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s ? The ? I I Pr'ncess I \ y* ?? * % Virgima ' Uy C. N. end A. M. WILLIAMSON. ? f Av'lKcn o? Tut Lifh!n nrf Con- * ductor." "Hotrmiry In Scorch of * F*lK#r." Etc. <;[ ? Copyright, IT07. by McClure. Phil- j> 9 liri a Co. Y p[- CHAPTER ~7l X J] Pf-C.ftfr.v < ???< V .-r, - ff ETTERS of Introduction for J ??, I.ady Mowbray and her daughter to lutluen >? ^ t In I and Interesting |ier rolls attached to the Hlinvtlnn court were necessarily n part of the wonderful plan concocted In the English garden, though the.v were among the details thought out afterward. The widow of the hereditary Grand Duke of Raumenhurg-llrlppe was re ported In the Journals of various coun tries to lie traveling with the Princess Virginia nnd a small suit through Can ada and the United States, nnd, fortu nately for the success of the Innocent plot, the grand duchess had spent so many years of seclusion In England and had even In her youth met so few Ithaetluns that there was little fear of detection. Iler objections to Virginia's scheme for winning n lover Instead of thanking heaven quietly for a mere husband were based on other grounds, but Virginia had overcome them, and eventually the grand duchess had prov ed not only docile, but positively fertile in expedient. The choosing of the borrowed flag under which to sail hud nt first been a difficulty. It was pointed out by a friend taken Into their confidence, a lady whose husband had heen ambas sador to Rhuetla, that a real name and a name of some dignity must be adopted If proper Introductions were to he given. And It was the grand duchess who suggested the name of Mowbray on the plea that she had In a way the right to annex It. The mother of the late Duke of Northmoreland had been a Miss Mow bray, and there were still several eml nently respectable, Inconspicuous Mow bray cousins. Among these cousins was a certain I.ady Mowbray, widow of a baron of that Ilk and possessing a daughter some years older and In numerable degrees plainer than the Princess Virginia To this Lady Mowbray the grand duchess had gone out of her way to be kind In Germany long years ago, when she was a very grand personage In deed and Lady Mowbray comparative ly a nobody. The humble connexion hnd expressed herself as unspeakably grateful, and the two had kept up a friendship ever since. Therefore when the difficulty of realism In a name pre sented Itself the grand duchess thought of Lady Mowbray aud Miss Ilelen Mowbray. They were about to leave England for India, but had not yet left, and the widow of the baron was j flattered as well 11s amused by the ro mantic confidence reposed In her by the widow of the grand duke. She was delighted to lend her name aud her daughter's name, and who could blame the lady If her mind rushed forward to the time when she should have earned gratitude from the young empress of Rhaettn? For of course she had 110 doubt of the way In which the adven ture would end. As for the wife of the late British ambassador to the Rbnetlan court, she was not sentimental and therefore was not quite as comfortably sure of the sequel. As far as concerned her own part In the plot, however, she felt safe enough, for. though she was after a fashion deceiving her old acquaint ances at Kronburg. she was not foist ing adventuresses upon them. On the contrary, she was giving them a chance of entertaining angels un awares by sending tliem letters to ladle.- who were In reality the Cratid Duchess of Bntimenburg-Drlppe and the Princess Virginia. The four mysterious gentlemen left Allehelllgen the day after Virginia's encounter with the chamois hunter But the Mowbrnya lingered on. The adventure had begun so gloriously that the girl feared an anticlimax for the next step. Though she longed for the second meeting, she dreaded It as well and put ofT the chance of It from day to day. The stay of the Mowbrnys at Allebelllgen lengthened Into n week, and when they left at last It was only Just tn time for the great festivities at Kron burg which were to eele brate the eini>eror's thlrty-tlrst birth day. an event enhanced In national Importance by the fact that the eighth anniversary of bis coronation would fall on the same date. On the morning of the Journey the grand duchess had neuralgia and was frankly cross. "I don't see, after all. what you've accomplished so far by this mad freak which has dragged us across Europe." she said fretfully In the train which they had taken at a town twenty miles from Allebelllgen. "We've perched on a mountain top, like the nrk on Ara rat. for a week, freezing. The ndven ture you had there la only a com pi lea tlon. What have we to show for our trouble?unless incipient rheumatism?" Virginia had nothing to show for It. at least nothing that she mennt to show, even to her mother, but In a little scented bag of silk which lay next her heart was folded a bit of blotting paper. If you looked at Its reflection In a mirror you saw written twice over In a firm Individual hand tlie name "Helen Mowbray." The princess had found It oil a table 1 In tbo b""t rtfflng room lifter Kruu Vor-. i;:i It "iiid-i that room ready for lis n w otupnnth. Therefore alie loved AIV 'i igen: tli -refore she thought wi ll redoubled satisfaction of her visit th?re '! > le t 0 her full mime be must have thought It worth while to make In tj'ilrles It !ia I lingered In his thoughts >r he would not have scrawled It twice j m sonic lilt of paper?since destroyed, ur doulit?In a moment of Idle dream ing. Through most of her life Virginia had known the lack of money, hut she would not have exchanged a thousand pounds for the contents of thut little hag. fl ilieului'.geiiwald Is the name of the douse from which the rulers of Ithae [la sprang. Therefore everything in die beautiful city of Kronburg which can take the mime of Ilohctihingcu wald has taken It. and It was at the llobeplangciiwald hotel that a suit of rooms had been engaged for Iaidy Mowbray The travelers broke the long journey at Mellnabad. and Virginia's study of trains Imd timed their arrival In Kron I irg for the morning of the birthday eve. early enough for the first cere mony of the festivities, the unveiling hy the emperor of a statue of Ithaetla In the I-eopoldplntx. directly hi front of the llolieulangenwnld hotel. Virginia looked forward to seeing the emperor from her own windows, as, according to her calculation, there was an hour to spare, hut at the station they were told by the driver of the carriage sent to meet them thut, the crowd in the streets being already very great, he feared It would be a tedious undertaking to Ret through. Some of the thoroughfares were closed for traf fio. He would have to go by a round about wuy and In any cnso could not reach the main entrance of the hotel. At best be would have to deposit bis passengers and their luggage nt n aide entrance In a narrow street. As the carriage started, from fhr away came a burst of martial music? a military band playing the national air which the chamois hunter had heard a girl sing behind a closed door nt Allehelligen. The shops were all shut, would be shut until the day nftec tomorrow, but their windows were unshuttered and gayly decorated to add to the bright ness of the scene. Strange old shops displayed the marvelous chased sliver, the Jeweled weapons and gorgeous em broideries from the far eastern prov inces of lthactla. Splendid new shops rivaled the best of the Rue de la l'alx In Paris. Gray mediaeval buildings made wonderful backgrounds for dra pery of crimson and blue and garlands of blazing flowers. Modern buildings of purple red porphyry and the famous honey yellow marble of lthaetla flut tered with flags, and above all, In the heart of the town, between old and new, rose the Castle Rock. Virginia's pubcs beat as she saw the home of Leopold for the first time, and she was proud of Its pletures<pienees. Its riches and grandeur, as If she had some right In It ran.' Ancient narrow streets and wide new streets were alike arbors of evergreen anil brilliant blossoms. Prosperous cltl-.cns In their best. Inhabitants of the poorer quarters and stalwart peasants from the country elbowed and pushed each other good naturedly as they streamed 'award the Leopoldplatz. Handsome people they were, the girl thought, her heart warming to them and to her It seemed that the very air tingled with expectation. She be lieved that she could feel the mag netic thrill in It even If she were blind and deaf and could hear or see nothing of the excitement. "We must be In time! We shall be In time!" she said to herself. "I shall lean out front my windows and see him." Rut at the bote', which they did 11.. ........I. ? ,,l,.l 1....1 ? 1 .on e .. nu.iii * ir.n ii. iih- i ii.in iv i'1-iii ii keen disappointment. With many apol ogies the landlord explained that he had done his very lest for Lady Mow bray's party tvhen he received their letier a fortnight before and that lie had allotted them a good suit, with balconies overlooking the river at tlie I .t. k of the horse -quite a Venetian of feet, as her ladyship would find. Tint as to rooms at the front-impossible! All had been engaged fullv six weeks In advance. One American millionaire was paying a thousand gulden solely for an hour's use of a small balcony, today for the unveiling and again to morrow for the slreet procession. Vir ginia was pale with disappointment. "Then I'll go down Into the crowd and take my chance of seeing something." she said to her mother when they had been shown Into handsome rooms sat Isfaetory In everything hut situation "I must hurry or there'll he no hope." "My dear child. Impossible for you to do such a tiling!" exclaimed the grand duchess. "I can't think of allow ing It. Fancy what a crush there will he?all sorts of creatures trampling on each other for places. Besides, you could see nothing." "Oh. mother," pleaded the princess In her softest, sweetest voice, the voice she kept for extreme emergencies of eajollng. "I couldn't liear to stay shut up here while that music plays and the crowds shout themselves hoarse for my emperor. Besides, It's the most curious thing?I feel as If n voice kept calling to me that 1 must lie there. Miss Portman and I'll take care of each other You will let me go. won't you?" Of course the grand duchess yielded, her oae stipulation being that the two should keep close to the hotel, and the princess nrgisl her reluctant companion ? way without waiting to hear her mother's last counsels. Tbelr rooms were on the first floor, and the girl turned eagerly down the broad flight of marble stair*. Miss Portman following dutifully u|iou her Inwli. They could not got out by way of the front door, for [>eople had paid for standing room there and would not yield nu Inch, even for an Instant, while the two or three steps below and the broad pavement In front were as closely blocked. Matters began to look hopeless, but Virginia would not be daunted. They tried the side entrance and found It free, the street Into which It led being comparatively empty, but Just beyond, where It ran Into the great open square of the Leopoldplatz, there was a solid wall of sightseers. "We might as well go back." said Miss Portman, who had none of the princess' keenness for the undertak ing. She was tired after the Journey and for herself would rather have had a cup of tea than see fifty emperors unveil as many statues by celebrated sculptors. "Oh. no!" cried Virginia. "We'll get to the front somehow sooner or later, even If we're takep ofT our feet. Look at that man Just ahead of lis. Fie doesn't mean to turn back. He's not a nice man, but he's terribly deter mined. Let's keep close to him and see what he means to do; then maybe we shall be able to do It as well." Miss Portman glanced at the person Indicated by a nod of the princess' head, tlndlsmayed by the mass of hu man livings that blocked the Leopold platz a few yards ahead, he walked rapidly along without the least hesita tion. He had the air of knowing ex actly what he wanted to do and how to do It. Even Miss Portman, who l.n,1 ...x *1.1.. 1... I.I.. iinu uu liiia^ i iia 11?mi, buvv nun ny ills hack. The set of the head on the shoulders was singularly determined, and the walk revealed a consciousness of Importance accounted for perhaps by the (tray and crimson uniform which might lie that of some official order. On the sleek black head was a large cooked hat, adorned with an eagle's feather, fastened In place by a gaudy Jewel, and this lint was pulled down very far over the face. "Perhaps he knows that they'll let him through," said Miss Portman. "He seems to lie n dignitary of some sort. We can't do lietter. If you're deter mined to go on. than keep near him." "He has the air of being ready to die," whispered Virginia, for they were close to the man now. "How can you tell? We haven't seen his face," replied the other In the same cautious tone. "No. Hut look at the back of his neck and his ears." Miss Portman looked and gave a lit tle shiver. She would never have thought of observing It If her atten tion had not been called by the prin cess. Hut It was true. The linck of the man's neck and Ills ears were of a ghastly yellow white. "Horrid!" she ejaculated. "He's probably dying of some contagious dis ease. Do let's get away from him." "No, no," said Virginia. "He's our only hope. They're going to let him pnss through. Listen." Miss Portman listened, but as she understood only such words of Ithae tlau as she had picked up In the last few weeks she could merely surmise that lie was ordering the crowd out of his way because he had a special mes sage from the lord chancellor to the burgomaster. The human wall opened. The man darted through, and Miss Portman was dragged after him by the princess. So close to him had they kept that they might easily be supposed to be under his escort, and. In any case, they pass ed before there was time to dispute their right of way. "It must lie the secretary of Herr Hoffman, the new burgomaster," Vir ginia henril one man say to another, "and those ladles are with him." On and on through the crowd passed the man in grny and crimson, oblivious to the two women who were using ldm. There was something about that dis agreeable back of his which proelnim I ed him a man of but one Idea at a i time. Close to the front line of spec tators, however, there came a check ^ .e vr "We cuw't do better." People were vexed at the audacity of the girl and the elderly woman and I would have pushed them hack, but at the critical second the blue and sliver ] uniformed band of Rhaetla's crack | regiment, the Imperial Life guards, struck up an air which told that the eni(>eror was coming. Promptly the smnll group concerned forgot Its griev ance lu excitement, crowding together : so that Virginia was pressed to the front, and only Miss Portman was ! pushed ruthlessly Into the background. ' The poor lady raised a feeble protest In English which nobody heeded unless It were the man who had Inadvertently , acted as pioneer. At her shrill out 1 burst he turned quickly, as If startled . by the sudden cry, and Virginia was . so close to him that her chin almost touched his shoulder. For the first time she had a glimpse of his face, which matched the yellow wax of hla heck In pallor. If srlrl shrank away from li!:u In- I . Militarily. "What a death's head." i <? thought?"u sly, \vi( keil fate ami | i. fill ejf : lit' looked frightened. I ! wunder wii/ " Assured that tin- sharp cry did not ?'i<c a ului. the iiiiiii turned to the trout again, and having obtained his object?a plui e In tlie foremost ruuk of In* crowd, with cue liiciileiitally for th ? princess? he proceeded to take from hla breast a roll of purchuieut lied with narrow ribbon aud sealed n Itli a large red seal. As he drew It ?nit and rearranged his coat his band trembled. It. too. was yellow white. The fellow seemed to have no blood In Mm. Virginia, standing now shoulder to shoulder with the aiau in gray and crimson, had Just time to feel a stir ring of dislike and perhaps curiosity when a great cheer arose from thou sands of throats. The square rang with a roar of loyal acclamation. Men waved tall hats, soft hats and green peasant hats with feathers. Beautiful ly dressed women grouped on the high decorated balconies waved handker chiefs or scattered roses from gilded baskets. Women In gorgeous costumes from faroff provinces held up half frightened, half laughing children, and then u white figure ou a white charger came riding iuto the square under the triumphal arch wreathed with fiags and (lowers. Other figures followed?men In uni forms of greeu and gold and red on coal black horses?yet Virginia saw only the white figure, sbluing. wonder ful. Under the glittering helmet of steel, with lis gold eagle, the dark face was clear cut as a cameo, and the eyes were bright with a proud light. To the crowd he was the emperor, a fine, popular. brilliant young inan, who ruled Ills country better than It had been ruled yet by one of his house and, above all, provided many a pleasing spectacle for the people, but to Vir ginia he was far taore?an Ideal Sir Galahad or a St. George strong and brave to slay all dragon wrongs which might threaten his wide land. "What If he should never love me?" was the one sharp thought which pierc ed her pride of him. The people were proud, too, as he sat there controlling the white war horse, with Its gold and silver trappings, the crusted Jewels of many orders spar kling on his breast, while he saluted his subjects In his soldier's way. For a moment there wns a pause, save for a shouting, which rose and rose again. Then he alighted, where upon important looking men with rib bons and decorations came forward, bowing, to receive the emperor. The ceremony of unveiling the statue of Ubaetia was about to begin. To reach the great crimson draped platform on which he was to stand the emperor must pass within a few yards of Virginia. Ills gaze flashed over the gay crowd. What if it should rest upon her? The girl's heart was In her throat. She could feel it beat ing there, and for a idomeut the tall white flgure was lost in a mist which dimmed her eyes. She had forgotten how she came to this place of vantage, forgotten the pale man In gray and red to whom she owed her good fortune, but suddenly, while her heart was at Its loudest and the mist before her eyes at its thick est. she grew conscious again of his existence, poignantly conscious of his close presence. So near her he stood that a quick start, a gathering of his muscles for a spring, shot like an elec tric message through her own body. The mist was burnt up in the flame of a strange enlightenment, a clarity of vision which showed not only the hero of the day, the throng and the wax white man beside her, but some thing which was in the soul of that man as well. "lie Is going to kill the emperor!" It was as if a voice spoke the words in her ear. She knew now why she had struggled to win this place, why she had succeeded, w hat she had to do or die in falling to do. I.eopold was not half a dozen yards i away and was coming nearer. No one j '".i * ii^iui.i >i: ?>Jh i tfvii. nne uiuut* , hail felt the thrill of a luurderer's | ryrves, the tense spring of his mus cles She alone guessed what the roll of parchment hid. "Now?now!" the voice seemed to whisper again, and she had 110 fear. While the crowd shouted wildly for "I'nser I.eo!" a man in gray and red leaped, catlil.e, at tlie white figure that advanced. Something shnrp and bright Cashed out from a roll of parchment, catching the sun in a streak of steely light. Leopold saw, but not in time to swerve. The crowd shrieked, rushed forward too late, and the blade would have drunk ills life had not the girl who had felt all, seen all, struck up the arm before it fell. The rest was darkness for her. She knew only that she was sobbing and that the great square, with Its crowded balconies, its ropes of green, its wav ing flags, seemed to collapse upon her and blot her out. It was Leopold who caught her as she swayed, and while the people surg ed around the thwarted murderer the emperor sprang up the steps of the great crimson platform with the girl against his heart. It was her blood that stained the pure white of his uniform, the blood from her arm, wounded In his defense. And. holding her up, he stood dominat ing the crowd. Down there at the foot of the steps the man in gray and red was like a spent fox among the hounds, and Leo pold's people In the fury of their rage would have torn him In pieces as the bounds tear the fox despite the cor don of police that gathered round him, hut the voice of the emperor bade his subjects fall back. "My people shall not be assassins!" io or It'll to them. "Let the law deal nith the madman. It is my will. Look at me alive mul unhurt. Now give your cheers for the lady who has saved my life, and the ceremonies shall go on." Three cheers li <1 he said? They gave three times 111 roe and hade fair to split the skies with shouts for the tmperor. While uouieu laughed and "Let the law deal with the madman." wept and all eyes were upon that noble pair on the red platform something limp and gray was hurried out of sight and off to prison. On a signal the na tional anthem began. The voices of the people Joined the brass instru ments. All Kronburg was singing or asking "Who Is she?" of the girl at the emperor's side. ?---rrrr-.-r Pi CHAPTER ttVENjl T8T T is those in the thick of battle who can after sT">H ward tell least about it, w/ B and to the princess those .J /7 H five minutes ? moments ?*S? the most tremendous, the mosi vital of her life?were after ward in memory like a dream. She had seen that a man was ghast ly pale: she had caught a gleam of fear in his eye; she had felt a tigerish quire- run through his frame as the crowd pressed him against her. In stinct?and love?had told her the rest and taught her how to act. Vaguely she recalled later that she had thrown herself forward and struck up the knife. Au impression of that knife as the light gleamed on it alone was clear. Sickening, she had thought of the dull sound it would make in failing, of the blood that would spout from a rent In the white coat among the Jeweled orders. She had thought, ts one thinks In dying, of existence in n world empty of Leopold, and she inn known that unless he could be saved her one wish was to go out of the world with him. More than this she had not thought or known. What she did was done scarcely by her own volition, and she seemed to wake with a start at last, to hear herself sobbing and to feel the throb, throb, of a hot pain in her arm. A hundred hands?not quick enough to save, yet quick enough to follow the lead given by her?had fought to seize the man iu gray and stop a second blow. They had borne him away, while, as for Virginia, her work done, she forgot everything and every one but Leopold. Reviving, she had heard him speak to tlie crowd and told herself dreamily that were she dying Ills voice could bring her back if he called. She even listened to each word that rang out like a cathedral bell above the babel. Still he held her, and when the cheers came she scarcely understood that they were for her as well as for Leo pold, the emperor. Afterward, the ne ce.-sity for public action over, he bent his head close enough to whisper, "Thank you," and then for Virginia every syllable was clear. "You are the bravest woman alive," ue saiu ? i naa to Keep tlieni rroni killing the ruffian, but now I can speak to you alone. I thank you for what you did with ray whole heart, Rtid I pray heaven you're not seriously hurt." "Xo. not hurt and very happy." the princess answered, hardly knowing what she said. She felt like a soul re leased from its body, floating in blue ether. What could It matter if that body ached or bled? Leopold was safe, and she had saved him. He pointed to her sleeve. "The knife struck you. Your arm's bleeding, and the wound must be seen immediately by my own surgeon. Would that 1 could go with you myself, but duty keeps me here. You understand that. Baron von Lyndal and his wife will at once take you home, wherever you may be staying. They"? "But I would rather stop and see the rest." said Virginia. "I'm quite well now. not even weak, and I can go down to my friend"? "If you're able to stop. It must be here with me." answered Leopold. "After the service you have done fot me and for the country it is yout place." The ladles of the court, who. with their husbands, had lieen watting t< congratulate I-eopold. crowded roun<" the girl as the emperor turned to then, with a look and gesture of Invltntion A seat was given her, and the arm Ir Its blood stained sleeve was hastily bound up. She was the heroine of the day, dividing honors with Its hero. There was scarcely a grnnde dame Sanderford Imperial Cigar Ilead and Shoulders above all ' other nickel cigars. Everybody smokes them, both young and old. Grown by Cubans; Made by Sanderford; Sold by HOOD BROS. SMOKED BY EVERYBODY Ready For "Vou Having bought the planing mills until recently run by Mr. J. E. Page, I am pre pared to serve the public in my line. Give me your orders for flooring, ceiling, mould ing, weather-boarding, man tels, window and door frames. :: School Desks a Specialty. John I. Barnes Clayton. IN. C. | Grass, Flower, Field-jj g and Garden Seed a 0 For allclassesof customers, ? 8 the large as well as the K small buyer. We solicit H Borders especially for large A amounts of Grass, Field & Jg ft Garden Seeds on very small ft 5 margin of profit. '! Jg Summer Flowering Bulbs jg| Tuberose ft Dialias ft | M CannaS M Gladiolas JX In large and varied assortments, X Q the latest varieties and colors. Q A Flower Pots and Jardiniers A 8 Always kept iD stoek at reason- 5 able prices. Call and examine Q j our stock. Q J Clayton Drug j 5 Company Q A. M. NOBLE Attorney and Counselor at Law Office in Stevens Building SMITHFIELD. North Carolina 1 Will practice wherever services tequlred I $15.70 Washington, D. C. And Return VIA ATLANTIC COAST LINE A Account Biennial Session Na tional Association of Colonial Dames, Washington, D. C., MAY 6th-9th Tickets on sale wlay 3rd, 4th and 5th. Pinal return limit May 12th, 1908. Extension final limit to May 25th may be ob tained by deposit of ticket and payment of fee 50c to Special Agent, No. 1419 New York Ave. N. W., not earlier than May 3rd or later than May 12th. For further information com municate with nearest ticket I agent or write W. J. CRAIG, Gen. Traffic Manager T. C. WHITE, Gen. Passenger Agent WILMINGTON, N. C. BEE S LAXATIVE COUGH SYRUP RELIEVES COUGHS AND COLDS
The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, N.C.)
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May 1, 1908, edition 1
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