A Silver Brand — page 204: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

196. A SILVER BRAND. midst of a desolate wood? Tell me would it be possible?” “That depends upon the assistance she had. If there were somebody below with a wire ladder, or if she was secure from all espionage, I do not feel sure such an escape need to be miraculous.” “The man believes it. Iread iton his face. He de- voutly believes that the heavens opened a way for her. She was securely guarded from retreat below, and had she reached the ground was still barred in by high walls and locked gates. Yet she is gone, and there is no trace.” ‘‘Y’faith,” responded Sebastian Schrodter, coolly, while he knocked off the ashes from his fifth cigar; ‘‘I’faith I should rather risk a purse on her being carried off by an eagle or—why,-our friend’s balloon, yesterday.” The hand of the prince came down upon the table with a force that shook everything on it. “By my father’s sceptér, Schrodter, you have hit it!” he cried, springing up, alFhis face aflame with joyful relief. “*T could swear this minute that is the way of it. Do you remember the pale face we were certain we saw? Dolts! idiots! they have allowed him to carry her off over their very heads. A miracle, indeed! .Ho, there! Send in the man again; the man Scippel.” ’ But wise Seippel had taken himself away. The prince flung anathemas after him and called in his confidential agent. That day there went forth a secret decree which set the royal spies upon the watch over every zeronaut within _ fifty miles and more. _ Carl Koeppel heard from it soon enough. ‘The visitor to ‘whom that evening of his exciting adventure he had opened with so much secret misgiving and alarm had proved to be one of his neighbors, a curious, meddlesome fellow who was no favorite of his. But he served him a good turn all unmeaningly, for the second evening he re- turned again and opened his budget of news. This time the worthy couple were in readiness for visitors. They were sitting quietly together, Crezence at her needle-work with her foot on the cradle, singing her soft lullaby to the heavy little eyes and ears there, and Carl busy over his torn silk, for he was already eager and earnest to repair the balloon. | “Well, fraulein, a good even to you. You’ll be thinking Pm a good neighbor, I’m sure, to come again to-night. But I was in hopes to hear something about your trip the other day, Koeppel.. I’m mightily interested in that bal- GComicbooks €O