Show ue u o cl s o a ac o 3 o m u. u HW o sao om ro o n w 0 I 0 tt I LOVE or D DEATH S ATH J I I I s S S I S S I I I S I I I I S I S S I I I S I U S U-S-S- U I I 3 BYl BY I t I S S S S S S I S S I I S S U S I I ij n f Rapel l Sabatini Sabat I j o o o l Ur s o C 0 THE STORY CHAPTER 1 In I-In In the town of ot I I Italy when It was under the control 55 4 of ot Cesart Cesare Dorla famous military commander commander com com- mander as os well as great preat reat statesman a II ar r certain Messer us arrant rogue Is flourishing ns as a n fortune fortune for for- tune t teller ller caster of ot spells and dispenser er of ot poisons to those who can afford to pay for tor them To 10 him comes In great secrecy the Lady Indy Blanca do de' Floravanti Fioravanti beautiful daughter of ot thi rich and powerful lord of ot the Castle Costle of ot San Leo which Is holding o out t against the power of ot even Cesare Cesore Bor Dor- gla gia In the not act of ot entering the girl girlIs Is astounded by the tho appearance of ot what she ehe takes tokes for tor an apparition but who turns out to to be human as lt an ane and eu cis B 1 i t- t corer for tor an elixir which will wilt compel love and mentions the name nome of ot the man she desires to conquer Lorenzo Castrocaro Castro- Castro caro serving under Cesare Borgia Corvinus for tor a large suin sum of ot y rivet Jf T 11 r a n w wih c. c tWi u a g 1 e re Wr u 13 reh ail 1 leaves It-aves the apparition appeals appears before Corvinus He UP Is the much dreaded Ct Cesare are himself Borgia learns that Corvinus has hasa a II substance which he declares will re restore ro- ro store the dead to life He lie then accuses the lire man mon of ot spreading the report that the Sultan had JIRd been destroyed b by the Hol Holy Father through a subtle poison polson which Corvinus had supplied denies ii lt IJ but admit h hi has o 0 deaf ea i Iv on Cesare forces non non- to drink It It and restore himself to life lite The sorcerer secures an emetic and es saves himself CHAPTER II At n.-At At a council at nt which Castrocaro Is present the duke duko Is assured assured assured as as- by his officers that the castle of ot ofSan ofSan San Leo Is practically Impregnable and can only be starved out This will wilt take more time than Cesare Is willing to devote to the task Castrocaro tells the dul duke e he has frequently scaled the mountain on which the castle Is situated situ situ- With a subtle purpose and believing believing be be- I lieving Castrocaro Is not so insensible I to Blancas Blanca's beauty as the girl supposes supposes supposes sup sup- poses he sends him to her with a A. messaGe message message mes mes- sage that her father tather Is sick in San Leo The young officer returns from tree tie the he duke to allow allow lanes to 10 visit her father uita refuses but secretly gives give orders that she ashe Is to be allowed permission lon lonto to pass through the besieging lines If It she makes the attempt He lie then accepts Castrocaro's aid and makes Castrocaro an offer otter of ot the governorship governorship governorship governor governor- ship of ot the place If It through his efforts it is taken Of or course a misstep or I capture Is certain death but the young oung man accepts the offer orter CHAPTER III Castrocaro Castrocaro after atter superhuman efforts succeeds In entering entering en en- the place und undiscovered his plan being to open the gates to a n large party part of Borgias Borgia's soldiers who will be hidden outside On the verge verse of ot success 1 he Is captured His story stoy I that nat he I is the bearer of ot a message from the lord of oC San Leo who of oC course coursO Is not in the castle is too too ab to be believed and he is sentenced sentenced sentenced sen sen- I Iab to death by the castellan I i I 1 I 11 iy Ms tills when i you OU are a messenger messen messen- me messenger sen- sen ger from Th The castellan turned sharply to his men Where did you jou ou find him he lie d. d It was Bernardo who made haste to answer that they hud had found him lurking In the pa pw sage age outside the them m guardroom room as ns the they were coming out Tolentino laughed with fierce relish and swore copiously and humorously So So ho ho he lie crowed You had hind pus passed sed the sentry unperceIved and you Ou were well hell within the fortress ere ele you were discovered ered when behold beheld you jou become a n messenger of baldos baldo's bearing orders to me to stir stir- i under render the fortress and you take this high hight tone about our Indifferent watch to cover the sly manner of at your our entrance en en- trance Oh ol I shrewdly thought of ot but It shall not avail you ou though It be a pity to wring the neck of ot so spirited a cockerel And he be laughed again oguin You are a u fool said sold Castrocaro with finality and you reason like mec a fool Do I so 1 Now a amark mark murk me You said that it was because you oU knew a as s secret cret wa way Into this castle ustle that Guido Guido- baldo buldo chose you rou for tor his messenger Consider now the Call folly of at that state state- ment nicut You might yourself e have construed con con- that wish was that you jou Ou should come hither secretly though yourself our you have admitted the time obvious Ious error of such an un as ump I t t l nn rn tell o n tin mn nm r n ti ov t front m tT ti tT ET T d duKe lw lg us us s to Cesare BOI Borgia lu anti imd so do the will wiH of th the latter should need to come here b bj by secret ways at the risk of hrs his neck neck- Tolentino shrugged ged and laughed In the white face of lif Messer Ies cr I Lorenzo Which of us Is s the fool Inthis In Inthis tg this thlE sir he questioned I Then with tin un abrupt change of man ner nero he waved wu to Ills hits men Seize Sel and und I him he commanded ed In a moment the they had him him down upon the floor and nail the they were stripping stripping strip strip- ping plug him of his garments They modi a cr very ery thorough se search but hut It yielded I nothing No o o matter mutter said Tolentino as he got ot Into bed hed again We have more morl I than enough against him already Make him safe afe for tOl the night He hall I ISO go SO down the cliffs cliff's face again In the morning and I swear he shall godown godown go godown down faster t titan than lan ever er he came up And Messer Tolentino rolled over nd ad settled down comfortably to go goo to sleep Jeep again f CHAPTER IV IV- Locked In the gun house guard rd since since i a man who was to die cIle so soon was not worth the trouble of of consigning to a dungeon Messer Castro Castro- aio UJo spent pent as you ou mn may conceive oncel a troubled night lIe Ilo was too voun voting and too full of life and the est pt C t and warmth of It to be he Indifferent lh i bout t It to look 1001 with nith apathy upon death He lie hind had secil seen Heath and and andi I i t deal dEul of ot It It-In It In the past Imst two years jears eurs athis of at his Ills martial martinI career carper But It had JIul he been en he lie lentil death of others and mal never until Im hid It seemed to him bun that dt death ath H e 44 I I sr t I ti il d I I it I I t I Locked In the Guardhouse I I j was a thin thing that very much concerned i J Even en when he had Ima Imagined I II I that he realized the dangers angers before him hint in ht this enterprise el of or San I. I Leo eo he I I j had felt Celt a n certain confidence that It I was not for him to die He was In j I fact tat In In that plisse phase of youth and vigor i i when wIlen a man seems to himself Immor Immor- tal And even en now that he lay on the j wooden bench In the time room guard-room In Inthe Inthe inthe the dark durk he could hardly conceive e I that time the end of him was really at I hand bond The catastrophe had overtaken I him him so suddenly so very elY cas 1 and surely rel lentil death was too ton great rent a business business busi- busi ne ness nes s to be heralded so quietly lIe He sighed wearily and sou sought ht to find 1101 a more comfortable position on his Ids pitilessly hard couch lIe He thought I I of num many things of things of his pa past t life ofearl of earl early boyhood of his mother of his his' companions In arms n and ld of martial I feats feut accomplished He lIe saw himself hacking a n wa way through the living li barrier barrier barrier bar bar- rier that blocked the breach In the wall wull of Forli or nr riding with ul nr If ln In time the h e that rout root Ia e lt l iVo me ic to u el Capua Ua f and iii und r he lie had a n vivid I vision of tho dead men he had beheld on those occasions oc oc- noel and how the they had hind looked In Ind d death So would he look tomorrow his r reason fison told him luau But Dut still his Imagination refused to picture It It Then his thou thought ht shifted to toIa Ma Ia Madonna Madonna donna Blanca de' de Fioravanti whom he would wo never ne see again For months he had experienced an nn odd tenderness for that Iud lady of u a sweetly melancholy order mind imd In secret he ho had hind committed some atrocious verses in her honor It had hind Deem been no great reat affair when all nil was said there had been other and more ardent lo es In his short life yet jet et Madonna ladonna Blanca had hull e evoked In him a re regard a holler feeling than thun any other woman that he had known Indeed the contrast was as sharp as that which lies between sacred sacred sacred sa sa- cred and profane lo love Perhaps It was because she was so unattainable so distant so immeasurably above him the daughter of or a n great lord the representative today of a great reat house whilst he was but hut a an adventurer who had for patrimony no nomore no nomore more moie than his wits and wd his sword He lIe sighed It would have ha been sweet to have haxe seen een her again before dying dIng to have ha poured out the story of ot his love as n a swan pours out Its death- death son song Yet after all It did not greatly matter You Yon see sec that his examination of conscience In that supreme hour had little to do with the making of his soul lie wondered would she hear of ot the end he lie hind had made and whether hearing hearIng hearing hear hear- ing she would pity him a little I I I I whether indeed she would do so I much us as as remember him It was odd he reflected that he should come to meet his end In the Yer very castle that had II been heen her fathers father's yet he lie was glad glud that it was not her fathers father's hand that measured out to him this death that he must die lie tomorrow Physically exhausted as he was b by bythe bythe the exertions of oC his climb he fell at last into a n fitful slumber and when next he lie awakened It was to find Und the I morning sunlight pouring through the tall windows of ot his prison He lie had been aroused by the grating gratIng grating grat grat- ing of a key In the lock and as ns he sat up stiff end and sore on his hard couch the door opened and to him entered Bernardo followed by six soldiers soldiers sol sol- diers llers nil all In their ther harness A good tIa day to you OU said Bernardo III I but a n trifle thoughtlessly conI considering con con- what the day had lead In store for Messer resser Lorenzo The young oung man smiled as ns he lie swung his feet to the ground A better day to you ou said he and thus earned b by his pleasantry and his 1118 trimmer manner the esteem of the time gruff grufT soldier It had hind come comae to Messer Lorenzo that since lie die ho lie must the tiring thing thin would b be hp best hest t done llone jocosely Lamentations would not avail him hirn Let Iet him hint then be he blithe hUth Perhaps after all death I were wele not so fearful ful a n hu business as priests represented It and as for that naming lancing hell that lies a agape for young men mien who have drunk of the lusty cup of their youth there would woul be shrift for or him before he went He lie rose and ran run his lingers fingers through h his Ion long fair hair which had become tousled Then he looked at nt athis athis his Ills hands grimy and bruised from adventure and begged Bernardo to fetch him water Bernardos Bernardo's brows went up in sur sur- ur- ur prise The labor of washing did not riot seem a reasonable le thing to him under un un- under der del the circumstances Outside In the tho courtyard a drum began hegan to heat bent a n call Bernardo thrust out a dubious I lip Messer Tolentino Is awaiting you he saidI saidI said I know replied Castrocaro You would not have me present myself thus before him It were to show a alack alack alock lack lock of proper respect for the tho hangman hang hang- man Bernardo shrugged an and gave an nn order to one of or his men The Tho fellow get et his huts 1111 pike In a corner and went n ot it t I t to i r return presently with w J TI an an f Iron n I basin full of water This he e placed upon the table Messer Lorenzo thanked him pleasantly removed remo his his' 1 doublet and shirt and stripped to the I waist he proceeded to make the best toilet that he could could as brieU briefly as pos pos- sible sibie Washed and refreshed his garments garments garments gar gar- ments dusted and their disarray repaired repaired re re- re- re paired he acknowledged himself ready The men surrounded him at ata ata a n word from Bernardo and and marched him out Into the open where the Im lm- I patient castellan awaited him With a firm step his head high and his cheeks but little paler than their habit Messer Lorenzo came Into the spacious inner bailie bathe of the castle lie He glanced lancEd wistfully at nt the cobalt sky and then considered the line of soldiers drawn up In the courtyard nIl all In their harness of steel and leather with the gray walls of ot the time fortress for their background Not Nat more than thins thirty men In nl all did they number and they composed the castIes castIe's casties castie's castles castle's cas cas- tIes tIe's entire garrison A little In front of them the time tall castellan was pacing slowly lie He was all in black In mourning for tor his late lata master the Lord FIoravanti and his hla hand rested easily upon th the hilt of his I sheathed sword thrusting the weapon up behind lie halted at the approach of the doomed prisoner and mid the men I surrounding the latter fell fel away leaving him face to face tace with Messer Tolentino The castellan considered him sternly stern stern- ly for a little while and Messer Lorenzo Lorenzo Lorenzo Lor Lor- enzo bore hore the Inspection well his hits I deep blue eyes eye returning the others other's solemn glance int Intrepidly I At liar flit I do not know what was your our Intent Intent intent In In- tent in penetrating here last night save cave that it was traitorous that much the lies Iles you told me have made plain and for tor that you are to suffer death as must any man taken as you have beg been If I Continued Continue Next Nest Week |