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The Merry Widow By ALBERT PAYSON TERHUNE COPYRIGHT. 1908, BY HENRY W. SAVAGE CHAPTER V. To the Rescue. ' y|J3II. who had obediently fol- V lowed Do Jolidon aud Natalie at Popoff’s orders until they ' imd entered the summerhouse, now wriggled forward in confusion on hearing the ambassador's voice. “Did you call me, sir?" he asked. “I most surely did call you, Ur. Kish!" cried Popoff. “And I told you I wits certain I saw a lady, or, rather, n lady’s skirt, disappearing Into that summer house. Who was she?*’ “I 1 don’t know, your excellency," tremblingly lied Nish. “You ought to know!” scolded Popoff. “You were standing nearer the sum mer house than 1 was. Didn’t you see her at all?” “Yes, sir yes, I saw her, if I may say s ), but 1 don't know who she was, I really don’t. I" “Was she alone?" . “No, your excellency, not quite alone. The e was, if 1 may say so there was a gentleman with her. At least he looked like • gentleman, but 1 didn’t recognize him either,” “Well, well, well!” chuckled the am bass: dor, seating himself In a garden chair and eying the summer house with delightful Interest. “A little flir tation, eh? Gone In there to whisper gweet nothings where no one can In terrupt ’em. I wonder wlvo they are! Now, I really wonder! Mr. Nish, I would not for the Vorld have you think 1 an the least bit curious. But—l’ll just sit here awhile, for a joke, and watch them cotno out. In the mean time. Mr. Nish, you might slip around to the rear of the summer house and see if there Is another door there. If there is, you might lock It. Under stand?” “Yo-yos, your excellency!” mumbled panic stricken Nish, scuttling away - -xmmMt i ' " , -■V ■ '• .V * H j' * —- TM AWAKE FROM MY CRAZY DREAM OF LOVE, AND I’M GOING BACK TO MAXIMS.” nmong the bushes. The little clerk never paused until he had found Sonia. To her he pouml forth the whole story, jutting with wild horror ns she broke into a peal of uncontrollable laughter. Suddenly she grew sober. “Her husband will never forgive her." she murinureit. half to herself. “He will never understand that it's just a silly, harmless, sentimental talk they're having.’’ Memories of the ways of jealous Marsovian husbands flashed into her mind. In that primitive fatherland wives had been beaten—yes, and mur dered for less. Something must be done, and done quickly.” “Don't worry!” she consoled the ter rified Nish. “Say nothing to any one else. I’ll get Mine. Popoff out of the scrape if I can.” Before Nish could reply she had dis appeared down a path leading to the rear door of the summer house. Meantime Popoff, his curiosity mas tering him, had left his seat. Stealing forward on tiptoe, he put his eye to the keyhole of the wicker door. lie had scarcely bent over this when Danilo. happening to pass by on his way to the gate, paused In amazement at sight of the Marsovian ambassador thus assuming the role of Paul Pry. “Why, hello, old chap!” cried the prince. “What are you up to?” “Hush!” warned Popoff In an excited whisper. “A lady went into the sum mer bouse a few minutes ago witli a gentleman. I can’t see them very clearly. There’s too much fluff in the keyhole. But they’re sitting opposite each other with only a little table be tween them. The lady’s back is to me, but it somehow looks familiar. The man is talking aa earnestly as if he were trying to borrow money. Now he’s bending across and kissing her hand, and she doesn't seem to mind. It’s—why, bless my soul, it’s that fel low De Jolidon? Well, well! Of all things! Now, if only the lady would turn her face so I could see her”— “Come away, sir!” begged Dauilo, the whole situation bursting upou his mind. He caught Popoff’s sleeve, but the ambassador shook him off. “Let rue nloue!” he whispered. “Can’t you see what it all means? It means we’ve found the lady De Jolidon’s in love with, the very woman we’ve both been looking for! And now if she’ll just turn her bead a little I’ll be able to see her face, and then”— "Then you don't know who she is?” queried Danilo. “No. But I’ll” “Then take my advice and don't try to And out. Let well enough aloue. Come away, old chap, and”— “No, no! There; you pulled my head away just as she was turning around. I’d have seen her in another second. They’re getting up. Maybe they’ll go, .tut by the other door, and then l shan't be able to know who”— “Let me do the looking.” suggested Daulio. "If either of us has to play the eavesdropper I',11”-- “No. It is my place.” asserted Pop jff. “But I'll bet you a hundred francs It’s Mine. Nova Kovitch.” “It would be like stealing a drunken man’s watch. I won't take the bet. Come away, sir, and let the matter drop where it is. For your own hap piness"— But I’opoff was once more at the key bole. “They’re standing up to go," he re ported.* “Now she's beginning to face this way. It’s— Oh, good Lord!” The poor old man staggered away from the door as though struck be tween the eyes. Keeling to a chair, he collapsed and buried his face in his hands.* “No, no! It can’t be! It can’t!” he moaned. “And yet I could hardly be mistaken. My wife! And”— “Brace up, your excellency!” entreat ed Danilo in genuine distress. “Pull yourself together. There are people coming along the walk. Don’t make a scene. Perhaps you were mistaken.” “No; I saw her!” groaned Popoff. “My own wife and De Jolidon! And he kissed her hand.” “Oh, I dare say she was more kissed against than kissing!” Danilo observed consolingly. “But be careful, sir. A whole lot of people are within ear shot.” “Then let them know the worst!” cried Popoff in a voice that brought a number of guests hurrying to the spot. “I’ll denounce her before them all! Come out of there,” he bellowed, rush ing forward, “both of you! Come out!” He threw the simmer house door wide open and shrank back, incredu lous, aghast. On the threshold stood De Jolidon and—Sonia! “What—what does this mean,” gur gled the confused ambassador, “this —this change and”— “You called to us to come out,” re turned Sonia calmly. “May 1 ask what you wanted of us?” “Sonia!” gasped Danilo. And through the confusion of many excited voices she heard him and thrilled to the note of anguish in his half stifled cry. “if—if it was you who were in there with M. de Jolidon,” stammered Popoff, “where is my wife?” “Here 1 am, dear,” answered Natalie, stepping out of the crowd, with which she had mingled after her hurried exit through the rear door of the summer house. “Here I am! What is the mat- ter?” “Matter enough!” cried her husband. “I could have sworn 1 saw you sitting In that arbor with M. de Jolidon.” “My dear!” Natalie’s exclamation was a triumph of shocked propriety. “He was kissing your hand, I thought,” went on the dazed ambassa dor. This time Natalie moved away from him in offended dignity. But Popoff hastened to throw his arm about her and draw her back. “I was wrong,” he assured her—“a blunder of eyesight! I apologize! I’m sorry. I” "I begin to understand,” put in Sonia, stepping forward in fear lest Natalie overdo her pose of virtuous indigna tion. “It seems that the Marsovian ambassador has done me the honor to listen at a keyhole in hopes of over hearing my conversation. Sooner fhan disappoint him, M. de Jolidon, will you pleaSe repeat to him just what you said to me in there?” De Jolidon understood. If Natalie was to be saved, if Sonia was not to be talked about, heroic measures were necessary. “I asked Mine. Sonia Sadowa,” said he, “to do me the honor to become my wife!” Dauilo stood motionless, his lips set fn a white line, amid the buzz of con gratulations and laughter that followed I)e Jolidon's announcement. Sonia noted his agony and said joyfully to herself: “My prince, I tliiuk I've won! You’ll have to speak, soon or late, now, and when you do”— “And Marsovia loses the twenty mil lions!” Popoff muttered, recovering his self possession and somewhat belated ly remembering his country's needs. “Prince,” called Sonia mischievous ly, “I haven’t heard your congratula tions yet. You don't look as happy as you might at the news.” “Happy!” echoed Dauilo, with a scornful, mirthless laugh. “Why shouldn't I be? Accept my congratu lations, my paternal blessing and any thing else you choose to levy on me for. My own motto is, ‘Love when you may, propose seldom and marry—not tt all!’ “Let me tell you a little fairy story; There were once a prince and a prin cess. They loved each other. But the prince was poor and dared not tell of his love for fear of being thought a fortune hunter. His silence tpade the princess angry. So she went and prom ised her hand to another man, and they .all lived miserably unhappy ever after. And the moral of that stupid little story is that I'm sick of respect ability, and I'm awake from my crazy dream of love, and I’m going back to Maxim's, and you can all go to—Mar sovia!" “He loves me! He loves me!” panted Sonia under her breath. (To Be Continued.) _ People seldom get that tired feeling from carrying the .burdens of others. A. Happy Family When you fix upon having a good Insurance policy, your mind is at rrest, your wife is touched by your thought, and even the baby sees there’s something of importance going on and joins in the general good feeling. That’s the best thing about a po!icy=-it’s the one settled, i-afe investment in this world of trade changes. See me. GEO. 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