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Show (Copyright, 1898, 1800, by 8. It. Crockett.) CHAPTER XIX Continued. Sho clasped hor hands whout his tarn. "Will you?" eho said again, looking p beseechingly nt him. The Father stood smiling r. llttlo Mown upon her, mora with his oyes than with hla lips. "They will kill him and marry you, If I do. And, moreover, pray toll me, ' . llttlo ono, what will they do to mo?" v ' he said. "Father, they would not daro to moddlo with you. Your ofllce your j saactlty, Holy Mother Church herself would protect you. It Conrad wero ' hero ho would do It for mo. I am Buro j ho would marry us." "And you, young mnsqucradcr," said Father Clement, turning to tho Spnrhawlc, "whnt say you to all this? 1 I must know all beforo I consent to ( .put my neck Into tho hnltcrl" "I will do whatever tho Princess wishes. Her will Is mine." "Dz Am mako a virtue of that, j young man," said tho priest, smiling; v "tho will of tho Princess Is nlso that j of most people with whom sho comes Bfc . r- Ik contact. Why, ever slnco sho was so high (ho Indicated with his hand), I dccluro tho minx hath set her own pononcos and dictated her own absolutions." abso-lutions." Tho Sparhawlt dropped on ono kneo and bent his head. "Ah, that IB better," said tho priest, making tho sign of benediction nbovo tho clustered raven locks. "Rise, sir, I would speak with you a moment apart. My Lady Mnrgarot, will you plcaso to walk on tho tcrraco thcro while I confer with tho Lady Joan, I -according to tho commandment of tho Prlnco." As ho spoko tho last words ho mado a llttlo movement towards tho corridor corri-dor with his hand, nt tho samo . moment clovntlng his voice. Tho Princess caught his meaning and, before be-fore cither of hor companions could top hor, sho tiptoed to tho door, set hor hand softly to tho latch, and sud-. sud-. donly flung It open. Prlnco Louis stood without, with hend bowod to ' listen. Tho Princess shrilled Into a little peal of laughter. 1-y, "Brother Louis," sho cried, clapping vr her hands, "wo havo caught you. You must restrain your youthful, ardent affoctlons. Your brido Is about to confess." Tho Prluco gluted at Ms dcbonnalrc sister as if h'o could havo slain hor on the spot. "I returned," ho said formally, r speaking to tho dlsgulseu Maurldo, "to ' Inform the Princess that her rooms In tho main palaco woro ready for her I whenevor sho deigns to occupy them." 1 "I thank you, Prlnco Louis," return- ! ed tho falso Princess, bowing. In his I character of a woman botrayed and lod prisoner tho Spnrhnwk was sparing spar-ing of his words, and for other rca-, rca-, ' "- sons as well. "Corao, brother, your arm," said tho Princess. "You and I must not Intrude In-trude Wo will lcavo tho good Father Fath-er and his fair penitent. Como, dear brother, corool" . And with ono gay glanco shot back- ward at tho Sparhawk, half over her i shoulder, tho Lady Margaret took tho 1 unwilling arm of hor brother and ! swopt out. Verily, as Father Clomont had said, sho was a royal minx. CHAPTER XX. I The Princess Margaret It In a Hurry. Tho priest waited till their foot- stops died nway down tho corridor , beforo going to the door to shut It. v Prince Louis stood without, with head '.' ( bowed to listen. Then ho turned and fared tho Spar- i hawk with a very different counto- , nanco to that which ho had bent upon tho Princess Marcarct. "And now, sir," said tho priest abruptly, "who may you bo?" "Father, I am a sorvant to the ! Duchess Joan of Hohensteln and Kornsborg. Maurlco von Lynar is my name." "And pray, how camelyou so like tho Duchoeo that you can'Tvass muster mus-ter for her?" 7 '"lhat I know not. It Is tin affair ' upon which I was not consulted." "How enmo tho Princess to love youi "Well, for ono thine, I loved her. For another, I told hor sol" "Tho polrts nro well taken, but ol thomselves Insultlfclont," smiled tho v Driest "So also havo others better m k L equipped by fortuno to win hor favor than you. What else?" Then, with a certain shamefaced nnd sulky pride, tho Spnrhawk told Father Clement all tho tnlo of tho mission of tho Duchess Joan of Court-land, Court-land, of tho lilting tho Princess had taken to hor In her secretary's at tiro, of tho kiss upon tho dark river's bank, tho fragrant memory of which had drawn him back to Courtland against his will. "It is a pretty tnnglo you havo mado between you," said Father Clement when Maurlco finished. "I know not how you could moro completely havo twisted tho skein. Every ono Is somebody some-body else, nnd tho devil Is hard upon tho hindmost or Prlnco Ivan, which Is tho snrao thing." Tho priest now withdrew In his turn to where ho could watch tho Alia curving Its back a llttlo In mldBtream as tho summer floods rushed seaward from tho hills. To truo Courtland folk its very bubbles brought counsol as they floated down towards tho Dal tic. "Lot mo scol Let mo scol" ho murmured, mur-mured, stroking his chin. Then after a long pauso ho turned agnln to tho Sparhawlt. "You nro of sufficient fortuno to mnlntnln tho Princess ns becomes her rank?" "I am not a rich man," answered Von Lynar, "but by tho graco of tho Duchess Joan neither am I a poor one. Sho hath bestowed on mo one of her father's titles, with lands to match." "So," said tho priest; "but will Prlnco Louis and tho Muscovites give you lcavo to enjoy them?" "Tho estates aro on tho borders of Plnssenburg." said Maurlco, "and I think the Prlnco of Plassenburg for his own security will provldo against any Muscovlto Invasion." "Princes aro but princes, though I grant tho Executioner's Son Is a good ono," answered tho priest. "Well, better to marry than to burn, sayoth Holy Writ. I will marry you and thereafter botnko mo to the Abboy of Wolgast, where dwells my very good friend tho Abbot Tobias. For old snlto's sako ho will keep mo safo thcro till this thing blows over." "With my heart I thank jou, my Fnthcr," sold tho Sparhawk, kneeling. "Nny, do not thank mc. llnthcr thank tho pretty Insistency of your mistress. Yet It Is only bringing you both ono step ncaror destruction. Walking upon egg shells Is child's play to this. But I never could rcfuso ,your sweetheart either a comfit or an absolution nil my days. To my shnmo as a servant of God I say It. I will go call her In." Ho went to the door with a curious smilo on his faco. Ho opened it, and th ore, closo by tho threshold, was tho Princess Mnrgarot, hor eyes full of n bright mischief. "Yes, I was listening," sho cried, shaking her head defiantly. "I do not , enro. You nro going to do what wo wish I know you nro. I hoard you say so to Maurlco. Now begin." i "Nay, madcap, bo patlont. Wo must hnvo a witness whoso head sits on his : shoulders beyond tho risk of Prlnco LouIb' bailor or Prlnco Ivan's Muscovlto Musco-vlto dagger. What say you to tho , High Councillor of Plassenburg, Von I Dossnuor? Ho Is hero on an embassy." embas-sy." j Tho Prlncoss clapped her hands. j "Yes, yes. Ho will do lr. Ho will keop our secret. Ho nlso likes pretty girls, I will go nnd summon Dos-minor Dos-minor .myself," sho went on. "I will run so quick. I cannot bear to wait." "Abldo yo abide yo, my dnughter," said Father Clomont; "let us do even I this folly decently and In order. Tho dny Is far spout. Lot us wnlt till darkness comes. Theu when you aro ' rested and (ho looked townrds tho Sparhawk) tho I-ndy Joan also I will return with High Councillor Dcssnuor, who, without obsorvanco or suspicion, may pay his rrspocts to tho Princesses upon his nrrlval," "But, Fnthor, I ennnot wnlt," cried tho Impetuous hrldo. "Something might happen long beforo then. My brothor might como. Prlnco Wasp might find nut. Tho cnstlo Itself I might fall, And then I should never bo married at nil!" Tho holy father looked at her a momont and turned his eyes, to Maurlco Mau-rlco von Lynnr. Thon ho shook IiIh , head gravely at that proxlmato hrldo- ' groom as ono who would say, "If you bo neither hnnged nor yet burnt hero in Courtland If you got safely out of this with your hrldo why, then, Heaven havo morcy on your soull" It was vory quiet In tho rlvor parlor of tho Summer Palaco. A shaded lamp burned In Its nlcho over tho desk of Prlnco Conrad. Thcro was no ono In tho ureal rnon savo tho youth , whoso masquerading was now well-nigh well-nigh over, Tho Sparhawk listened Intently. In-tently. Footsteps were approaching. Quick as thought ho threw himself upon a couch, nnd drew about him n light cloak or woolen cloth lined with silk. Tho footsteps stopped nt his door. A hand knocked lightly. Tho Sparhawk did not answer. Thoro wns a long pauso and thon footstops retreated re-treated ns they had como. The Sparhawk Spar-hawk remained motionless Tired with nnxlety and tho strain of the day, tho youth passed from musing mus-ing to real sleep, and tho stream of unronsclou'npss, with n lonfc. toothing swirl llko that of tho grrcn water outside out-side among tho piles of tho Summer Palaco, boro him nway.' He look longer breaths, sighing In hla atesi-bers atesi-bers like a hnppy, tired child. Again there enmo footstops, quicker and lighter this time, then tho crisp rustlo of sllltcn skirts, a warm breath of scented air, and tho door was closed ngnln. No knocking this time. It was someone who entered as of right. Tho Princess Margaret sat down by tho couch of Maurlco Von Lynar and, after this manner of which I have told, her heart was moved within her. As sho bent a llttlo over tho youth nnd looked Into his sleeping face, the likeness to Joan tho Duchess cami out moro strongly than ever, emerging almost al-most startling!)', ns n raco stamp stnnda out on tho features of the dead. Sho bont hor head i'"t nearer the slightly parted lips she drow back. "No," sho murmured, k.nlung at hor Intent. "I will not nt least, not now. I will wnlt till I hear thorn coming." 8ho stolo her hand under tho cloak which covered the sleeper till her cool fingors rested on Mnurlco's hand. Ho stirred n llttlo nnd his lips moved. Then his eyelids quivered to tho lifting. lift-ing. But they did not rise. Tho ear of tho Princess was vory near tihom now. "Maurice," sho whispered, "wako, dearest. They aro coming." "Margarotl" ho would havo an-sworcd. an-sworcd. But could' not. Tho greetings were soon over. Th The mantage of Princess Margars-. and the Count von Loen. tnlo had already been told to Von Dcssnuor by Fathor Ciomcnt. The pair stood up under tno golden glow of tho swinging Bllvcr lamps. It was a strango scene., For, surely, never was marrlago moro wonderfully celebrated cele-brated on this earth than this of two fair maidens (for so they still appeared) ap-peared) taking hands at tho btddtq&c& God's priest nnd vowing tho solemn ows, In tho presenco of a prlnco'i chancellor, to live only for cacn other In all tho world. Presently tho solemn "Let no man put asunder" was snld, tho blessing pronounced, and Leopold von Dos-saucr Dos-saucr camo forward with his usual courtly graco to saluto tho newly made . Countess von Loen. Ho would havo kissed her hand, but with a swift gesturo sho offored hor . check. "Not hands to-day, good frlond," she I snld. "I am no moro a princess, but my husband's wlfo. They ennnot pari us now, can thoy, High Chancellor? I , havo gotten my wish!" I "Dear lntly," tho Chnncellor of Pins Bcnburg unswered gently, "I nm an old man, nnd I hnvo observed that Hymen Is tho most trlcksome of tho dtvlnl tics. His omens go mostly by con trnrles. Whoro much Is oxpected, llttlo llt-tlo Is obtained. When nil mon sponk well oi a wedding and nil tho prophets prophesy smooth things my fear Is great. But bo of good cheer. Though I you havo chosen tho rough road, tho porllous venture, tho dark night, tho doop nnd untried ford, you will yet I come out on n plnln gladness, Into a dny of sunshine, nnd nt tho ovcntldo reach a homo of content." (To bo continued.) |