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Show ' teopyrlRht, 1S9S, 1S0U, by 8. 11. Cro:kett.) t V''ff CHAPTER XXIV. Continued. VJ "They have brought him down from ; i tho cart. Tho Cossacks aro close - about him. They hnve put nil tho Courtland men far back. " 0, "Tho Muscovites nro binding tho (ff lad to a wooden frame. They have etrlpped him to tho waist "Blessed Virgin, they aro casting looso tho horses! A Cossack with a cruel whip stands by each to lash them to fury! They aro slipping tho platform from under him. God In , heaven! what Is that?" i.- Hitherto tho eyes of tho' great multitude, mul-titude, which on three sides surrounded surround-ed the place of execution, had been turned Inward, nut now with ono accord ac-cord they wcro gazing, not on tho tor-rlblo tor-rlblo preparations which were so near a bloody consummation, but over the green tree-studded Alia meads toward a group of horsemen who woro approaching ap-proaching at a swift hnncVgallop. Petor tho lank giant, was In greater request than ever. "What do they look at, good Peter tell us quickly?" ','Thero Is a woman among those who ride no, two! They aro getting near tho skirts of tho crowd. Men aro shouting and throwing up their hands In tho air. I cannot tell what !"'.' for. Tho soldiers, havo their hats on tho top of their pikes. They aro shouting!" Dy this time It needed no Peter Alt-maar. Alt-maar. Tho ring was rapidly closing now all about savo upon tho meadow side, whero a lano was kopt open. Through this living alloy camo a knight and a "lady tho latter In riding t habit and broad velvet cap, tho knight , ' with his vizor up, but armed from head to foot, a dozen squires and men-at-arms following a compact Uttlo cloud, and as they camo they wero greeted with tho enthusiastic acclaim of all that mighty concourse. "Prlnco Conrad our own Prince Conrad, ho has come back, our true ;;.; " " prince! Wo knew ho was no priest! ( ' Courtland forovor! Down with Louts j'' tho ciavonl Down with tho Musco vite! Tho young man shall not dlo! Tho princess shall havo her sweetheart!" sweet-heart!" And as soon as tho calvacado had come within tho squaro tho living wave broko black over all. Then tho cries began again. Swords and baro fists were shaken at the grand stand, whoro whlto ns death Prince I.ouls , still kopt his place. About tho center platform whereon tho living cross was extended the crush first grew oppressive and then 'fy dangerous. "Back there you are killing hlra! Hack, I say!" Then strong men took staves and halbcrts, and by forco of brawny arms and sharp pricking steel pressed the people back breast high. The smiths who bad riveted tho wrlstlots and i ankle rings wero already biiBy with j their flics. The lashings wcro cast looso from tho frames. A hundred hands chafed the white, swollen limbs. At last all was done, nnd dazed I and blinded, but uushnken In his soul, Ij Maurlco von Lynar stood totteringly i upon his feel. "1.1ft him up! Lift him up! Lot us seo him! If he Is dead we will slay ! Prlnco Louis nnd crucify tho Musco- J vlt6 in his placo!" "Dah!" another would cry, "Louis Is no longer ruler! Conrad Is the truo prlnco!" "Down with the Hubs, the Cossack! Whoro nro th'oy? Pursue thorn! Kill thorn!" So ran tho Ilorcc shouts and as the rescuers raised the Sparhawk high on their plaited hands that all men might roo, on tho far skirts nf tho crowd Ivan of Muscovy, with a bitter Bmlle i Joan and Corlrad found themselves much alone, on his faco, gathered together his 1 stray horsemen. ,yy "Set Prlnco Louis In your midst and :do for your lives!" ho cried. "To tho frontier, whoro bides tho army of the czar!" With a flash of pennons and a tossing toss-ing of horses' heads they oboyed, but Prlnco Ivan himself paused upon the top of a Uttlo swelling rise and looked ; back toward tho Alia bank. "It Is your day. Mako tho most of it," ho muttered. "In thrco days I will como back! And then, by Mich- ael tho Archangel! I wilt crucify one J of ytu at every street corner and cross-road through all the land of Courtland! And that which I would havo dono shall not bo named bosldo that which I shall do I" And ho turned and rodo after his men, In tho midst of whom was Prince Louis, his head twisted In fear and apprehension over his shoulder, and his slack hands scarce ablo to hold tho reins. After this manner was tho Spar-hawk Spar-hawk rescued from the Jaws of death, and thus camo Joan of the Sword Hand tho second tlmo to Courtland. But tho end was not yet CHAPTER XXV. The Loves of Priest and Wife. It remains to tell how theso great things had como to pass. Wo must return to the Isle Itugen and to tho lonely grange on tho spit of sand which separates tho Baltic from the waters of the Freshwater Haff. Many things hnvo happened there slnco Conrad of Courtland, Cardinal and Archbishop, had awaked to find by his bedside tho sleeping girl who was his brother's wife. Storms had overpassed and battles had been won ero theso two camo riding fnto Court-land, Court-land, In time to prevent the dread consummation con-summation of the Ukralno Cross and to baulk for tho time tho vengoanco of Prlnco Wasp., On Islo Itugen, whero tho pines grow dense and green, gripping and settling tho thin, sandy soil with their prehensile roots, Joan and Conrad Con-rad found themselves much alono. "Happy Isle Itugen!" said Joan, drawing a breath like a sigh. "Why were we born to princedom, Conrad, you nnd I?" "I nt least was not," answered her companion. "Dumb Max's Jerkin of bluo fits me better than nny robo royal." "Conrad," said Joan, suddenly standing erect and looking nt tho young man, "If I wero to tell you that I havo resolved never to return to Kornsborg, but to remain hero on Islo Hugcn, what would you say?" "I should ask to be your companion or, If not, your bailiff!" said tho prince-bishop promptly. "That would be to forget your holy office!" A certain gentlo sndness passed over tho features of tho young man. "I leave many things undone for tho sako of ralno olllce," ho said, "but the canons of tho church do not forbid poverty, nor yet manual labor." Ho paused as If he had more to say. "Well?" said Joan and waited for htm to continue. "There Is something else," ho said. "It Is It is that I cannot bear to leavo you I God knows I cannot Ieavo you If I would!" A wavo of pity passed over Joan. A month before she would havo withdrawn with-drawn herself In hot anger. But Islo Itugen had gentled all her ways. But now Joan was coming to her own again. For to pity of Theresa von Lynar she was nddlng pity for Conrad Con-rad of Courtland and Joan of Hohen-stein. Hohen-stein. "Spoak," she said, very gently. "Do not bo afraid, tell me nil 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 love you there Is no use In hiding It. Doubtless Doubt-less you havo nlrendy seen It. I lovo you so greatly that ytws, promises, priesthoods, cardlnalatcs aro no moro to mo than tho crying of the scnblrds up yonder. Lot a worthier man than I recelvo and hold them. They aro not for a weak and sinful man. My bishopric let another take. I would rather bo your groom, your servitor, your lacquey, than reign on the seven hills and sit In Holy Peter's chair!" "You do me too much honor," said Joan quietly. "I am weak nnd sinful. Or elso would I, your brother's wife, listen to such words from nny man least of all from you?" "Noy," said Conrad, "you only Its-ton Its-ton out of your great pltlfulncss. But I am no worthy prlos't. I will not take upon me tho yet greater things for which I am unlittcd. I will not sully tho holy garments with my carthllnes8. Conrad of Courtland, bishop nnd cardinal, died out thero among tho breakers. "Ho will never go to Itomo, novor kneel at the tombs of tho Apostles. Ho will from this dny forth bo a servitor, servi-tor, a servant of servants In tho train of tho Duchess Joan." Ho paused, almost mulling. Tho plcturo of his renunciation had grown real to him even as ho spoke. But Joan did not smllo. Sho wnltcd a space to seo If ho had aught furthor to oay. But ho was silent, waiting for hor answer. "Conrad," she said very gently, "that I have listened to you nnd that I havo not been angry may bo deadly sin for us both. Yet I cannot bo angry. God forglvo mo! I havo tried and I cannot bo angry. "Yot because you havo dispensed holy bread, and I havo knelt beforo tho altar ns a bride, wo must keep faith, you and I. Wo aro bound by our nobility. It wo sin, lot It bp tho greator and rarer sin the sin of tho Bplrlt only. Conrad, I lovo you. Nay, stand still whero you nro and llston to mo, Joan, your brother's wtfo. For I, too, will clear my soul, I loved you long ero your eyes fell on mo, I enmo as Dessuuer's secretary in tho city of Courtland. I determined to seo the man I was to wed. I saw tho prlnco my prince as I thought, storm through tho lists on his whlto horso. 1 saw htm bare his head nnd recelvo tho crown of victory. I stood beforo htm, ashamed yet glad, hosed nnd doublet-ed doublet-ed llko n boy In tho summer pavilion. I heard ills gracious words. I loved my prlnco, who bo soon was to bo wholly mine. The months slipped past and I was over tho gladder tho faster thoy went. Tho woinnn stirred wtthln tho stripling1 girl. In half a year, in twonty weeks In five In one In a dny an hour, I would put my hand, my life, Into his keeping! Then camo tho glad tumult of tho rejoicing folk, tho hush of tho crowded cathedral. 1 said, Oh, not yet I will not lift my eyes to my prlnco until' Wo stopped. stop-ped. I lifted my eyes and tho prince was not my prlnco!" Thero was a long nnd solemn pauso between theso two on tho old watch-tower. watch-tower. Never was declaration of lovo roturned so given and so taken. Sho went on. "Now you know nil, Conrnd," sho said. "Isle Rugcn can never moro bo tho Isle of peace. You and I have shivered tho cup of our happiness. Wo must part. Wo can never bo friends. I must abide becauso I am a prisoner. You will keep your counsel, promising mo to bo silent, and together to-gether we will contrive a way of escape." es-cape." When Conrad answered her his volco was hoarso nnd broken, almost llko ono rhoumcd with sleeping out "I would rather be your lacquey than reign on the seven hlllsl" on a winter's night. His words whistled whis-tled In his windpipe, flying from treble to bass and back again. "Joan, Joan!" ho said, and tho third time "Joan!" And for the moment he could bay no more. '"Truo love," bIio said, and her voice was caressing, "you and I aro barriered barrier-ed from each other. Yet we belong you to me I to you! I will not touch your hand, nor you mlno. Not oven ns wo havo hitherto done. Lot ours bo tho higher perhaps deadlier sin tho sin of soul nnd soul. Do you go back to your office, your electorate, while- I stay hero to do my duty." Sho smiled upon him with a peculiar pecu-liar trustful sweetness nnd continued: "And onco ft year, in the autumn, you will como from your high office. You will lay nsldo tho princely scar-lot, scar-lot, and don tho curt hose and bluo jerkin, even as now you stand. You will gnthcr blackberries and help mo to presorvo them. You will split wood and carry water. Then, when tho day Is well spent, you and I will walk hither Injho high afternoon nnd tel. each other where wo stand and nil tho things that havo filled our hearts In tho Interspace. Thus will wo keep tryst, you and I not priest nnd wife, but man and woman speaking speak-ing tho truth eyo to eyo without fenr and without stain. Do you promlso?" For nil answer tho prlncc-cnrdlnnl kneeled down nnd taking tho hem of her dress he kissed It humbly nnd roverently, (To bo continued.) |
