OCR Text |
Show i .i .bu 1IBX, 1W. by 0. R. Crockett ) CHAPTER XXVI. Continued Conrsii stood a moment mutely wrestling with himself. A largw sell seoined to flame and dilate within the youug man. "One thing I can do " he said "like u, t can obej She budo mo go back and do mj duty. I cannot bind in; thought; I cannot chnngo my heurt. I cannot cast my love out. I have heard that which I havo hoard, and 1 cav not forgot; but nt least with the body 1 can obey. I wilt porform my vow; I will keep my charge to tho letter. every Jot and little. And If Qod condemn me for a hjpocrlte well, let Mm! He, nnd not I, put this love Into my heurt. My body may bo my priesthood's I will strlvo to kcop It clean- but my soul Is in? lady's. Kor that lot him cast both soul and body Into hell tiro If he will!" Therosa von I.jnnr did not smile any more Shu held out her hand to Cpnrad ot Courtlnnd, priest nnd prince "Ye." she snld, "you do know whnt lovo Is In so far ns 1 can I will help yon to jour heart's desire" CHAPTER XXVII. To the Rescue. It was the hour of the ocnlng incnl at Isle Kugcn. At tho table bend sat Theresa von I.jnnr, her Inrgely molded mold-ed nnd beautiful furo showing no sign of emotion. On either side ot her were Joan and Prlncn Conrad not sad, neither avoiding nor seeking the contliigenco of eju nud eje, but yet, In splto of nil, so strange a tiling Is lovo onco declnred, hnppj within tholr heart ot hearts. It had been growing wlldor nnd wilder wild-er without, nnd tho shrill lament ot .tho wind was distinctly heard In tho wide chimney top. Now and then In a lull, broad splnbhes of rain fell boI-Idly boI-Idly Into the red embers with a sound like musket balls "spatting" on n wall. Then Theresa von Lynnr looked up. "Where Is Max Ulrlch?" sho said; "why does ho delay?" "My lady." ono of the men of Kerns-berg Kerns-berg answered, saluting, "ho Is gono across tho Haft In the lioat, nnd hna not yet returned." "I will go and look for him nny, do not rise, my lord. I would go forth jlonet" Theresa stood upon the Inner curvo of the Haft nt the place whero Max Ulilch was wont to pull his boat ashore Sho looked long southward under hor hnnd, but for tho moment could sco nothing. And though Theresa von I.ynnr was yet In the prlmo of her glorious beautj", ono could see what she must havo been In tho dajs of her girlhood. And n8 memory rawed her eyes to grow misty nnd tho smile of lovo and trust eternal camo upon her lips, twenty ycura were shorn nway, and tho woman's fnco which had looked anxiously acrim the dnrkenlng Haft chn'ngcd to thnt of tho girl who from tho gato of Castle von I.jnnr had watched for tho coming of Duko Henry. Sho turned and walked back facing tho storm. Her hood had been blown from her head by tho furious gusts ot wind. Hut she heeded not. Sho had forgotten pour Max Ulrlch nnd Jonn, and even herself She had forgotten for-gotten her son. Her hand wns out In the storm now. She did not drnw It back, though tho water ran from her finger tips. Tor It wns clasped In an unseen grasp and In nn ear that surely heard sho was whispering her heart's troth. "Cod glvo It to mo to do ono deed only ono beforo I die-that, die-that, worthy and unashamed, I may meet my king." When Theresa rc-cntired tho hall of tho grango tho company still sat ns she had left them. "Tliero Is no sign For the moment she could see nothing of Max," sho said, "perhaps ho has waited at tho landing-place on tho mainland till tho storm should nhato thojgh that were scarce llko him, cither." Joan and Conrad spoke they scarce knew what, all for the pleasure ot eyo answering oye, and tho suhtlo flattery of voices that altered by tbo millionth ot n tone each tlmo thoy addressed ad-dressed one another. Theresa answered an-swered vaguely hut sufficiently and allowed herself lo dream, till to hor yearning gaio honest sturdy Werner grow misty ard his bluff figure resolved re-solved Itself Into tlr.it nobler and more kingly which for J cars had fronted her at tho tables end whero now the chief captain sat. Thus they wero sitting when thoro came a clamor nt tho outer door, tho nolso ot voices, then a soldier's dial-lcngo dial-lcngo nnd Max Ulrlch's weird answer n sound almost llko thu howl ot n wolf cut oft short lu his throat by tho hand thnt strangles htm. "Thoro ho Is nt Inst!" cried nil In tho dining hall or grange. They waited the long moment of suspense sus-pense till thu door behind Worner wns thrust open nnd tho dumb mnn came In, drenched nnd dripping. Ho wns holding one by tho arm, n man as tall as himself, grey and gaunt, who fronted tho company with ejos ban-daged ban-daged and hands tied behind his back. Max Ulrlch had a sharp knlfo In his hand with a thin and slightly curved blade, and us he thrust tho pinioned man beforo him Into tho full light ot tho candles, ho made signs thnt, It his lady wUhed It, ho was prepared to dispatch tho prisoner on tho spot. Hid lips moved rapidly and he seemed to bo forming words nnd sentences. Ills mistress followed theso movements move-ments with tho closest nttcntlon. Ho says," sho begun to trnnslnte, "that ho met this man on tho further side Ho said thnt ho had n messago for Islo Itiigen, nnd refused to 'urn back on any condition. So Mnx blindfolded, blind-folded, bound nnd gagged him, ho being be-ing willing to bo hound. And now ho wnlts our pleasure." "Let him bo unloosed," snld John gazing engerly nt the prisoner, nnd Theresn mndo tho sign. Stolidly Ulrlch unbound tho broad bnndngo from tho man's eyes, nnd a grey hndgor's brush ot upright stub-bio stub-bio roso slowly nbovo n high narrow brow, llko laid corn that dries In tho sun, "Alt Plkkor!" said Joan of tho Sword Hnnd, starting to her fcoL And Alt Plkkor it surely wns. Hut tho Into prisoner did not speak at once, though his captors stood hack as though to permit him to explain himself. Ho was still bound nnd gagged. gag-ged. Discovering which, Max In n very philosophical and leisurely manner man-ner assisted htm to relievo himself ot a rolled kerchief which had been placed plac-ed In his mouth. ICven then his throat refused Its olllco till Werner von Orselu handed him n grcnt cup of wine from which ho drank deeply. "Speak I" said Jonn. "Whnt disaster disas-ter haB brought you hero? Is Kerns-berg Kerns-berg tnken?" "Tho Knglos' Nest Is harried, my lady, but thnt Is not what hath brought mo hither!" "Havo thoy found out this my prison? Aro they coming to enpturo mo?" "Neither," returned Alt Plkkor. "Maurlco von I.ynnr Is In tho hnnd of his cruel enemies, nnd on the day after to-morrow nt sunrise, he Is to bo torn to plecos by wild horses." "Why? Whoroforo? In whnt plnco? Who would daro?" enmo from nil about tho tnblo; but tho mother ot tho joung mnn snt silent as If sho had not heard. "To savo KernsberK from sack by tho Muscovites, Maurice von I.ynnr went to Courtlnnd In tho gulro of tho Lndy Joan. At tho fords ot the Alia wo delivered him up!" "Ho wont for mj sako!" monncd Joan. "Ho Ib to dlu fur mo!" "NnjV corrected Alt Plkker. "ho is to die for wedding tho Prlncoss Margaret Mar-garet of Courtlnnd!" Again they led out upon him In utmost aston' iinont that Is, all tho men. "Maurice von I.jnar Iibb married tho Princess Margaret of Courtlnnd. Impossible!" "And why should ho not?" hU mother moth-er cried out. "I oxpccled It from tho first!" quoth Jonn of tho Sword Hand, disdainful of tholr masculine Ignorance "Well," put In All Plkkur. "at all events, ho hath married tho Prlncoss. Or sho has man led hlm, which Is tho same thing!" "Hut why? Wo know nothing of this! Ho told us nothing. Wo thought ho went for our lady's suke to Court-land Court-land 1 Why did ho tnnrry her?" cried sevornlly von Orsulu and tho Iiusson-burg Iiusson-burg captains. "Why?" snld Theresa, tho mothor, with nwurimco. "Herause ho lovod her doubtless. How? Heonuso ho was his father's sou!" And Theresa being calm and stilling still-ing tho others, Alt Plkker got time to tell his tale. There was silence in tho grange of isle Ituxwi while It was being told, nnd oven when It was ended for n spuoo hoik r.oke. Hut Theresa smllod well pleased und said In her heart, "I thank 0-od! My son nlso shall meet Henry the Lion face to faco and not be ashamed." Aftor thnt thoy made their plans. "I will go," said Conrad, "for I havo Influcnco with my brother or, If not with him, at loast with the folk of Courtland. Wo will stop this heathenish heathen-ish abomination." "I will go," said Theresa, "beoauio ho Is my son. Clod will show mo a way to help him." "Wo will all go!" choruied tho captains; cap-tains; "that Is all savo Werner" "All oxcept Horls I" "All except Jorlan !" "Who will remain horo on Isle Ilugon with tho Duchess Joan?" Thoy looked at each other ns thoy spoke "You noed not trouble yourselvesi I vtlll cot remain on Isle Hugen not an hour." snld Joan. "Whoovor stays, I go Think jou that I will permit this man to dlo in my stead? Wo jH will go to Courtland. Wo will tell iiH Prince Louis thnt I tun no duchess, H hut only tho sister ot a duke. Wo H will provo to hlm thnt my father's H bond of hcrltago-brothcrhood Is null H and void. And then wo will sco H whother ho Is willing to turn tho H prlrcedom upsldo down for such a H dowcrloBS wife ns H "Kor such n wife" thought Conrnd. 1 "I would turn tho universe upsldo H down, though sho stood In a beggar H Hut being loyally bound by his H promise ho nothing. H It wns Theresa von I.ynar who put H tho matter H "At n farm on tho mainland, hidden H among tho salt mnrshes, there nrS jB horses thoso jou brought with joti H nnd others. Thoy are lit waiting for Hf such nu emergency. Max will bring J them to tho landing place. Three or four of your guard must accompany H hlm. Tho rest will make ready, nnd H nt tho first dawn we will sot out. H Tliero Is yet time to savo my son!" H Sho ndded In her heart, "Or It not, H then to nvcngi H Strangely enough, Therosa was tlm PS least downcast ot the party. HMH Her heart wns proud within hor n "ilo Is Henry the Lion's con. Ho jH "Alt Plkkerl" 'H was born a duke He has married il n princess. Ho litis tasted lovo nnd "1 known sacrifice It ho dies It will bo H for tho sako ot his sister's honor. H 'Tin no bad record fur twenty years. H Theso things ho will count high abovo H faino und length ot days!" jH Tho llttlo company which sot out H from Islo Uugcu to lido to Courtlnnd H had no thought or Intention ot rcscu- H lug Maurlco von I.jrnr by forcu ot "H arms, They knew their own Impot- H once far too exactly. H If her renunciation of her dignities wero laughed nt, ns she feared, there H was nothing for Joan hut to deliver herself to Prtnru Louis. She had re- Buhed to promise lo bo his wlfo nnd H princess In nil thai It concerned tho outer world to see. Their province H would bu united. Kertiihorg and Ho- H henstoln delivered Info his hnnd, On his pnrl, Weiner von Orseln wns prepared to point out to the I'rlnco H of Courtlnnd thnt with Joan as Ills' wife, and tho armies and Invios of fl Hohonsteln added to his own under H the Spnrhawk's leadership, ho would H bo In n position in do without tbo aid or tho Prince of Mutrnvy nlto- H gother. Further, that In ense of nt- H tacit from tho north, nut only Plassuu- burg and the Mnrk. but nil the Ten- ,H tonic Hnnd must rally to his sldo. jH Conrad, who was Intimately nc- qualnted with the character of lifts brother, nnd who knew how entirely ho wns under tho dominion of I'rlnco H Ivan, had rosnlvod to use all powers, H ecclesiastical ard secular, which his H position as titular I'rlnco ot tho H Church put within tils reach. H (To bo continued.) H |