JOAN GIP LT 5 R P CM maya 01 0 cot im 1900 by 8 13 n R crockett CHAPTER A at athis this point an officer carrie swift ly across the parterre and stood blood with uncovered head bead by the steps of the terrace waiting for permission to as bend the prince summoned him with ith a movement 0 of his hand what nev he said have bave the yet left the tha summer palace 9 no my loid answered the ocler earnestly but johannes Joh annea rode of I 1 he princess margareto margaret a household nas come with a message that the plague has broken out and that the lady princess Is the first arst which princess demanded ivan with an instant incision of tone the lady I ady joan princess of court land your 1 implied the man without however looking at the prince of the lad joan cried the louls louis she ahe is III 1117 she has brought the black death with alth her she Is stricken with tho the plague how for dunato that so BO far I 1 lie clapped his land hand upon his brow and shut ills bis eyes as if giving blanks anka I 1 I see it all now ho be died cited this A the reason the Kerns berg tr altoS were so BO milling to give her up it la is all a plot against my life I 1 im ft III not go near let the court physicians be gentl beitl cause the doors of the sum mer palace to 0 o be sealed scaled set fiet double guards permit none to pass either way save the doctors only and let them champa chaape heir clothes and perfume mith ith the ercolie of sulphur before they come out ilia his voice mounted higher and higher as he spoke and ivan of him without speaking drig as with bands thrust out and distended nostrils M it screamed and gesticulated prince ivan had never been a thorough coward before and the breed in te rested him but when he bad lot let the prince run on far enough to shame him before his officer he rose quietly and stood in front of him I 1 loula louis lie sold said in a low voice listen to me this la Is but a report it Is like enough to be false it ts Is certain to be exaggerated let us go at once and find out prince louis threw out lite his lands hands with a gesture of despair not I 1 rot not 11 I 1 he be cried you may go 90 it if you like it if 3 ou do not value your life dut but I 1 I 1 do not feel well even now yesterday I 1 kissed her hand band ah ab would to god that I 1 had not that Is it I 1 wondered on dered what nhat ailed me this morning go stop the court ghyst clans do not let go to the summer bring thorn thom here to me first finui tinui aknin arm of officer fleer I 1 think I 1 will go to my loom boom 1 I am not well prince ivan s countenance grew mot tied and greg gre ha asb and his teeth in the fe sun still like a thin line of dazzling white lie ile grasped the poltroon by the wrist math a hand of steel listen he said no more of this I 1 will not have it if I 1 will not waste my an time and the blood of my fathers father a Rold lers for or naught this Is but some borne womans comans trick to delay the anlage in I 1 know it I 1 fear neither black death noi black devil I 1 N will III have the lady margaret to today day if I 1 have to wed her on her deathbed now I 1 cannot enter your va alfes ife a chamber atone alone yet go I 1 must it only to see eee what all this weans means and aou shall accompany me do you hear prince louis I 1 swear you shall go with me to the summer palace it if I 1 have to drag you step by step ills his grasp lay like a tightening circle of iron about the tha wrist of prince bouls his steady glince glance dominated the weaker man louis drew in his breath with mith a choking noise I 1 I 1 will ho he g taped it if I 1 must I 1 will go hut but the death the black e V I 1 1 I 1 Q e r r X h 1 1 1 I wear swear you shall hall go with me death I 1 am sick truly ivan I 1 aaa aln very sick so am 11 said prince ivan arall in grimy grimily nut but bring his highness a cup ot at wine and send hitler alexis the deacon my own physician the officer went out cursing thua muscovite Musco vito ears that had listened to such things and atso also high heaven for giving such a prince to hla his father land i oattie k at 0 princess door prince ivna iron tapped g gently and par ear to tumbled with mith his golden crucioli 5 nd as aa thop turned sa away y hi hia shead heal he press pressed 4 Curl furl vely to to hla his lips 4 nver sinco since beset he net foot fool an fn a ills h fa acs ics he had bv br mut f f av 1 cering the prayers of the church in ft 4 rapid undertone prince I 1 outs to see princess joan ivan answered the low voiced chat lenge from within the door opened slightly and then more widely tian pushed his filand forward and the they Y en entered tred loule loula dragging one foot after the other towards the shaded couch by alich knelt kaneft tle the princess margaret iborti of 0 bornholm pallid and blue stood beside her swaying a lit ito but still holding halt half unconscious conscious tin ll 11 a silver basin into which margaret lipped dipped a line fine linen cloth before touch ing with mith it the foam flecked flocked lips of file he prince ivan remained a little back near to where the court physicians were conferring together in stage As ho he passed a tall glee gie lod 4 boarded bearded man girt about the middle with a silver chain detached himself aiom the official group and ampro idled ached fianco tian han after an instinctive cringing crin ing movement of homage and salutation he ha bent to the young mans ear and whispered half a boien words prince ivan nodded very slightly and the man stole away as he had bad come no one ona in the room had noticed the incident meanwhile unto of courtland al most as pale as bhora herself his lips blue his teeth chattering his fingers clammy with perspiration stood uy oy the bedside clutching the crucifix presently a hand m was as laid upon his arm ito he started violently at the touch it Is truo a bad case said ivan la in 1 mj j ear I 1 let us get am away ay I 1 roust must speak with you at once the physicians have given their verdict they can do not nothings hingl with a gasp of relief prince louis faced about and as he be turned he tottered steady friend louill said prince ivan in his ear and passed tits his arm about his waist ile he began to fear lest he should have frightened his dupe too thoroughly see how he be loves her murin murmured murmur urd td the doctors of healing still con conferring feiring with their heads together who would have believed it bleT nav he is only much afraid said eald alexis the tha deacon the muscovite doe doc tor and small blame to him now that tre tle blick death has come to courtland Courtia Courll ind nd in half an hour we shall hear bear the death rattle ihen I 1 hen there Is no need of 0 us stay ing said more than one learned doctor and they moved boatly towards the door but ivan had bad possessed himself of the key hey and even as the hand of the was mas on the latchet bar the bolt was shot la in his face and the eyes of alexis the deacon glowed between his narrow red llda lids like sparks in under tinder as he be glanced at the whitening faces of tile the learned moil men of courtland without the door ivan fixed prince louls louis with his will now no he said speaking in low trenchant tones I 1 it this be indeed the black death and it Is like it there Is no safety for us here we must get without walls in an hour there will bo be such a panic in the city as has not been for centuries I 1 offer after you a way of escape my cossacks stand horsed and without let vs us go with them but the princess margaret must come also but but but 11 louis still ob the princess joan she may die that will reflect upon ray my honor it if we all desert isert her my sister will continue to attend her they are friends I 1 will mill go with you afar garet can remain and nurse her A light like a spear point glittered momentarily under the dark brows brohs of the muscovite listen prince louis he be said your honor Is your honor joan of tho the sword hand and hr bor black plagues are sour own oan affair she Is out oni eife not mine I 1 have helped you to got get her bachno back no more but the tha princess margaret Is my business I 1 have bought tier her with a price and look iou sir air I 1 will not ride back to russia empty handed banded that ever every petty boyar bovar and starveling serf may at al me sai ing he I 1 elded the prince of courtland bowin to win his alfo ifo but he could not bring back one bim himself the whole hole city the whole country from here to moscow know for what cause I 1 have so long sojourned sojourn ed in your capi tal now louis will you have me go as your friend oi 01 as your enemy ivan ilvan tvan ivan you are my friend do not speak to we TOO sol who else is ny MY friend if aou ou desert me then give me ine your si sisceil steil ci the prince cast up his land hand with a little gesture of despair ali ah he sighed you do not know margaret ur garet she Is sot not la in my gift or ou should have had her long agal oh the troubles ls these troubles lesl when ullen will they be at an end ead I 1 1 I hey bey are at an end row cow said brince ivan consolingly call your slater sister out of 0 the chamber ort on a pie text in ton ten minutes we shall be at tho the cathedral gates gales in another ten eha find and I 1 can be wedded bedded according to your roman custom in halt half art an hour we shall all bo b outside we uie walls alls if you fear the tee infection you need not come near bier er I 1 will do all that Is nece and what more natural wo me will III bil bt gone before the panic bi beeaks cat a yot yoi to one of you your r b hill III cist aes ok o K it 3 sod oa do not A ish to come with ith us to kitow t and the Vil joan tattered faltered tho aft toward coard i she is n rood good hands handa said the arvil fully tor for once I 1 f I 1 pledge paige il you var my word of honor she ehe is 1 f N vo so danger call 5 our sister alven as he spoke he be tapped ll fhy turned the key hey in the lock and wills now newt to the prince of court lanil land tell the lie Princ princess ibs margaret MarR aret I 1 would vold I 1 speak with lierl her said prince louls for a moment I 1 he added tear feat ing n g that otherwise she might not conie e alib I 1 here ere was a stir in the sick chain hei bei od nd then quick steps were heard cotron lightly across tho the floor the fact fac nt f the princess appeared at the doo doc well the she bald haughtily to her broil er ivan she did not see for he had stepped hick bick tuto into the dusk of 0 the corridor louis beckoned bit bl sister without IL hout 1 I must speak a word with you be h said 1 I would not have these fellows hear bear us lie she stepped out unsuspectingly instantly the door was closed behind hei bet A dirk figure slid be prince tian iian turned the key hey and laid tits hand upon tipon tier her arm help she cried struggling help me roea for god gods s grace let me gol gal but from behind came four cossacks cos sacka of the prince s retinue who half carried haf balf forced forred her along toward the gates at which the muscovite horses stood ready saddled and as margaret was carried down doma the pas sage saga the alarmed servitors stood af HOPI she cried struggling aloof from her cries seeing that prince bouts louts I 1 auls himself was with her ctet et she cried out unceasingly in her anger and fear to mo me men of court landl tho the cossacks carry me off kofl I 1 will not gol gal 0 god that conrad were wera here beret I 1 will not be maurice save mel me but the people only shrugged their shoulders even when they heard as did the eairs and the gentlemen in waiting the underlings and the very verr p porters at the palace gates for they sald said they are strange folk thesa courtland princes and princesses or oc a ours ur r with their marriages and giving in marriage they can neither wed nor bed like other people but must be taken by forte force well happily it Is no b business u of fiirst ours then at al the stair toot foot she baal ban down doan by the tha sundial almost fainting the budden alarm and tear ear co cra ing tor for the last time and yet more piercingly maurice maurice Maurlr el come to me Mau mauricell ricel then above them in the palace there began a mighty clamor the noise of blows stricken and the roar of many volera voices but ivan of was mas neither to bo be hurried nor flurried impassive and de ed he be swung himself into the saddle ilia his black charger cli changed hinged his feet to tako take his weight and looked about to welcome him tor for he too knew his bin master give the pil to me he commanded now bublat prince loula louis into his saddle to the cathedral all of at you to be continued