A Servant of Satan: Romantic Career of Prado the Assassin — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

18 A SERVANT OF SATAN. riage with her. It is needless to add that this was a fatal step, as far as the future career of Frederick was con- cerned. But he was scarcely nineteen vears old at the time, and in the hands of a clever and designing woman several years his senior., Of course, they adopted every possible measure to prevent their altered relations from A0.9 bs ot BAS OAR Re ASS, Se ee ee a gi hae eae j ee oa ‘ pe! . As ie. < f . becoming known, for in the first place German officers are _ prohibited, under severe penalties, from marrying without having previously obtained an official authorization from the Minister of War; and secondly, Frederick was perfectly aware of the intense indignation with which both his father and the royal family would regard such a terrible misalli- ance. ‘Two days after the ceremony Frederick left for his _ new garrison, promising Rose that he would make speedy arrangements whereby she would be enabled to rejoin him. In due course he arrived at his destination—a dreary-look- ing village in the neighborhood of Biala—and was received _ with considerable coldness by his new colonel and fellow- officers who did not particularly relish the notion that their - regiment should be regarded as a kind of penitentiary for offending guardsmen. ‘The commander, in particular, was . -athorough martinet, who looked with extreme disfavor on all the mannerisms and dandified airs of the young count. Thoroughly out of sympathy with his uncongenial messmates, Frederick soon began to feel oppressed by the monotony ~ and solitude of his existence, and repeatedly urged Rose by letter and telegiam to join him. ‘This, however, she was in no hurry to do, as she naturally preferred the gay life of the capital, with plenty of money to spend and numerous ad- _ mirers, to the dreariness and discomfort of a Polish village in the middle of winter. At length, however, Frederick’s letters grew so pressing that delay was no longer possible, and she started for Biala with a perfect mountain of lug- gage. On her arrival there she was met by her husband, who was beside himself with joy at seeing her again. Of course, Eomicbooks (elo.