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Show Slllllli & $'K:CYLOCS,Auwofl7h&a(cctv.$6 (Cop) light. 18jS, 11IUU. L) B. It ftockotl ) CHAPTER XXVIII. Continued. "How could he," demanded Joan, tho soldier's daughter, Bhnrply, "ho was on duty!" "Woll," answered Mnrgarot, still ro-sentful ro-sentful and unconsoled. "ho would not havo dono that beforo wo woro mar-rlcdl mar-rlcdl And It Is only tho (lrst day wo havo been togother, too, since slnco " And aho burled her head In her kor-chief. kor-chief. Tlfon carao a knocking at tho door. "Enter!" cried Joan Imperiously, yet not a little glad of tho Interruption. Werner von Orsoln stood In tho portal. por-tal. "My lady," ho said, "will you bid tho Count von Loon leavo his work and tako somo rest nnd sustenance. Ho thinks of nothing but his drill." "Oh, yes, ho does," cried tho Princess Prin-cess Margaret; "how daro you say It, follow? He thinks of mo! Why, oven now " She looked oneo nioro out of the window, a smllo upon her face Instantly In-stantly she drew In her head again and sprang to her feet. "Oh, ho Is gonol I cannot sco him anywhero!" sho cried, "and I never so much as heard, thorn go! Joan, I am going to find hfm. Ho should not havo gone ,away without bidding mo goodbye! good-bye! It was cruel!" Sho flashed out of tho room, nnd without waiting for tiring maid or coverture, cov-erture, sho ran downstairs, dressed as sho wns In hor light summer attire. Joan stood a moment silent, looking after her with eyes In which flashed a tender light. Werner von Orsoln smiled broadly tho dry smllo of an ancient war captain who puts no bounds to tho vagaries of women. It was an oxperlencod smile. " 'Tls well for Kcmsberg, my lady," Bald Wornor grimly, "that you aro not tho Princess Margaret." "And why?" said Joan a llttlo haughtily. For sho did not llko Conrad's Con-rad's sister to be treated lightly oven by her chlof captain. "Ah, lovo, lovo!" said Werner, nodding nod-ding bin head sentcntlously. "It Is woll that I over trained you up to care for nono of theso things. Teach a maid to fenco, nnd her honor needs no champion. cham-pion. Olvo her sword-cunnlng nnd you keep hor from making a fool of herself her-self about tho first man who crosses her path. Strengthen her wrist, teach her to lungo and parry, and you strengthen her head. Dut you do credit to your Instructor. You have never troubled about tho follies of lovo. Thereforo aro yo Joan of tho Sword Hand!" Joan sighed another sigh, very softly soft-ly this tlmo, and her eyes, being turned away from Von Orselti, were soft and Indefinitely hazy. "Yes," sho answered, "I am Joan of tho Sword Hand and I novcr think of tlic'so things!" Von Orsoln saluted, with a faco expressionless ex-pressionless ns a stone. Ho marched to tho door, turned a third tlmo and saluted and with heavy footsteps descended de-scended tho stairs. At tho outer door Prlnco Conrad was dismounting. Tho two men saluted each other. "Is tho Duchess Joan within?" snTd Conrad, concealing his eagerness under un-der tho hauteur natural to a prlnco. . "I havo Just left her!" answered tho chief captain. Without a word Conrnd sprang up tho steps thrco at a tlmo. Werner turned about and watched tho young man's Ann, lltho flguro till It had disappeared. dis-appeared. "Faith of Saint Anthony!" ho murmured, mur-mured, "I am right glad our lady cares not for lovo. It sho did, and If you had not been a priest well, thcro might hnvo been trouble" CHAPTER XXIX. The Broken Dand. Above, In tho dusky light of tho upper up-per hall, Conrad and Jonn stood holding hold-ing each other's hnnds. It was tho ' & m .. "Death alone shall turn me back this time." flrst tlmo thoy had been alouo together ilnco tho day on which thoy had walked along tho sand 'dunes of Hu-ecu. Hu-ecu. Sinco then they scorned to havo grown Inexplicably close together. To loan, Conrad now seemed much nioro hor own the man who loved hor, wl.nm Bbe lovod than ho had been sn tho Islnnd. To wntou day by day for his passing' In martial p.f'lre brought back tho knight of the loans-ment loans-ment whoso white pliiino sho had seen storm through tho Hits when, a slim secretary, she had stood with beating heart d shining "en behind the chnlr of Leopold von Dessauor, Am-bnsador Am-bnsador of PlasBonnurg. For almost five minutes they stood thus without speech; then Joan drew I away her hnnds. i "You forget," sho said smiling, "that wns forbidden In tho bond." "My lady," ho said, "was not tho bond for Isle Itugen nlono? Hero wo aro comrades In tho strife. Wo must save our fnthctlaud. I hnvo laid nsldo my priesthood. If I live. I shall appeal to the Holy Father to looso mo wholly from my vows." Smilingly sho put his eager argument argu-ment by. "It wan of another vow I spoke. I am not the Holy Father, and for this I will not give you absolution. We nro comrades. It Is true that and no more! Tomorrow I rldo to Kerns-berg, Kerns-berg, where I will muster every man, call down tho shepherds from the hills, and bo back with you by tho Alia beforo be-foro tho Muscovite can attack you. I. Joan of tho Sword Hand, promlso It!" Sho stamped her foot, half In earnest earn-est nnd half In mockery of tho sonorous sonor-ous name by which sho was known. "I would rather you wero Joan of the Orange nt Isle Unpen, nnd 1 your Jerklned servitor, cleaving the wood that you might bako tho bread." "Conrnd." snld Joan, shaking her head wistfully, "such thoughts aro not wise for you and inn to harbor. We must stand to our dignities now when tho enemy threntens nnd tho peoplo need ns. Afterwards, an it llko us, wo may step down together." "Joan," Bald Conrnd, very gravely, "do not fear for me. I havo turned onco from a career I novcr chose. Death alono shnll turn mo back thU tlmo." "I knew It." she answered; "I never doubted It. Dut whnt shall wo do with this poor lovesick bride of ours?" And sho told him of hor Interview that morning with his sister. Conrad laughed gently, yet with sympathy- "Leave mo Von Orsoln, and do you tako tho young mnn," snld Conrad; "then Margaret will go with you willingly will-ingly and gladly." "Ilut sho will want to return that Is, If Maurice comes, too." J'Isle Hugen?" suggested Conrnd. "Send jour tun men who know tho road. If they could carry off Joan of tho Sword Hnnd. they should hnvo no dlfflculty with HCTlo Margaret of Court-land." Court-land." Joan clasped her hands with pleas-tiro pleas-tiro and relief, all unconscious that Immediately Im-mediately behind her Margaret hnd entered softly and now stood arrested by tho sound of her own name. "Oh, thoy will have no trouble, will they not?" sho said In her own heart, and smiled. "Islo Ilugen? Thank you, my very dear brother and sister. You would get rid of me, sopnrnto mo from Maurlco whllo ho Is fighting for your precious princedoms. What is a country coun-try In comparison with n husband? I would not caro a dolt which country I bolonged to, so long ns I had Maurlco with mo I" A moment or two Conrnd nnd Jonn discussed the detnlls of the capture, whllo tnoro softly than beforo Mar-garot Mar-garot retired to tho door. Sho would havo slipped out altogether, but that something happened Just them which frozo her to tho spot. A trumpet blow without once, twlco and thrlco. In short and stirring blnsts. Hardly had tho echoes died away when sho henrd her brother say, "Adieu, best beloved! It Is tho signal which tells mo that Prlnco Ivan Is within a day's mnrch of Courtlnnd. I hid you goodbye, good-bye, nnd If If wo should never meet again, do not forget that I loved you loved you as nono elso could lovo!" Ho hold out his band. Joan stood rooted to tho spot, her lips moving, but no words coming forth. Then Mnrgarot Mnr-garot hoard u-hoarso cry break from her who had contomned lovo. "I cannot let you go thus!" sho cried. "I cannot keep tho vow! It Is too hard for me! Conrnd I I am but a weak woman after nil!" And In a moment tho Prlucoss Margaret Mar-garet saw Joan tho cold, Joan of tho Sword Hand, Joan Duchoss of Kerns-horg Kerns-horg nnd HohonBtoln In the arms of hor brother. Whereupon, not being of sot purpose an eavesdropper, Margaret went out and shut tho door softly. Tho lovers had neither hoard her como nor go, And tho wlfo of Maurlco von Lynar wns smiling very sweetly as sno went, but In her oyos lurked mlschlof. Courad descended the stair from tho npnrtments of the Duchoss Joan, divided di-vided botweon tho certainty that his lips had tasted tho unutterablo Joy nnd tho fear lost his soul had sinned tho unpardonablo Bin. A moment Joan steadied horselt by tho window, with her hand to hor breast as If to still tho Hying pulsos of 1 t heart. Sho took a stop forward that sho might look onco nioro upon him ero ho wont. Dut, changing her purposo In tho very net, sho turned about and found hcrsolf fnco to faco with tho Princess Margarot, who was smiling subtly. "You have granted my roquost?" sho snld softly. Joan commanded herself with difficulty. diffi-culty. "What wiliest?" sho asked, for she had forgotten. "That Maurice nnd I should flrst gn with you to Kernsberg and afterwards to Iiassenburg." "I cannot go," Joan murmured, thinking think-ing aloud. "I cannot ride to Kerns-berg Kerns-berg nnd leavo him In the front of danger!" "A man must not bo hampered by affection In the bcur of danger"' s " " . "Do you know," said Joan, "that Prlnco Ivan and Ills Muscovites aro within a day's march of Courtlsnd, and that Prlnco Conrnd has already gone forth to meet them?" "What?" cried Margaret, "within n day's march of tho cltyT I must go and find my husbnnd." "Walt!" snld Joan. "I sro my way. Your husband shnll como hither." Sho went to tho door nnd clapped her hands. "Send hither Instnntly Werner von Orsoln, Alt Plkkcr nnd tho Count von Locn." Sho waited with tho lntch of tho door In her hand till sho heard their footsteps upon tho stnlr, Thoy entered en-tered togethor nnd painted. "Oentlomen," said Jonn, "tho enemy Is at tho gato of the city. Wo shall need overy mnn. Who will rldo to Kernsborg nnd bring back succor?" "Your highness," snld Werner von Orseln, respectfully. "If tho enemy bo so near, and n battlo Imminent, tho rami Is no soldier who would willingly bo absent. Ilut wo nio your servants. Cbooso you 0110 to go; or, If It Bccni good to jou, more than ono. Hid 11s go, nnd on our bends It shnll bo to escort you safely to Kernsborg nnd bring back reinforcements." Tho Princess enmo closer to Jonn nnd slipped a hnnd Into hers. "Von Lynnr shall go'" said Joan. Whereat Maurlco held down his I r "A man must not be hampered by af- fectlon In the hour of dancer!" head, Mnignrot clapped her hands, and tho other two stood stolidly nwaltlng Instructions, ns became their position. "At what hour shall I depart, my lady?" said Maurlco. "Now! So soon ns you can get tho horses ready!" "Hut jour Ornco must havo tlmo to mnko her preparations!" "I am not going to Kernsberg. I stay here!" said Joan, staling a fact. Werner von Orsoln wns just going out of the door, confiding to Alt Plkkcr that as soon as ho saw tho Princess put hor hand In their lady's ho knew they wero Bnfo. At tho sound of Joan's words ho wns startled Into crying out loudly, "What?" At tho same tlmo ho fnced nhout with the frown on his fnco which he woro when ho corrected an Irregularity In tho rnnl.s. (To bo continued.) |
