would net be watched." He was a man ot dark cumplexioa, ot strong and sturdy build, of hnMut shoulders and deep cheat—a man halt a giant, one would have said—but his eyes dropped as they met the stem gaze of him be addressed, at though he might have been his master. “You found It—you succeeded, then —tell me!” •'Excellency—sire—yes.” The newcomer extended a hand which trembled slightly. "I awear it was in this bag”—he was offering a little chamois bag tied with a ribbon at the top—a bag which apparently had been once suspended by the broken silk cord attarhe.d to it. “Tou say it was in this bag—then why not now?" The tali man caught the little re ceptacle from the other's hands— ripped it wide—shook out the con tents. There fell into his hand upon the table near which he stood, only a few trinkets of a woman's toilet—a. little dainty handkerchief—a eoin, yes„ a coin. The tall man held this up tn hia hand, his face distorted with rage. “What! a half-dollar of their cursed money! Curse you!’’ He half shrieked, and as he did so flung the piece full tn the other's face, with such violence that the Skin broke under its im pact “The coin!" went on the enraged speaker—“what-do yon mMBtf Do j*a meek me, Frederick, your real aun* arch? You shall die for this. Tva have failed—yoa have not foimd lt~ you have loat Itl" His own eyes half staling fiom his head ia his anger, he strode forward aad caught the throat of Aoleaa in his two mighty hands, thaking him aa he would bar* shaken a child. "Go!” he acid, afld Sang him toward the door. It waa as KlttT-Gray, after leaving th» American consulate, was speeding to> ward her hotel in her hired vehicl* that she caught sight ot a msa stag gering from the side entrance of a great mapslon house of white maihle froot. He seamed to have escaped from some calamity—from as attempt ed robbery or murder. 'Without pma- i^g to |«Dder upon propriety, she halt ed her vehicle and sprang out, hasten- tag «rer to the Sufferer, who atood at ^ edge the curb. ■ ’’pbat Is wrong}* said she. “Ton gre tn tnmhle—^you are hurt! Sl^ I taka you home—to some haspBi^ to the hotel ? Come tn. yoa are wel come.” The mac looked at her mutely, bea- Wating. “Come. 1 will carry you wbm you Uke." She had him by the arin sow. aad unsightly as he seemed;, hurried Mm into tv» d-'fr of her ou-n vahldt •Dd fnliov eu him. "Tlip Hi:;!, dri’. ar,".ahe directed. And so, in the role ot SamiirltaD, Kittr Gray mede her ^ciid arrival that day at the stately hotel which she bad ■elected as her own abode. ^11 through the ride the rjan at her side remained silent. suSerine acut» ly. He turned his face away. Again there came to Kitty Gray the strange feell^ that she felt something which she oujrht to recognise, she could hot tell what. In truth. syui>athy -I^d the better of curiosity for the time. She did not, examine ber strange comi-an- toa dos^y, only apeaking to him an . occasional w^ of tympathy and its- surance. Suddeal^ rem«mfaerii)V that she did not know who he was, and re^ memberlug also that her owo «»ada«t inight be held as sln^ar, she turned her compaaloti over to the h«ad'^>rtsr of the. hotel and hurried away to.her own room. .Apparentl)^the dlsilgured stranger remained at the hotel that night, for when, at eleven ot the following moni- ing, Kitty Gray emerged, properly ar rayed for a mornisg ride, she saw' the stranger In the hotel lobby, his facei swathed lu bandages.. He seemed to be waiting for her approach, spoke to her some words in a tongue which she did not understand—then changed to French—and then to English. “If mademoiselle would permit me,” he said, “I might be of use, eren as t am. I know the city. Might I act as courier for the time? I would stow my gratitude, it mademoiselle iiikards it as proper for me thus to do •o;" Kitty Gray, actuated by no definite purpose, hut governed by the impulse wtilch she trusted in her trade, turned suddenly toward the curb when stsod her hired motor car, and motlooed to the man to eater. They passed on down the wide av^ nue of the capital, a atrange couple enough. Kitty looked ihiriously abbuC her, studiously examining everythihig she saw. Ifes. the old city was beauti ful, with Its long lines of green trees, its stately edifices built by hands long stilled in death. Soon she began to find the need of a guide, and unobtrus ively the muffled figure at her side quietly suggested the Information he thought might be of service. He point ed out some of the other large hotels— mansion houses ot thia or that court official, the hall ot justice, the city hall, the great cathedrals, the royal palace, the palace of the Count Fred erick. “Yes," exclaimed Kitty Gray, “It was here that I found you yesterday. The hotel of the Count Frederick. I know, yea, but why—how did you—” Her companion suddenly raised a hand, touched ber arm gently, request ing silence. A great car, splendidly equipped and driven at rushing speed, came out ot the very Sid'S street on which Kitty Gray had fouod her companion on the previous day. In the car, his gloved hand resting on his stick, sat a tall man, erect, strikingly handsoiye In bis own way, imperio-js of air and bold ot Kitty Gray did not notice Shat her companion had shrunk back low into the seat. Her own eyes met those of the occupant of the advauciug car. Kitty Gray was young and more than a little handsoniK She had taken pains to tunr herself out well as she might in view of (lie iwsslbie surroundihijs she niight meet cn her "You Shall Dl« far Tma.” cstrangie ^est. To the bold eysa *f the tali’(trmitger she must hare seemed fair enough to look upon, for suddenly, as he passed, he stared at her direct ly, bowed, raised his hat—yea, even •mued. “Who was that man?" demanded Kitiy Gray fiercely of her companion. *^0 doesn't know me. And yet how like he looked to pictures I have seeiL There was a man—as iatenm- tfonal spy, they said in our country— some Strang^ foreigner—-at the time of the Gretzhoffen loan fiasco. Yea, the two facee are strangely alike. Who 1« he?" “Of the other I know nothing," re joined her companion; “but this—he is the Count Frederick.’' “Count Frederick—the pretender!” “Hush, DMdeuoiselie. for Chsd’s sake hush! We do not dare—^you mustaot dare.” ‘JUlow!” said Kitty Gnv aharplf. "Mow teU me (IO Bx coMTDnnoa,) POOR PI

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