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Show jasmin have the ax of the headsman, with inward flinching but an outward og poanre. "The man It dead and I caam divulge his name, I finished. Then Lord Feltons face flushed.! saw him open his mouth to speak I -felt the words, "He lies I am on his He trembled loan lips. man," (Copyright, UN, 1900, by 8. R. at his daughter, Rosemary, and to( V. CHAPTER of Beauty, looked down upon them fear and relief commingled; at with interest, seeing that they were him had who trusted Dwight, tl men who came, and that one at least Johann, the Secretary. years, and saw suspicion dawab outside the boundary of was young. there and, they were unuttered. tT-Lor- d haTen miles hill state of Kernsmerg, the little Fifty knights with white plumes on without Waters died knpc mbassage of Plassenburg was met by 'heir helmets had charged fifty wearing, Lady Dwight, that he had anotht, nothet cavalcade bearing additional ing black, and the combat still raged. son," I continued. "I was imprison from the Princess Heb nstructlons "The Blacks have it!" . said Desalthough promised safety and rqg, sne. The leader was a slender youth sau er, after regarding the melee with statement by the king, immediate!,' A middle of interest "We have come in time to the accuracy height, was' after I found it out Thus I pi whose form gave evidence of much see the end of' the frsy. Would that able either to convey to you or to pi of an he had also seen the shock!" igility. He was father the word 1 desired. I we, live complexion, and withf'black hair And Indeed the Blacks seemed to struck upon the head and lay tor'. rhlch curled crisply about hla small have carried all before them. They time sick. When I recovered It wp ead. His eyes were dark and fine, were mostly bigger and stronger built too late for me to receive Lord Vfi, looking atralght and boldly out upon men, knights of the landward provtors blessing and give him the tkl II comers. inces, and their horses, great solidings that might have made his pagij Your Excellency," be said to the boned Saxon chargers, had by sheer J age Into heaven easier. Ambassador, "I bring you the most weight borne their way through the "He is dead! she exclaimed. recent Instructions from their High-esse- s lighter ranks of the Baltic knights on Rosemary, kneeling at her side, Hugo and Helene of Plassen- the white horses. her shaking hands in her firm young Not more than half a dozen of these burg. They sojourn for the time beones and fondled her. f ing in the city of Thorn, where they were now in the saddle, and all over vast left father "Lady Dwight, my build a new palace for themselves. I the field were to be seen black estates, and to these yrur son, Raoul was brought from Hamburg to be one knights receiving the submission of Dwight, as bis father's son, succeeds.'; of the master builders. I have skill knights whose broken spears and tarShe made a motion of protest, and In you these for nished plumes showed that they bad plans, and I her son Raoul raised his head with j your approval andbring in order to go over succumbed in the charge to superior ; the rates of expectancy. cost with you, as Treas- weight of metal. For, so soon as a "I shall not be exactly poor, L urer of the Plassenburg and the knight yielded, his steed became the smiled and saTd, for I read her worn I Wolfsmark." property of his victorious foe, and he was mother anly heart. "My Squlrsr Dessauer took, with every token himself was either carried or limped Hadley's daughter and heiress. As; of deference, the sheaf of papers so as best he could to the pavilion of his you know, her mother was Elinor carefully enwrapt and sealed with the party, there to remove his armour and Sackett, and brought vast estates to seal of Plassenburg. send it also to the victor to whom, her country squire, whom In marry"I thank you for your diligence, in literal fact, belonged the spoils. ing the world thought she had taken good master architect, he said, I n Of the white knights who a stop backward, but she thought shall peruse these at my leisure, and, still kept np the one shone struggle, otherwise." I doubt not, call upon you frequently for dashing valor. Bet 1 with dismissed that subject for explanations. upon by more than a score of riders, wave of the hand, while I turned to The yonng man rode on at his side, he still managed to evade them, and the two men. even when all his side had submitted modestly waiting to be questioned. and Sir Raoul! Felton Lord "What is your name, sir? asked and he alone remained at the end of Dwight," I said, "I have a request toj Von Dessauer, so that all the escort the lists to which he had been driven, make to each of you. I am a bold; might hear. he made ready for a final charge into man it will cost you much. Of you, "I am called Johann Pyrmont," said the scarce broken array of his foes, I bowed to Sir Raoul, that you wUl the youth, promptly, and with engag- of whom more than twenty remained take my hand in friendship for our ing frankness; "my father is a Ham- still on horseback in the field. fathers sake. Of you, I bowed to burg merchant, trading to the Spanish But though his spear struck true in Lord Felton--, that you will give me ports for oil and wine, but I follow the middle of his immediate antaghim not I had ever a turn for draw- onists shield and this opponent went Rosemary to wed. I had said what 1 wished, and I ing and the art of design!" down, it availed the brave white waited the result In each face I "Also for having your own way, as knight nothing. For at the same moread the conflict going on in their is common with the young, said the ment half a score of lances struck souls. Lord Felton, having nothing Ambassador, smiling shrewdly. So, him on the shield, on the breastplate to lose (Rosemary had been nothing against your fathers will, you appren- on the visor bars of his helmet, and to him for years), was the first to ticed yourself to an architect?" he fell heavily to the earth. NeverThe young man bowed. speak. theless, scarcely had he touched the Lady Dwight, he said, "you have Nay, sir, he said, but my good ground when he was again on his feet occupied the place of mother to Mary father could deny me nothing on Sword in hand, he stood for a mofor years, ever since her own mother which I had set my mind. ment unscathed and undaunted, while died. Are you pleased that she should , "Not, he, muttered Dessauer under his foes, momentarily disordered by his breath; "no, nor anyone else!" the energy of the charge, reined in marry Quentin Waters? It had been a favorite scheme of their steeds ere they could return to "Indeed yes, an shs love him," replied the sweet lady. She kissed the dead princes of Courtland to unite the attack. e to their fat acres and populous blushing Rosemary at her side. But at this moment the Princess cities the hardy mountaineers Margaret, ' sister of the reigning "Then Ulster Quentin Waters I d pastoral uplands of Kernsberg. llevs your title on your mother's side Prince, rose in her place and threw had come to Joans father, down the truncheon, which in such is Lord Sackett I nodded. ry, called the Lion, and the late cases stops the combat a ce Michael of Courtiand, "Lord Sackett It is no more thi "The black knights have won, so thought One had a daughter, the she gave her verdict, but there is no right that you should be called by it: other a son. So with that frank care- need to humiliate or injure a knight I give my daughter into your keepii and may you make her happy." Iji lessness of the private feelings of the who has fought so well against so individual which has ever distin- many. Let the white knight come finished with a great show of virti and put Rosemarys hand in mine life guished great politicians, they decreed hither though he be of the losing that, as a condition of succession, side. His is the reward of highest the fond parent on the stage, bowed, their male and female heirs should honor. Give him a steed, that he may to his a French shoulders, shrug gave marry each other. and stopped back. He had to his satcome and receive the meed of bravest This bond of isfaction paid ths debt he owed me. in the tournay!" Sir Raoul Dwight, with a good grace as it was called, had received the The knights of the black were manbe it said, for no doubt he thought he sanction of the Emperor in full Diet, a little disappointed that after ifestly Duchloved Rosemary with some men love and now It wanted only that the their victory one of their opponents should Hohensteln be of of ess Joan women of not ars of money and love should be selected for honor. But distinguishable, they are so closely age In order that the provinces might there was no appeal from the decision woven; one is the weft and the other at last be united and the long wars of the Queen of Love and Beauty. the warp of the loom now came for- of highland and lowland at an end. that day she reigned alone, withThe plan has taken everything into For ward. With a low bow he said, exout or diet imperial. council consideration except the private chartending his hand: The white knight came near and afof acters the persons principally "I would we had known before, sir, said something in a low voice, unthat the ties of kinship bound ue I fected, Prince Louis of Courtland, sad heard by the general crowd, to the the young Duchess Joan. request your friendship. Princess. ' We clasped bands heartily. I insist, she said aloud; "you of was famous the the last day It As for you, sweet cos," he said to must unhelm, that all may see the In Black of the tournament the Eagle Rosemary, "I am as ever your devoted Prince face of him who has won the prise." cousin" and bending over her he princely city of Courtland. Whereat the knight bowed and unkissed her cheek and took the rose A closely-croppedid his helmet from her hair, asklng,"May I keep It?" d head was revealed, the And she answered lowly, "Yes. features clearly chiseled and yet of THE END. a massive beauty, the head of a marble emperor. Coleridge the Soldier. "My brother you! cried Margaret Subsistence could not, however, be of Courtland in astonishment made on the reading and writing of The Ambassador looked curiously at his secretary. He was standing jmmphlets, nor the means of livelihood obtained by the most eloquent and enwith eyes brilliant as those of a man trancing of conversations, and Colerin fever. His face paled even under idge, finding himself both forlorn and its dusky tan. His lips quivered. He destitute in London, enlisted as a solhad straightened himself up as brave dier in the Fifteenth (Elliot's) Life and generous men do when they see Dragoons, says the English House a deed of bravery done by another, or Beautiful. like a woman who sees the man she On his arrival at the quarters of loves publicly honored. the regiment, says his friend and bi"The Prince! said Johann Pyrographer, Mr. Gillman, "the general mont in a voice hoarse and broken; of the district Inspected the recruits, "it Is the Prince himself. and looking hard at Coleridge with a And on his high seat the States military air inquired, What's your Councilor, Leopold von Dessauer, name, sir? 'Comherbarh' (the name smiled well pleased. he had assumed). What do you come After the tournay of the Black here for. sir?' as if doubting whether Eagle Leopold von Dessauer had gone he had any business there. Sir, said to bed early, feeling younger and Coleridge, for what most persons lighter than he had done for years come to be made a soldier.' Do you Part of his scheme for there northern think, said the general? you can run provinces of his fatherland consisted a Frenchman through the body?' 'I in gradual substitution of a few strong do not knew,' replied Coleridge, 'as I "My brother you! cried Margaret of states for many weak ones. For this have never tried ; but 111 let a Frenchreason he smiled when he saw the Courtland in astonishment. man run me through the body before Louis had sent out an escort to bring eyes of his secretary shining like 111 run away.' 'That will do,' said the in the travelers and conduct them stars. Von Dessauer was lying awake and general, and Coleridge was turned Into with honor to the seats reserved for the ranks. them. The Ambassador and High thinking of the strange chances which Councillor of Plassenburg must be re- help or mar the lives of men and Reformsr In Trouble. ceived with all observance. He had, women, when a sudden sense of Isldora Duncan, a California girl he gave notice, brought a secretary shock, a numbness spreading upward who has revived the dances of the with him. For so the young architect through his limbs, the rising of rheum Greeks, was fined $30 by a German was now styled in order to give him to his eyes, and a humming in his court recently for insulting a governears announced the approach of one an official position in the mission. ment bailiff. The official called to The Courtlanders surrounded the of those attacks to which he had been hand some documents to Miss Dungreat oval space of the lists In clus- subject ever since he had been can, who called him an insolent pertered myriads, and their eyes were wounded in a duel some years before son. Isldora Duncan appeared In bent Inwards. It was the crisis of the a duel in which his present Prince court in a pure white costume, her his late master, Karl, the Miner's and all in an melee. eye Scarcely great hair In a fillet, her bare feet in san- tnat assembly was turned toward the son, had both been engaged. The Ambassador called for Jovian dals, and told the Judge Bhe was nerstrangers, who passed quite unob g vous and hysterical from overwork served to their reserved places In the in a feeble voice. That The Judge admitted her plea, inflictPrince's empty box. Only his sister soldier immediately answered him. Give me my case of medicine." ing a fine only. Margaret, throned on high a Queen I & a lej CHAPTER XXIII-ContiOpen or shut It matter not. to she returned curtly. "You know that I would not leave tier alone la your bauds. A11 this fuss, too, over an old bit of paper, that you know well enough was never a love letter niie. written to her. How do you know, Madame? P.s questioned eagerly. Know? Who better?" she sal A Since I have It" You?" he cried. Yes, l,N she replied, amused at Ms vehemence. The missing paper was discovered. I started, and in my agitation grasped the curtain, which moved and gave out a sound that had they not been so engrossed in defying each other they must have heard. She unpinned the paper, hidden under a lapel on her bosom. Give it to me, he commanded in a till voice. To you why?" she Inquired. ' I have a right to any clandestine letters of my daughter's, he replied, evasively. "Clandestine! Nonsense! she cried Indignantly. "You know as well as I do that it is an old letter written before Rosemary was born so much Raoul told me. The letter, as I said, I have never read." 1 would read it then, he muttered. "I will read it to you, if you have not heard it before, since you take such an interest in it, she said, and her voice was quite as sarcastic as y lord s own. While saying, she had put up her glass In a deliberate manner. He watched her with a diabolic expression on his face, and his fingers tapped the snuff box he held In his Dwight, I said, "about that old bit of paper you hold in your band, and which seems to have been equally felicitous in being In demand. On the day of January ICtb, 1639, my lord is I bowed to right as to the date him a man high in court, so high that he made men envious of his standing one so much so that he planned his destruction was waiting for an audience with that unfortunate King Charles 1 at Whitehall. A page come rushing up to him and handed him a note you have it in your hand. The man took it and read it, before he realised that it was not Intended for him, in fact, as the opening shows, it was for a woman. He half smiled, thinking of the page's stupidity, and that be had happened upon a liaison of that most virtuous King. He was giving it back to the lad, when something in his craven face made him inquire to whom he was to deliver it The lad hemmed and hawed and then refused to say but the man compelled him at last to admit that it was for Lady Waters. 1 continued slowly, so as to give her time to grasp what I was saying she was so anguished. "She was the man's wife." "He thought that of me!" she wailed. It was the cry of a broken heart 1 "It was a kingly assignation but he was more fastidious than the men of the present day, 1 went hurriedly on. "It drove him mad. He fled the town without verifying the note without seeing the King without one word to his young wife. The man who planned the dastardly deed was only too well aware of his sensitive nature. Lord Waters Joined Cromwell's army, and thus obtained a dihand. vorce from his wife, who had in the She read: "Elaine! (my own meantime gone to France. He loved name) and she sniffed disdainfully; his first wife so dearly that, beUevlng then began again: "Elaine adorable in her infidelity, she was dead to him one. The hour will be eleven o'clock. henceforth. Later he married again. R.-will be on duty. Je t'embrasse. His second wife soon died; and the "R. lonely man, oppressed by the thought "Em-m-the King's signet It of his first wife and the wrong he grows interesting and the date is might have done her. dragged out a S R; CROCKETT. c T,eBa(dctd6c Cnw-kctt- dark-skinne- . i , : -- - She stopped and held It closer to her nose and readjusted her glass as she strove to make out the faded figures. "January 16th, 1639," Lord Felton, engrossed, supplied the date. "Yes, that is it January 16th, 1639. How did yon know? she quickly asked. "Ah! there Is more la this than 1 thought," she gasped, and sank back Into a chair. "January 16th, 1639! The date is stamped upon my brain it was the night Lord Waters January left me!" CHAPTER XXIV. The Ties of Kinship. Yes, my eyes questioned how did you know? To this question I read the answer in his eyes that met mine for one fleeting second. Run to earth by bis own Inadvertent words, he acknowledged himself guilty. Should 1 expose him? He would not ask for pity, that 1 knew full well. There was no cringing in his attitude. We had stepped from our hiding place when Lady Dwight began to read the note, but they had been so absorbed in it and themselves that they had not heeded us or that other spectator, Raoul Dwight, who had been standing in the doorway, until now. There was a sardonic, devil-I-carlook upon Lord Felton's face as he took a pinch of snuff. Then he leisurely closed his snuff box and flicked with his lace kerchief the floating particles of snuff, which he Imagined He seemed adhered to his cravat rather to be enjoying the situation under the scrutiny of onr pairs of eyes. It was as If he had known that the time must come when his carefully-guarde- d secret would out, and he had studied how he should act when the time came till it fitted him Hike his skin, and the acting of an Ignoble part he would make glorious. I went up to Lady Dwight, who sat in her chair, wonderment, curiosity, and the demand to be gratified in them, written on her face. "I have a tale to relate. Lady e miserable exiatence in solitude at The outcome of this Long Haut brooding of many years was to feel that he had been too hasty; that the page had purposely deceived him. These thoughts so rankled in his brain that they were his death. I am the offspring of this second marriage. Lady Dwight, and before my father died he sent me to London to dig out, if possible, the truth of the matter! and to make such reparation as was possible and ask forgiveness of the woman he was sure he had most grievously wronged." "How could he? she faltered, "how could he I loved him. How could he, indeed, I murmured. Did you succeed in finding the per son who did this infamous deed? Sir Raoul Dwight asked. His voice was as hard as the nethermost stone, and a dangerous glint was in his eye. I did not answer him Immediately and he explained: "You must know, sir, that this Is the first intimation I ever had of my mothers sorrow, and that my father did not die before I was born. It was a fond solicitation on my mother's part, if, perhaps, a mistaken one, in not letting me know all. He kissed his mother's hand if apologizing for blaming her in the least part. "I could not I could not," she whispered; my pride would not let me tell my child that his father had left me." "The name, sir; the name of this person. he demanded; "if alive 1 would meet him. if dead I would know his name to curse him." The man who drove a loving husband from his home, and broke the heart of a beautiful woman a woman with an unborn babe, the man who did this deed 1 stopped and looked at Iiord Felton. He stood as a courteous man of the world might, displaying only an interested curiosity upon the hearing of an old bit of gossip. Ah! he was brave enough, mad man that he was, and he awaited the blow as he would u you." Immediately the secretory opened the door, and in a few seconds stood at the old mans bedside. Here they talked low to each other, the young man with his band laid tenderly on the forehead of his elder. Only their last words concern us at present "This will serve to begin my bust pre-emine- heritage-brotherhoo- stopped and looked at Lord Felton. r half-doze- mer-mntll- I said the ola man; "that in the bag of rough Silesian leather. 8o! 1 feel my old attack coming upon me. It will be three days before I can stir. Yet must these papers be put in the hands of the Prince early this morning. Ah, there is my little Johann; I was thinking about her him, I mean. 'Well, he shall have his chance. He made a wry face as a twinge of pain caught him. It passed and he resumed. "Go, Jorian , he said, "tap light upon his chamber door. There is much to order ere at nine oclock ha must adjourn to the summer palace to meet the Prince." Jorian rapped low, with more reverence than is common from captains to secretaries of legations. At the sound Johann Pyrmont clapped his hand to the hip where his sword should have beea. "Who is there? he asked, turning about with keen alertness, and in a voice which seemed at once sweeter and more commanding than even the would most imperious master-buildehis use to underlings. naturally "I Jorian! His Excellency is taken suddenly ill and bade me come for d fair-haire- light-sleepin- secretary of the noble Ambassador of Plassenburg I ness and to finish yours. Thereafter the sooner-you Kemsborg the better. Remember, the moon cannot long be lost out of the sky with"I am -- out causing remark. The young man took the dor's papers and went out took a composing draught back with a sigh. "It is humbling," he said "that to compose your wits Ambassa- Dessauer and lay to Jorian, you must do it through the hesrt but in the case of the old through the stomach. "Tls a strange draught he hath gotten," said the soldier, indicating the door by which the secretary had If I be not mistaken, gone forth. much water shall flow under bridge ere his sickness be cured. As soon as he had reached his own chamber Johann laid the papers upon the table without glancing at them. He went again to and looked across the city. "To-daI shall see the Prince!" he said. It was exactly nine of the dock when he set out for the palace. He was attired in the plain black dress of a secretary, with only the narrowest corded edge and collar of rough scrolled gold. At the great door of the outer pavilion he intimated his desire to the officer in charge of the guard. (To be continued.) the-wind- ow y HI8 TRIUMPH WAS SWEET. Man Who Was Refused a Stamp Re- turns to Boast of Success. "Do you remember," said a middle-age- d man, as he entered a stationery store and was asked what could be done for him "do you remember of my being in here about four weeks ago? "I can't say that I do," was the reply. "Dont you remember I asked you to give me a postage stamp to put on a letter, and you refused to do so without the cash? "Postage stomps cost money. "Yes, I know, but I explained to you that I was in love with a widow and had written to ask for her hand. You said it didn't make a durned bit of difference to you who I was writing to and you didnt care a copper whether I got the widow or not You ought to remember that Yes, I think I da Well, what what ? BtlU after a postage Is it stamp? "No, sir, I'm not I came In here to tell you that In spite of your meanness the widow Is mine. When I went out of here I found a cent on the sidewalk and bought a postal card with it, and she accepted my love the same as if I had sent a letter. Then you are happy, no doubt? I am, sir. The widow is worth Teven hundred dollars, fat as bntter d as a goose, and I and as am walkinr around on eggs. Yes, sir, I am a happy man, sir, and you be hanged, and go to grass, sir, and I wouldn't patronise you if penholders were selling five for a cent Thats aH. good-nature- Good-da- sir. |