Show S F n < > jiP R CROCK TPAiiifion atTekatdy cb I I Copyright 1S9S 1901 > by S It CM dart 4 4t APE XXIV Continued 1 y have brought him down from I t The Cossacks ore closo I him They have put nil tho I Inil men far hack I I 1 MuscovlUs are binding tho a wooden frame They have RJ him to the waist a sod Virgin thoy are casting flic Horses A Cossack with a 9 hip stands by each to lash l jfury I They arc slipping tho ii from under him God In El I what Is that q rt jrto the eyes of the great mul b which on three sides surround place of execution had been to Inward But now with ono ac i hey were gazing not on tho ter h reparations which were so near l fly consummation but over tho iroostudded Alia mends toward + 5 b r ffp of horsemen who were app ap-p ng at a swift knnd gallop Iq tho lank giant was In greater than over o f at do they look at good Peters of s quickly re Is a woman among those w ono two They aro getting ie skirts of tho crowd Men IL t outing and throwing up their dt din the air I cannot tell what e4 tie soldiers have their hats on the = p of their pikes They are f a gt t Itof 1 is time It needed no Peter Alt IUI Tho ring was rapidly closing lh 1 about save upon the meadow In hero a lane was kept open o11l rSSh this living alley came a lr SJStjand u ladythe latter In riding cotilfabUand broad velvet cap tho knight dSlth his vizor up but armed from llahe54jgffoot a dozen squires and men alamSj following a compact little 5 liclpldjjiand as they came they were ire reetedtjwith the enthusiastic acclaim rtbofjaUjythat mighty concourse neaj Prlabo Conradour own Prince aJ IContac ho has come back our true prince Wo knew he was no priest I ilblCourUand forever Down with Louis jcctlherraven Down with the Musco koyitjilfirhe young man shall not die liD The princess shall have her sweet 01 9teart ljAndas soon as the calvacado had a otrio within the square the living Idtwgve 1 joke black over all Then the al Jsrles began again Swords and bare 1 Q pstsijyero shaken at the grand stand a wtierefwhlto as death Prince Louis stl1kfpt his place spr k tho center platform whereon lot thel g cross was extended the CO r rat grew oppressive and then nthsti us tDada lJ t there you are killing him Back 11say I I jTkeS strong men took staves and I l aaltiejifi I and by forcoot brawny arms Jf iii djSJBharp pricking steel pressed tho or peqplojback breast high The smiths rho had riveted the wristlets and nd aSkffi rlngs wero already busy with elr shies Tho lashings were cast janjo6seSfrom the frames A hundred hatflate j chafed the white swollen limbs I 8 fAth last all was dome and dazed onfrittdlbUnded but unshaken In his soul aynkaikfco von Lynar stood totterlngly el ponlhis feet ijf him up Lift him up Let usa us-a If he Is dead we will slay v end Louis and crucify the Musco Imedtltifmhls place seen tti1 I another would cry Louis Scaus it > eager ruler I Conrad Is the nraej flncol set De n with tho Russ the Cossack ring aro they Pursue them Kill est i L5C i C i the fierce shouts and as the oa eseuters raised the Sparhawk high on aped hands that all men might me tho far skirts of the crowd dC h I of Muscovy with a bitter smile Jcns 111 c t b r 10 su + Is rises s cup Irv t + C E aa9i T q r z N I i moo s 11 t lea C ms a of d = r l J War r l 1 user cL cr and Conrad found themselves xM much alone mud I face gathered together his 1 leO irsomen Prince Louis In your midst and II tie > r your lives he cried Tot To-t bMt intlor where bides the army of I 1i alNirl for p a flash of pennons and a toss Pahorees heads they obeyed but I JJleJlJgW Ivan himself paused upon tho to fiftlia little swelling rise and looked toward the Alia bank uselr it 1s your day Ma0 tho most of for tt t t I muttered In three days I out dHllriimo back And then by Mich 111 r10j I Archangel I will crucify ono td 00 y2 O < at ever street corner and a ear crossroad through all tho land of ourtland And that which I would have done shall not he named beside that which I shall do And he turned and rodo after his men In the midst of whom was Prlnco Louis his head twisted In tear and apprehension over his shoulder and his slack hands scarce able to hold tho reins After this manner was the Spar hawk rescued from tho Jaws of death and thus camo Joan of tho Sword Hand tho second time to Courtland But the end was not yet CHAPTER XXV The Loves of Priest and Wife It remains to tell how these great things had como to pass Wo must return to the Isle Rugen and to tho lonely grange on the spit of sand which separates tho Baltic from the waters of the Freshwater Huff Many things havo happened there since Conrad of Courtlund Cardinal and archbishop had awaked to find by his bedside tho sleeping girl who was his brothers wife Storms had overpassed and battles had been won jero these two came riding Into Court land In tlmo to prevent tho dread consummation con-summation of the Ukraine Cross and to baulk for the time the vengeance of Prince Wasp On Isle Uugen where the pines grow dense and green gripping and settling the thin sandy soil with their prehensile roots Joan and Conrad Con-rad found themselves much alone Happy Isle Hugen said Joan drawing a breath like u sigh Why wero we born to princedom Conrad you and I I at least was not answered her companion Dumb Maxs Jerkin of blue fits me better than any robo royalConrad Conrad said Joan suddenly standing erect and looking at tho young man If I were to tell you that I have resolved never to return to Kernsberg but to remain hero on Islo Ilugen what would you say I should ask to he your companion or If not your bailiff said the prince bishop promptly That would be to forget your holy office A certain gentle sadness passed over the features of the young man I leuvo many things undone for the sake of mine office he said but the canons of tile church do not forbid poverty nor yet manual labor He paused as if ho had more to say Well said Joan and waited for him to continue There is something else he said It IsIt Isthat I cannot bear to leave you God knows I cannot leave you If 1 I would A wave of pity passed over Joan A month before she would have withdrawn with-drawn herself In hot anger But Islo Rugen had gentled all her ways But now Joan was coming to her own again For to pity of Theresa von Lynar she was adding pity for Conrad Con-rad of Courtland and Joan of Hohen steinSpeak Speak she said very gently Do not be afraid tell me all that Is In your heart Then Conrad spoke In a low voice very distinct and even in its modulation modula-tion Listen my lady Joan I lovo you there Is no use In hiding it Doubtless Doubt-less you havo already seen It I love you BO greatly that vows promises priesthoods cardinalates are no more to me than the crying of the seabirds up yonder Let a worthier man than I receive and hold them They aro not for a weak and sinful man My bishopric let another take I would rather be your groom your servitor your lacquey than reign on the seven hills and sit In Holy Peters chair You do me too much honor said Joan quietly I am weak and sinful Or else would I your brothers wife listen to such words from any man least of all from you Nay said Conrad you only listen lis-ten out of your great pltlfulness But I am no worthy priest I will not take upon me the yet greater things for which I am unfitted 1 will not sully the holy garments with my earthliness Conrad of Courtland bishop and cardinal died out thero among tho breakers Ho will never go to Rome never kneel at the tombs of the Apostles He will from this day forth bo a servitor servi-tor a servant of servants In the train of the Duchess Joan Ho paused almost smiling The picture of his icniinclatlon had grown real to him even as ho spoke But Joan did not smile She waited a space to see If ho had aught further to say But ho was silent waiting for her answer Conrad sho said very gently that I have listened to you and that I have not been angry may bo deadly sin for us both Yet I cannot bo angry God forgive mel I havo tried and I cannot bo angry I Yet because you have dispensed holy bread and I have knelt before the altar as a bride we must keep faith you and I We arc bound by our nobility It wo sin lot It bo tho greater and rarer slnll1e sin of tho spirit only Conrad I lovo you Nay stand still where ou aro and listen to me Joan your Brothers wife For I too will clear my soul I loved you long ore your eyes fell on mo I came as Dessauers secretary In tho city of Courtland I determined to see the man I was to wed I siw the prince my prince as I thought storm through the lists on his whlto horso 1 saw him baro his head and receive tho crown of victory I stood before him ashamed yet glad hosed and doublet ed like a boy in the summer pavilion I heard his gracious words I loved my prInce who so soon was to bo wholly mine The months slipped past and I was over tho gladder tho faster thoy wont Tho woman stirred within tho stripling girl In half a year In twenty weeksIn flvoIn ouoIn a dnynn hour I would put my hand my life into his keeping Then came tho glad tumult of the rejoicing folk tho hush of tho crowded cathedral 1 said Oh not yetI will not lift my eyes to my prince until Wo stopped stop-ped I Jlftcd my eyes and tho prince was not my prince Thero was a long and solemn pause between these two on tho old watchtower watch-tower Never was declaration of love returned so given and so taken Sho went on Now you know all Conrad sho said Islo Rugen can never moro bq ho islo of peace You and I have shivered tho cup ot our happiness Wo must part We can never befriends be-friends I must abide because I am a prisoner You will keep your counsel promising me to be silent and together to-gether we will contrive a way of escape es-cape When Conrad answered her his voice was hoarso and broken almost like ono rhcumed with sleeping out k ± cLi I i n1 l 1 I I would rather be your lacquey than reign on the seven hills on a winters night His words whistled whis-tled in his windpipe flying from treble to bass and back again Joan Joan ho said and tho third tlmo Joan And for the moment he could say no more True love she said and her voice was caressing you and I aro barrier ed from each other Yet we belong you to moI to you I will not touch your hand nor you mine Not even as we have hitherto done Let ours bo tho higherperhaps deadlier sin the tin ot soul and soul Do you go back to your office your electorate whllo I stay hero to do my duty She smiled upon him with a peculiar pecu-liar trustful sweetness and continued And once a year In the autumn you will come from your high office You will lay aside the princely scarlet scar-let and don the curt hose and blue Jerkin even as now you stand You will gather blackberries and help me to preserve them You will split wood and carry water Then when tho day Is well spent you and I will walk hither in the high afternoon and teh each other where wo stand and all tho things that have filled our hearts in the Interspace Thus will wo keep tryst you and Inot priest and wife but man and woman speaking speak-ing the truth eye to eye without fear and without stain Do you promise For all answer the princecardinal kneeled down and taking tho hem of her dress ho kissed it humbly and reverently To bo continued |