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Show JOAPlsWMlID y SMR:CROCKETT.a' (Copyright, 18DS. WOO, by S. II. Crockett.) CHAPTER XVII. Wife and Priest. "I havo a right to cull myself tho widow of the Duke Henry of Kerns-berg Kerns-berg nml Hohonsteln," snld Theresa von Lynur, In reply to Conrad's question ques-tion as to whom lie might thank for rescue and shelter. "And therefore tho mother of tho Duchess Joan?" he continued. Theresa shook her head. "No," she said sadly; "I am not her mother, but nnd oven that only In a sense her Rtcpmother. A promlso to a dead man has kept mo from claiming any privileges save that of living unknown on this dcsolato isle of sand and mist. My son Is an of-llcer of-llcer In tho service of tho Duchess Joan. , Tho face of the Frliiec-Blshop light- I ed up Instantaneously. "Most surely, then. I know him. Did I ho not come to Courtland with my lonl Dessnucr, tho Ambassador of I l'lasenburg?" Tho lady of Isle Rugen nodded Indifferently. In-differently. "Yes," she said; "I believe ho wont to Courtland with tho embassy from 1'lassenburg." "Indeed, I was much drawn to him," said the Princo eagerly; "I remember him most vividly. Ho was of an olive complexion, his fenturcs without "oolor, but craven even as tho Creeks cut those of a young god on a gem." "Yes," said Theresa von I.ynar serenely, se-renely, "he has I1I3 father's faco ami carriage, which are those also of the Duchess Joan." In the morning Joan camo to bid the patient good morrow, whllo Werner Wer-ner von Orseln stood lu tho doorway with his steel cap doffed In his hand, nnd Boris and Jorlan bent tho knee for a priestly blessing. But Theresa did not again nppear till night and darknes had wrapped tho earth, 'arid being all alono he listened to the heavy plunge of tho breakers on the beach among which his life had been so nearly sped. The sound grow slower slow-er and slower after tho storm, until at last tho wavelets of thnt sheltered sea lapsed on tho shlnglo In a sort of !j breathing whisper. And eo day passed and enmc again. , Long ulghtH, too, at first with hourly tendanco and then presently without. But Joan sat no more with tho young man nftcr that first watch, though his soul longed for her, thnt ho might again toll hor that she wnR his brother's broth-er's wife, and urge her to do her duty by him who wus her wedded husbnnd. So Conrad contented himself and I ".ilvcd his conscience by thinking nustero thoughts of his mission nnd high place In tho hlernrchy of tho only H Catholic and Apostolic Church. So thrt presently he would rlso up and I sue.. Werner von Orseln . In order to H persuade him to let him go, thnt he I might proceed to Homo nt tho com-B com-B mnnd or tho Holy Father, whoso ser-H ser-H vnnt ho wns. H But Worncr only laughed nnd put flj him off. H "When wo have sure word of whnt H your brother does at Kcmsbcrg, thou H wo will talk of this matter. Till then H it cannot bo hid from you that no B hostngo half so valuublo can wo keep In hold." H So after ninny days It was permitted B to tho Princo to walk abroad within H tho narrow bounds of tho Islo Rugen, H tho Wordless Man guarding him at Bj fifty paces' distance, Impassive and Bj inovitnhlo as an ambulunt rock of the Bj seaboard. Bj As ho went Prince Conrad's eyes BJ glanced this way nnd that, looking for Bj a means of escape. Yet thoy saw Bj none, for Worncr von Orseln with his Bj ten men of Kcmsbcrg and tho two Bj captains of PlaKsenbiirg wuro not sol- B tUers to make mistakes. It chanced, BJ fiowcvcr, that upon n warm nnd gra- Bj 'Cous afternoon, when tho breezes m gr- - Bflj Glanced this way and that, looking H for means of escape, BB ftjivod wnuderlugly among the garden Bj tif'os heforo losing themselves in tho W isfllomn nlslos of the pines as In a pll-HH pll-HH lared temple, thnt Conrad, stepping J painfully westwards along tho bench, flflj arrived at tho place of his rescue, and. ' descending the steep lianh of shingle BV to look ror any traces of tho disaster, Bfl! camo suddenly iir-on tho Duchess Bflj Joan gazlig thoughtful!) out to sea. iSho turned quickly, hearing tho Hound of foothtcps, and at fight of the Prlnce-Illshop glanced east and west nlong tho shore ns If melltutlnfi retreat. re-treat. i lint tho proxlnilu or Max I'lrleh nml Pr tho enconiputiflns haul s of water worn bhbbbbbbbb pebbles convinced her of the awkwardness, awk-wardness, If not Impossibility, of escape. es-cape. Conrad tho prisoner greeted Jonn with tho sweet gravity which had been characteristic of him ns Conrad tho prince, and his eyes shone upon her with tho samo affectlonnto kindliness that had dwelt In them ns ho looked upon his sister In the pavilion of the rose-garden. But after ono glance Joan looked steadily away ncross tho steol-grcy sea. Hor feet turned Instinctively In-stinctively to walk back towards tho house and tho Princo turned with her. "If wo nro two fellow-prisoners," said Conrad, "we ought to see more of each other. Is It not so?" "That wo mny concert plans of escape?" es-cape?" said Joan. "You desire to continue con-tinue your pilgrimage. I to return to my people, who. alas, think themselves them-selves better off without mot" They paced along together with their eyes on tho ground, the Wordless Man keeping a uniform distance behind thorn. Then tho Princo laugued a strange, grating laugh, like ono who mocks nt himself. "Tho world Is 111 nrrangod," ho said slowly; "my brother Louis would have made a far better Churchman thnn I. And strnngo It Is to think that but n year ago tlio knights nnd chief councillors coun-cillors of Courtlnnd camo to mo to propose thnt. because of his bodily weakness, my brother should bo deposed de-posed and that I should tnko over tho government nnd direction of affairs." Ho went on without noticing tho color rising In Joan's check, smiling a llttlo to himself and talking with more animation. "Then, had I assented, my brother might havo been walking hero with tonsured head by your side, whllo I would doubtles havo been knocking nt tho gates of Kernsborg, seeking nt tho spear's point for a runaway bride." "Nay!" cried Joan, with sudden vehemonco; "thnt would you not " And ns suddenly she stopped, stricken strick-en dumb by tho sound of her own words. Tho Princo turned his head full Upon her. Ho snw a faco all suffused with hot blushes, haughtiest pride struggling with angry tears In eyes thnt, fairly blazed upon him, nnd n slender figure drawn up Into an attitude atti-tude of defiance, at sight of which something took him Instantly by tho throat. "You mean you menn " he stammered, stam-mered, nnd for ,a moment wns silent. "For God's snke, tell mo what you moan!" "I menn nothing at all!" said Joan, stamping her foot In nnger. And turning upon her heel she left him standing fixed in wonder and doubt upon tho margin of tho sen. Then the wlfo of Louis, Princo of Courtland, walked eastward to tho house upon tho Isle Rugen with her faco set ns sternly as for battle, but hor nether lip quivering, whllo Conrad, Con-rad, Cardinal and Prince of Holy Church, pneed slowly to the west with a bitter nnd downcast look upon his ordinarily so sunny countenance. For Fate hnd been exceeding cruel to thoso two. And meanwhile right haughtily flow tho red Hon upon the cltndel of Kernsborg. Kerns-borg. Never had tho Lndy Duchess, Joan of tho Sword Hand, approven hersolf so bravo and determined. In her foresters' dress of green velvet, with tho links of chnln body-armor glinting beneath Its frogs nnd tuches, sho went everywhere on foot. At nil times of tho day sho was to bo seen at tho half-moons wherein the cannon were fixed, or on horseback scouring tho defenced poRts along tho city' wall. Sho seemed to know neither fear nor fatlguo, and tho noise of cheering followed fol-lowed hor about tho llttlo hill city Uko her shadow, Threo thero woro who know tho truth Peter Bnltn, Alt Plkkor, and George tho Hussite. And when tho guards were set, tho lamps lit. nnd the bars drawn, n stupid Hohonstelnor set on wntch at tho turnpike foot with command to let none pass upon his life then nt last tho lltho young Spar-hawk Spar-hawk would undo bis belt with hugo refreshful glinting of air Into his lungs, amid tho scarcely subdued laughter of tho captains of the host. Nevertheless, In tho faco of bravo words nnd braver deeds, provisions waxed scarce and dear In Cnstlo Kernsborg, and In the town below women grow gaunt and hollow-checked. hollow-checked. Then the children acquired eyos that seemed to stand out of hollow hol-low purplo sockets. Last of all, tho stout burghers grow thin. And all threo began to dream of tho dnys when tho good farm folk of tho blackened black-ened country down below them, whoro now stood the leafy lodges of tho Muscovite Mus-covite nml tho white tents of tho CourtlnnderH, used to come Into Kernsborg to market, tho great solemn-eyed oxen drawing carts full of country sausages, ami brown meni fresh from Iho mill to bake tho wholesome whole-some bread or when tho stout market-women brought lu tho Inppored mill; and the butter nnd cunlH, So tho starving folk dreamed and dreamed and voke. anil cried out curses on them ii 't had waked them. About this tlmo ihu Sparhnwk began be-gan to take counsel with himself, and tho issue of his meditations tho historian his-torian must now relate. It was lu the outer chamber of tho Duchess Joan, which looks to tho north, thnt the three captains usually sat burly Poltr Balta. stlff-halred, dry faced, keen-oyci' lt Plkker. lean mil leather. ''' humor within him nil gone to fighting Juice, his limbs mcro bone and muscle, a certain cer-tain acrid and caustic wit keeping tho corner of his Hps on tho wicker, and, a llttlo back from theso two, George tho Hussite, a smaller man, very sol-. omn oven when ho was making others ' laugh, but nevertheless with a proud, high look, n stfT upper Hp, and n mustache mus-tache so huge that ho could tlo the ends behind bis head ou a windy day To them entered tho Sparhnwk, a settled frown of gloom upon his brow, and tho hunger which ho shared equnl-1 ly with tho others already sharpening tho falcon hook ou his noso and whitening whit-ening his thin nostrils. At Bight of him the three heads drew apart, and Alt Plkker began to speak of the stars that were rising In tho eastern dusk. "Tho dog-star Is whlto," ho said didactically. di-dactically. ' "In my Echooldays I usod Joan looked steadily away across the steel-grey sea. to rend In tho Latin tongue that It was red!" "What Is this?" cried tho Sparhnwk. "Do not deceive me. You wcro nono of you talking of stars when I camo up tho stairs. For I heard Peter Bal-ta's Bal-ta's volco say, 'By Godl It must como to It, and soon!' And you, Husslto George, nnswored him, 'Six dnys will settle It.' What do you keep from mo? Out with It! Speak up, llko threo llttlo men!" It wns Alt Plkker who first found wards to answer. "Wo spoke Indeed of tho stars, nnd snld It was -six days till tho moon should be gone, nnd thnt tho tlmo would then bo rlpo for a sally by tho by the Plassenburg gnto!" "Pshaw!" cried tho Sparhnwk. "Lie to your father confessor, not to me. I nm not a purblln.1 fool. I havo cars, long enough, It Is true, but nt least they answer to hear withal. Yon spoke of tho welln. I tell you. I saw your heads movo apart as I entered, and then, forsooth, that dolnrd Alt Plkker (who ran nway In his youth from n monk's cloister school with tho nun thnt taught them stocking-mending) stocking-mending) must needs furbish up some scrnps of Latin and begin to prate about dog-stars red and dog-stars white. Faugh! Open your mouths llko men, set truthful hearts behind thorn, nnd lot mo hear tho worst!" The threo captains of Kernsbcrg woro silent n while, for heaviness was upon their souls. Then Peter Balta blurted out, "God help us! Thero Is but ten days' more provender In the city, ho river Is turned, nnd tho wella nro almost dried up!" After this tho Spnrhawk sat awhile on tho low window sent, watching tho twinkling fires of tho Muscovites and listening to the hum of tho town beneath be-neath tho Cnstle. (To be continued.) |