Avon Modern Short Story Monthly #36 — page 113: what you’re looking at

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

HTORIeALS NIGHTS" 1 ENTERTAINMENT | 5 Oe ? ee c ef 4 od i: Pe ae a toe ‘ 4 He * A sy SF ‘ He clustered in a massive silver beonck: and held the note so that telight a fell full upon the writing. Bae Standing thus, he passed a hand over his eyes and stared again, two a i é hectic spots burning now in his white cheeks. Abruptly, disregarding © ‘ es the superscription, his trembling fingers snapped the blank seal and__ BS | unfolded the letter addressed to his royal master. He was still reading Bes when the chamberlain returned to announce that the King was pleased to see the Baron at once. He did not seem to hear the an- nouncement. His attention was all upon the letter, his lips drawn back — from his teeth in a grin, and beads of perspiration glistening Upon his bs i brow. a “His Majesty—” the chamberlain was beginning to repeat, when oe he broke off suddenly. “Your Peery! is ill?” a Bjelke stared at him with glassy eyes. He sei the letter in his = é hand and stuffed one and the other into the pocket of his black satin <i coat. He attempted to laugh to reassure the startled chamberlain, 4 and achieved a ghastly grimace. : - id “I must not keep His Majesty waiting,” he said thickly, and stum-— | bled on, leaving in the chamberlain’s mind a suspicion that His’ 2 Majesty’s secretary was not quite sober. : 2 But Bjelke so far conquered his emotion that he was almost his a | usual imperturbable self when he reached the royal dressing-room; = indeed, he no longer displayed even the agitation that had pose him when first he entered the palace. : Gustavus, a slight, handsome man of a good height, was sania before a cheval-glass when Bjelke came in. Frangois, the priceless valet _ His Majesty had brought back from his last pleasure-seeking visit to Be pre-revolutionary Paris some five years ago, was standing back indice : cially to consider the domino he had just placed upon the royal shoul-_ | q ders. Baron Armfelt—whom the conspirators accused of wielding the ss: most sinister of all the sinister influences that perverted the King’s — mind—dressed from head to foot in shimmering white’ satin, lunged on a divan with all the easy familiarity permitted to this most inti- | = mate of courtiers, the associate of all royal follies. - Gustavus looked over his shoulder as he entered. - eae a BS SE a BF Se eee rae FE Pat Oe “comicbooks.c om TD Oey ere Hig te SF aA en ea et ee yr eee ae Ga na Meee hg an or. ee ae ate eae RET