Show p r y Y I IS a t c son COP Y CANCO CO On the ilze way wa to fo Rome Honor Halor SYNOPSIS S j s train trail slows slaws down d and tta two monks enter euter furtively tot at an another a another other slowing slotting down dawn further on Fliey l leave leat on al the floor foor of the carriage carnage a wig ng with a large gem gim g m carved cared with the Crescenzi arms anns Honor HOlar wears it in Rome Rame and several people peaple who whO see it show a startled interest Prince Caesar Crescenzi a roue rone raie asks to to be bi b permitted to handle hal die it and looks distinctly spiteful when he is i refused Princess Flavia Crescenzi a beautiful be young jom lady relates eates the he history of af the ring and of her family ending with witT an appeal for far its return Honor without wt ho itt hesitation restores the jewel The Tue princess invites mites Honor H to to her companion campania Thinking the tle ring is i still in Honors posses possession sion rioz Prince Caesar has her kidnapped and ald confined in iii an old castle castl near zear ear Rome Rame The timely arrival of the princess c ss releases her and ald frightens oil off the tle prince The next le morning mor lg all al the exits of of vf the castle are found to be tarred and the party are prisoners Honor HOlar finds more mare than a friend frield in il Alaric Aim S Vaughan aughan P an Englishman who helped her in ina a difficulty on an her journey to Rome CONCLUDED CO FROM LAST SUNDAY CHAPTER Continued AUGHAN was drawing 1 back Into the middle of the road runnIng gunning down the bank and taking his I station staton behind the motor Ji He held up his hand In warning to Honor and cLi motioned that he was wa go ge going ing to throw She flung fung j I f wide ide the other half hal of ot the lr folding window pane and J P Pcr cr stepped steppe back behind the stone atone niche that held the k window There was a aw w tJ whiz through the air im immediately 4 IL mediately after a thud against the opposite wall walland wal and something white lay layon layon on the ground Her fin fingers fn J gers gere trembled with wih the thep p haste with which she s h e picked It I up stooping over It like a swallow then 1 standing up straight by bythe byte bythe the te window to t tear open the envelope and read rod J She only paused to wave S her tier hand down to those tho e below and show thorn them that she had the message This Is what she rapidly read We Ve both rejoice that you rou will wIl come But we must be careful careful Can Qan Ca you yu come down to that little lUle door below and let me In Dont open till ti I tap on it make as little you ou can then open immediately Do ou u at S L For answer r i put her head hea with wih its ruffled rufed crisp tendrils of bright hair out of the window and nodded it vigorously Then she turned and ran as fast tast as her feet could carry cry her down into the halt hall hal of the Hercules through the now familiar passage in the wall wal under the tapestry down the tte long steep broken steps that led lad le to the little postern door She had her hand on it I when she heard the soft brush of ot the long weeds and grasses gasses outside under a stealthy step She was tempted to open It I without waiting for the sig signal signal nal In another moment she was thankful she had not done It H for the slouching stealthy step passed on and the sound died Almost while she still sti strained her ber ear to listen for it with her hand upon the door panel there came a quicker softer step and a quick faint tap She had the door open 01 en on the second Vaughan literally sprang In and closed cosed it after him Then in the semidarkness In which his hs eyes ees could only ani dimly Imly discern her after the high sunlight outside he seized her hands in his and shook them in triumph Done thorn them tom SUpped Slipped In 11 like a to its hole he spoke almost In a whisper as as if I he might be he over overheard overheard overheard heard Did you ou know that four brutes witH guns are patrolling the castle I 1 had to watch my chance to toS S give ghe ve one ne the slip We Ve must get them off of somehow before you ou and the princess can get out out From the look of the scoundrels shoot on sight and there must be no risk for you ou two We e mean to try all al we can to get rid of them but it i may mat ma not be possible till til night Fortunately the motor is hidden from them down there in the road and so far they dis discovered covered it I If I they the do they might shoot at t a tire tre and lay lav it up In any case whether we can get them lured lure down to the inn in the village half a mile mie up the road or disposed of any an other can get you ou out ut after nightfall If I you are down here at this door as soon as it Is dark and wait walt here for this same sig signal signal signal nal we can cn manage it all an right We Ve will wi have the motor moter In the road with wih the lamps covered and well wen watch these cutthroats round the corner in their patrol patrol Then Ill Il run up here and tap twice and you must open Instantly and slip sUp out with me Ill Il get you ou down the bank bankIe Ive examined Vie the place and found where here it is easy the rest will wIl be done at once Oh thank you ou Thank you ou I knew you could do doit doIt doit it It Honor drew a long relieved breath He was lean leaning leanIng ing up against the other wall wal in the th narrow passage Sue Size was beginning just to be able to make out his face facein faceIn in the feeble light She could guess gess more than see the expression or of his eyes bent kindly and closely on her There was vas something more than kindness In thorn thom something that her heart leaped to tu recognize Her tier Whole self thrilled under It 1 The little lite narrow dark passage was suddenly sudden a palace of ot light She felt all al fears all al alarms fall fal from her like a cloak she let drop from her shoulders What a curious exquisite sense of ot peace and delight doUght With It 1 there came a kind of shy sh tremor a shrinking from something she did not even een feel sure she felt fel The joy jO and the tumult of sensation flooded her with their strange torrent She spoke hastily and to cover her con confusion confusion confusion fusion The cardinal What news about the cardinal Did you OU hear her how bow he Is Pretty bad poor old chap cap There was a report going about Rome when we left laft that he had ha died in inthe Inthe Inthe the night But stopped a man he knew or something at the Quirinal he said that true Hes living still sti though they say sa he lie cant last out another twelve hours Its Is making a wonderful stir str at the Vatican They he thought he Was as sure sura to be the next pope if It he outlived this man it puts papal politics a good deal askew Besides he was the most powerful of all al the cardinals a great diplomat olat and and all al that thai No wonder that hound Caesar is anxious to step into his great shoes uhles They say s hes been trying them tem on already But I T imagine the princess will wI be the one that will vIll wil benefit She will wf be heartbroken said Honor sorrowfully She is Just devoted to The iho cardinal cardinal She will wil be a very ver great woman said sale Vaughan reflectively She will wf have the oldest name still sUI in all Rome with the immense Immens wealth and glory of all aU the al Crescenzi CrescenzI She will wl be able to have h e the whole world at her feet teet practically in a way that groat great wealth wealth does not always enrich its Is possessors unless they th have havethe havethe havethe the position and the tradition to back it up ap She he will wIl not care for that Honor H nor burst iP out nut with wih eager eger vehemence low as she kept kept her voice The princess lant ambitious in the least She happy in spite of all al she has and this vont make her any happier It I only means mea us losing the oh person in the world who truly loved her what she says I love her too I love her dearly but perhaps that count for very much I should have ha said It I counted for ever everything thing Vaughans tone had a deliberate significance that made Honor thrill under it I In the darkness She was glad it I was so dark d rk He could not see se her hot blush Oh no I am nothing She known me ro o 0 very song long you OU know though she Is dear enough to call caU me her friend But when her uncle dies even though he Is its b J old and so 10 feeble now it will be the taking from rom her of ot everything and she feels that No one can take his hh hi place to her Nobody can eRn be her granted But theres theles somebody be glad to be a good deal d al more Outside Outsie there this minute theres a wan roan ran ready to make mak up to her for a I score of ot relatives Honor felt fel herself hersell smile smIe Im Im Im so glad she said Its ta a comfort comfort I 1 do want wat the t e prines St fo to hava hav some one like ihli s Ss Ses es J alone just As she sid said the words she realized their meaning me as JAs and an lit lt on her I 5 k ii il r I 1 1 1 Y sd 5 I T 1 f f I I p I N NI 3 T Ic I I Iti I S SIc r ti n 1 I Almost at their very ver feet there yawned a gulf open dark dark horrible S CHAPTER I 1 Love Lve You HE had pulled the string that loosened the flood food SHE S It I was too late to shut the gates if she had tried Vaughan leaned suddenly across out of ot the gloom She felt fel rather rather than saw the movement whose decision would not be suppressed You are alone just like the princess he said His voice oice was waslow waslow waslow low but every ever vibration of it came to her ears clear and burning Why should you ou be alone Honor Be Because Because Because cause I love you ouI I want ant you ou Wont you give me the right to take care of ot you all al the rest rest of ot your our life She shrank back against the wall wal a shade She felt felther fel felther her heart spring up and beat in her with wih her tumult of Joy of ot passionate response She felt tel the touch touch of at his hands as they stretched out to Tier erwalt wait waitIng Ing for fo her snatch hers and draw her to to him She shrank faintly back bac Oh to lay her hands in those dear asking ones Oh to give herself hersel to the love that asked that her own heart hear yearned to take But she could not now In her friends hour of distress and danger It rt I seemed to her a horrible selfishness Walt Wait alt wait wal she said Her voice was breathless ab a she had been running She could hardly steady hen hep lords No wait you not Not now while she Is s In this trouble I cant let you till Ul she Js s safe s fe she Do you ou mean Princess Flavia Crescenzi What has that to do with wih it His ills masculine mind could ment mont not grasp the situation with wIh its Is feminine senti sentiment sent Every Everything dont you see It I I cant take happi happiness happiness happiness ness while she is in this danger and distress It I would be detestable I should feel wicked To be happy happ while she is miserable It lt would be like Ike giving a dance while a friend lay dead She could not see s e him hint smile smie in the twilight of the But his voice sounded as If there were a to his lips Ups On Or my soul I cant see it Are you bound to be miserable because your friends are That would turn the world into a ghastly place No So not miserable exactly Oh cant you ou under understand understand stand appealingly I thought you ou would be sure to know what I meant The was wa such genuine disappointment dIsappointment in her voice that Vaughan hastened to ob literate It T r I know lenow that you mean everything that Is dear der and delightful he said only I dont see where I come In less les You Oh Honor was wa taken aback and speech He came to tl the rescue Never ever mind he said gen generously generously You Yot dont think I would press you to any thing thins that that troubled you ou I love you far far too much for that Well el let It rest then till tl you ou take ake pity on me and give me my answer I 1 can let It I wait walt since you 01 have let something slip something that makes me mevel very vel happy happ You spoke as If I It I were a question queston of 0 happiness with wih you too He could not see Lee ee the blush his words called caled up Honor was flaming scarlet but she could not find nd a werd word He put Jut out his hand again Shake hands on the bargain bargIn he said entreatingly I am to be al lowed to speak by b and by This time she let hers meet his His grasp his warm pressure made her thrill He raised the fingers that tel felt so small smal inside his own and pressed his lips to them tenderly gently She did not try to draw them away Now he said I will wil pot not be greedy I can rest reston reston reston on that till ti you ou give me all all I must go now no If I we are to put things In train tain for getting the princess out of her prison here there Is plenty to be done Ho He turned as if i to the door Honor heard his foot slip heard a a ble anxiously a short sharp shar exclamation She started forward Oh what have you done Have you hurt yourself If I he had seen her face then he would not have needed to wait walt for tor the answer he asked aked No all al right But I tripped and nearly went headlong Is there a doorway here Another passage It I may lead lend outside You dont know At least well make sure of ot It I Perhaps theres a way vay of ot getting wel you OU and the princess off of without troubling about Don Caesars guards He was taking taing a little silver match natch box from his pocket as he spoke and fumbling for a match A scratch on the stone wall wa A sputter and a little flame tame leaped up bright and eager He shaded sha ed it with wih his hand from the draught that crept in at the cracks crack at the door Now well wel see se he repeated Ha He held the match carefully care ful screened by his hand and ad advanced advanced advanced well wel before him He le took a cautious step for forward ward ard his head hed bent to escape the low stone arch of ot the forbidding dark doorway d ray against whose side he had un unconsciously Unconsciously consciously leaned while he talked Honor came forward with curiosity to see where the passage might lead She had never even noticed the opening till tI now the passage was so obscure in its lighting and the door dor to Co the light and air ar outside had taken all ai her attention She was close to his shoulder as he craned crane through this suddenly found entrance All Al at once he came to a halt hal so abrupt so BO unexpected unexpected unexpected that she was almost thrown against his shoulder by ms his recon recoil reci My iy darling darlng Take care He ie called canea her herit that it Honors Honor He s heart danced within her though he as instantly apologized Im Im so sorry If it I to say a it I I hop hope you rou dont really reay mind But what in heavens name do you OI think we nearly walked Into Is Its not a passage at all aU but an oubliette A what that I never heard of Jt It Ou blier French for forget foret It ItA i s sA A very literal leral forgetting his voice sounded serious He blew lew out the match whose flame Iame almost touched his ha lingers fIngers now and stamped out the glowing end on the dusty dust stone stone floor foor I 1 never came across the real thing before though one has read rad of them as a common ap appendages p to great geat houses in the old days An A oubliette was a place where your our enemies wore were dropped or shoved and no po one ever heard of them afterward Worse than the rack and the dungeon a thousand times What do you mean What kind of place Awe and wonder sounded In hI Honors voice Ill Il show you Walt Wait till tm I light another match So give me your our hand had and dont take a step forward beyond what I tell tel you youIt youIt It I is at this thi very ver door She her hand again to the t e strong tender clasp that seemed to |