| Show boffi OF W 5 R CRO CIO Y c da f WO by bi 8 P V crockett CHAPTER Contin tit ronrad conrad flood a muni moment ent A titling with himself A larew wilt Il Lerned to flame and dilate within the g man on one thing I 1 an do he said like you I 1 can oben bh bade me go back and do nn inn duty I 1 cannot hind bind my bought I 1 cannot change my heair I 1 cannot cast my love out I 1 have haie heard that which I 1 have heard and I 1 calbot tot get but at least with the body I 1 can call obey I 1 will mill pei torra forra roy my vow I 1 m will III keep my chame to the cettei every jot and tittle and it if god condemn tile me for a well let him lie ile and not I 1 put this lovo love into nay my hart my body may be in mv priesthood si will strive to keep keel it clean but my bout Is my lad a for that lot let him east both soul and body into hell bell tile flie it if he will von alnar did not smile any mole she hold held out her hand to conrad ot of courtland priest and prince yes she suld said 3 sou oil do know what m hat love Is in ili so BO tar far ns no I 1 can I 1 will w ill help you to our hearts desire CHAPTER to the rescue it II u was as the lie hour of oe the evening meal at isle at the table lead head sat 1 I beresa von voa I 1 inar nar her lai laif cely mold ed and beautiful face homing no sign of motion mollon on oil liber ither side of her wre wire joan anti and filici conrad not sod and tit i avoiding nor seeking the be f of 0 and ee but set in spite of all so BO strange a thing la Is loit once declined happ bapp within their I 1 heart of hearts ishad been growing wilder and wild pr without and the lament of the wind mind was waa distinctly heard in the wide top now and then in a lull broad splashes ot of rain tell fell sol idly into the red embers with mith a sound like musket balls I 1 on a wall then theresa von lynar looked up where is max alax ulrich she said why does he be delaya IM M aladj lad one of the men of kerns berg answered saluting he be Is gone across the ilaff haff in the boat and has not yet returned I 1 I 1 will go and look for him nay do not rise my lord I 1 would go forth alone theresa stood upon the he inner curve of the hart at the place where here max alax r c was wag wont won to 0 till pull his boat ashore she looked long southward under her hand but tor for the moment could see nothing and though theresa von lynar was yet in the prime of her glorious beauty one could see v what hat she must have been in the das of her ber girlhood and as memory caused her eyes to grow misty and the smile of love and trust eternal came upon her lips twenty bears were more shorn away amay and the comans womans fico which had looked anxiously across the I likening haft changed to that of the girl who mho from the rate gate of castle von ainar had watched for I 1 the he coining ot of duke henry she turned and walked back facing the storm ifer her hood had been blown from her head b the furious gusts of wind but she heeded not she had forgot forgotten teu poor mix and joan and even her herself elf she had for gotten her son ifer her hand was A as out in the storm no now she did not diaab it back though the water ran from her finger tips for it was as clasped in an unseen grasp grap and in an ear that surely heard she wis whispering spering hei bet heart a troth god gh gho 0 it to me to do one deed only ono one before I 1 die that worthy and unashamed I 1 may meet my king icing when theresa re reentered entered the hall ball of the grange the company still belll sat as the h had ha left them there is no sign P 7 1 1 I 1 I 1 N roe for the moment she could see e nothing of max the she said perhaps he has ut at the landing place on the mainland till the storm should abate though that were scarce like him either joan and conrad spoke they scarce knew what hat nil all for the pleasure ot of eye answering ee and tho the subtle lattery flattery of vokes voices that altered 1 by the millionth of it a tone one each time they addressed one another theresa answered vaguely but and al allowed loed heisele to dream till to her earning honest sturdy werner grew misty ard bli bluff flaire re soli boded ed itsel into or it nobler and more kingly ahls ahl la u for bews had ted her at the tames tables end where now the chief captain sat thus they were mere sitting bitting when allen there came a clamor at the outer door the colbe of voices then a s challenge and max ulrichs a weird elrd answer a sound almost like the howl bowl of a wolf cut on off short lit in lit his throat by the hand that strangles him there he la is at listl list cried all in the ho dining hall or grange they waited the long of suspense till the door behind weiner was thrust open and the dumb man came in drenched and dripping lie ile was A as I 1 aiding one by the mm aim a man as till tall as himself grey and gaunt who fronted the company with eyes bandaged and hands tied behind his bis back max ulrich had bad a sharp knife in his hand with ith a thin and slig slightly curved blade and as he thrust the pinioned man before him into the full light of the candles be made signs thit it if his lady wished it he be was mas prepared to dispatch tile the pil on oil the spot ills ilia lips moved moed rapidly and he be seemed to be forming words and sentences ills mistress fol followed lomed these movements with the clobert attention lie ile sais she began to translate th thit lint it he met this man on the further side lie ile said that he had bad a message for isle rugen and refused to turn back on any condition so max blindfolded bound and gagged him he being willing to be bound and now be waits maits our I 1 let him be unloosed unlooked un loosed said john baing eagerly at the he pil and theresa made the sign stolidly ulrich unbound the broad bandage from the man mans a eyes and a grey badaei a brush of upright stub aft rose slowly blemly above a high narrow brow like laid corn that dries in the sun alt said joan of the sword rand hand starting to her feet and alt it surely was but the late prisoner did not speak at once though his captors stood back as though to permit him to explain himself ile he was still bound and gagged discovering which abich max ilax in a very philosophical and leisurely man nor assisted him to relieve himself of 0 a rolled kerchief which had bad been placed in III his mouth even enen then his refused its office till werner ion on orsell handed him a great cup of wine mine from which he drank deeply speak akl said joan what disaster or has aas brought roi g I 1 ou all heica eie la s kerns erns berg taken the eagles nest Is harried my lady but that is not what hath bath brought me hither have they found out this my prison are they coming to capture me neither returned alt maurice laurice A von li ln nor ir Is in the hand of his cruel enemies and on the day after tomorrow to morrow at sunrise he is to be torn to pieces by m V lid ild horses why Wherefore 9 in what place who would dared cime from all about the table but the mother ot of the boung man sat silent as it she had not heard to save kerns berg from sack by the muscovites maurice von non lynar went to courtland in the guise of the lady joan at the fords of the alla alia we delivered him apt up ile he went ment for my sake moaned joan lie ile Is to die for met me nay corrected alt he Is to die for wedding the princess margaret of Court courtlandt Cou rlland landl again they cried out upon him in utmost astonishment that Is all the mon men A maurice faurice von latr alvn ir has married the princess margaret ot of courtland and why should he riot not his mother cried out I 1 I 1 expected it from the first joan ot of the sword iland hand disdainful of their masculine ignorance well put in alt Illi her at all events he hath bath married the princess or she has married him which is the s ime sime thing but why wo we knew nothing of 0 ile he told us nothing we thought lie he went ment for our lady a sake to court landl why did lie he marry her cried severally von orsell and the plassee plassen burg captains why said theresa the mother with assurance assur ince because he loved her doubtless how flow because he bo was hla his fathers father s son I 1 and nd theresi thereat being calra calm and stilling the others alt got time to tell his tale there was silence in the grange ot of islo isle rugen while it was m as being behig told and even when it was ended for a space none spoke but theresa smiled well viell pleased and said in her heart 1 I thank godl god my son also shall meet henry the uon aou face to face and not be ash amedi after that they made their plans I 1 m will ill go said conrad I 1 for I 1 have influence with my brother or if not with him at least with aith the folk of courtland wo will stop this heathenish abomination 11 1 I will ill go said theresa esa becan be canso he be la is my son god will show mo me a way to help him I 1 we wol all go I 1 chorused tho the captains that iball saie sae weiner all except darts boris all except bortan l who will ill iemann bete on isle rugen with the duchess loan they looked at each cich other as they spoke oi need not trouble yourselves I 1 will tot rei remain nain on itle rugen not ilot an bour sald joan whoever bucys I 1 go you that I 1 permit this man to die la in my stead T wo W will go to courtland Courtia nd we will tell prince louis that I 1 am no due bess but only the sister ot of a dulie we wa mill prove proe to him thit my bathers bond band of heritage brotherhood ta Is null and void and then we will see whether he Is milling filing to turn the down for auca juca wa a do verless merless wife as ill it for such a wife thought conrad 1 I would turn the universe upside down though she stood in a beggars beggar a kirt lel but being loyally bound by his promise he be said nothing it was aas theresa von lynar lymar who put the matter practically at a farm on tho the mainland d hidden bidden among the salt ma marches relles there are horses borses those you brought with you and others they are in for such an emergency max will bring them to the landing place three or four of your guard g must accompany him the rest will make ready and at the first dawn we will set out there Is 13 yet time to save my sont she added in her heart I 1 or it if not then to avenge him strangely enough theresa WB wag tho the least downcast of the party parts iler her hi apart art mag as proud within her m ith a groat great pride lie ile Is the lions sets BOB ITO II 11 L alt Pik kerl was born a duke lie ile has haa mar married riedl a princess ile he has tasted love and known sacrifice if lie he dies it will be tor for the sake of hla his sisters sister a honor TIB no bad record for twenty years these things he will count high above fame and length of days 4 0 0 the little company which set out from isle rugen to r ride de to courtland Cou our rlland an had no thought or intention ot of rescuing maurice von on lynar by force ot of arms they knew their own impotence far too exactly it if her of her dignities ft more ere laugh laughed tid at as she feared there vaa nothing for joan but to deliver herself to prince louis sho had reach id to promise to be his hia wife and princess prince m in all that it concerned the outer marld to see their provinces vituld be kited Kern Kerns berg and hohenstein hen stein eln del deh hered cred into his hand on his parr cernei von orsell was wa prepared to point out to the prince of courtland Court lana that with joan as his wife and th armies anc and levies of addad to ills his ovo ova under the Spar haw s leider leadership ship he would be in a position to do 10 without the aid of the of altogether further that in rase case of attack fiam the north not orly burg and tho the mark alark but all the teutonic dond bond must tally to hla his sile side conrad who wis was intimately acquainted quain ted with the character of his brother and who knew how entirely he was under the dominion of prince ivan had resolved to use all powers ecclesiastical ard secular which hla his po position siLlon as titular prince of the church put within his reach to be continued conti rued |
