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Show & S Rr CRDCKETT.WAv o Tc &rtfax& it '1'HUIil. ll IUKI br H It. Ormkrtl 1 CHAPTCR V. Johann, the SeereUry. Ten mtlis outsldo the boundary of the Utile hill slale of Keni.morg the embassage of I'laascnbiirg waa nl l) anothn cavalcade bearlrg additional Instructions from the Princes Hcl-ene Hcl-ene The leader whs a slender oulh of middle height, the accuracy of whoav form gave evidence of much aglllt) lie was dnrk-skltined. of nn olle cnmplvxlim, nnd lth black linlr which curled crisply about his small head Ills e)e were dark and fine looking straight and Ixildl) out upon all comers "Your llxcellenc)." he Mid to the Ambassador "I bring ou the most teeent Instructions from their High nesses Hugo nnd Ililene of Plassen burg They sojourn for the time being be-ing In the cll of Thorn, where they build a new palace for themschrs 1 wns brought from Hamburg lo be one of the master builders. 1 hao skill In plans and I bring ou theso for your apprmal and In order to go over the rates of cost with you, as Trees urer nf tho Plassenburg and the Wolfsrnark " Drstauer look, with cery token of deferenre, tho sheaf of papers so carefully enwrapt and scaled with the seal nf I'laasinburg "I thank ou for your diligence, good master architect," ho said, "1 shall peruto these at my leisure, and. I doubt not, cnll upou oil frequently for oplanatlona," ' Tho young man rode on nt his aide, morioetly waiting to be questioned. "What Is otir namo, slrT" asked Von Dessnuer. so that all tho escort might hear "I am called Johnnn l'yrmont." said the outh, promptly, and with engaging engag-ing frankness; "my fnthcr Is n Hamburg Ham-burg mrrchont. trading lo tho Spanish porta for oil nnd wine, hut I folio him not I had ever n turn for drawing draw-ing and tho nrt of design!" "Also for having )our own way, as Is common with the )oung." said the Ambissadnr. smiling shrewdly "So. against our falher'a will, jott apprenticed appren-ticed joursclf to nn architect t" Tho jouiir man bowed "Nny, sir" ho said, "but tny good father could deny me nothing on which 1 hnd set my mind" "Not, he," muttered Ik-ssnuer under his breath; "no. nor nnone else!" It had been a fnvorlto schemo of dead princes of Courtland to unlto to their fat acres and populous mercantile mer-cantile cities tho hardy mountaineers and pastoral uplands of Kcrnsbcrg. Thcro had como to .Joan's father, Henry, called the I.lon, and tho lato Prince Mlchaol of Courtland, a thought. Ono had n daughter, tho other a aon. So with that frank enre-lcssness enre-lcssness of tho private feelings of tho Individual which haa ever distinguished distin-guished great politicians, they decreed that, as a condition of succession, their mnlo nnd femnlo bclra should marry each other. This bond of heritage-brotherhood, ns It was called, had received the sanction of tho Kmperor In full Diet and now It wanted only that tho Duchess Duch-ess Joan of Hohenstcln should bo of ngo In order that tho provinces might at last be united nnd tho long wars of highland ami lowland nt nn end. Tho plan has taken mer) thing Into consideration except tho prlnto characters char-acters of tho persons principally affected, af-fected, I'rlnco Louis nf Courtlind, tad tho oung Duchess Joan It was tho last dny of tho famous tournament nf ttto lllnck Kaglo In tho princely city of Courtland Prince "My brother youl" cried Margaret ef Courtland In astonishment. I-oul had sent out an escort to bring In the travelers and conduct trem with honor to tho seats reio'vcd for them Tho Ambassador and High Councillor of Plassenburg mutt bo received re-ceived with nil observance He had, ho gao notlco, brought n secretary with him For so the joung architect was now styled In order to give him an official position In the mission Tho Courtlandqrt surrounded the great oval space Tt the lists In clus tered myriads, and their oos wcro bent Inwards It was the crisis of th great melee. Scarcity an C)o In nil that assembly wat turned toward tho strangers, who passed qulto unob served to their reserved placet la tho Prince's empty box Only hit titter Uargaret, throned nn high as Queen jf Ileaut). looked down upon Ihem lth Interest seeing that they woic men who came and that one at least was voting i Flfl) knights with white plume on 'heir hilmels had charged Mil) wear tng black, ami the combat still rnged j "Tho lllacks lme It'" snld Ho saner, after regarding Ihn melee with Interest "Wo have come In lime te tee the end of thu fray Would that ho hnd alM) seen the shock!" And Indeed tho Wicks seemed lo have carried all before them Thej were mostly bigger and stronger IkiIII men, knights of the lnndwnrd prov Inces nnd their horses, great solid boned Snxon chargers, had by sheer weight borne their way through the lighter ranks of tho llaltlc knights on tho white horses. Not moro than half a doten of these were now In tho saddle, and all over the field wcro lo bo seen black knights receiving tho submission ot knights whose broken sptars and lar nlshed plume showed that they had succumbed In tho charge to superior weight of metal For. so soon as a Knight yielded, his steed became the property of his victorious foe, and ho himself was either carried or limped as best ho could to tho pavilion of his ttsrti. thero to removo his armour ami send It nlso to tho victor to whom In literal fact, belonged tho spoils Of tho half doxen while knights who still kept up tho struggle, ono shone prc-omlncnt for dashing valor. Bet upon by moro than n tcoro of riders ho still managed to evade them, and even when all hla side had submitted and ho alone remained -at tho end of tho lists to which lie had been driven, ho made ready for a final charge Into tho senrco broken nrrny of his foes of whom moro than twenty remained still on horseback In tho field. Hut though his spear struck Iruo In tho mid Ho of his Immcdlato antag nnlst's shield and this opponent went down, It nvnlled tho bravo white (might nothing For nt tho same moment mo-ment half n scoro of Inncea struck him nn tho shield, un tho breastplate nn tho visor hara of his helmet, and ho fell heavily to tho enrth. Nevertheless, Never-theless, scarcely had ho touched the ground when ho wns ngnln on his feet Sword In hand, ho stood for a moment mo-ment unscathed nnd undaunted, while his foes, momentarily disordered hy tho energy of tho charge, reined In their steedt cro they could return to the nttnek Hut at this moment tho Princess Margnrct, sister ot the reigning Prince, rnso In her place and throw down tho truncheon, which In such cases stops tho combat. "Tho black knlghta havo won," so sho gave her verdict, "but thcro Is no need to humiliate or Injure a knlghtj who hat fought so well agslnst re many, I-ot tho whtto knight corns hither though ho bo of tho losing side His Is tho roward of highest honor. Olve him a steed, that ho may como and receive tho meed of bravest In tho tournn)!" I Tho knlghta ot tho black wcro man 1 Ifcstly n llttlo disappointed that after their victory nno of their opponents i should bo selected for honor. Hut I hero wns no appeal from tho decision nf the. Queen ot l.ovo and Ileaut) For that day sho reigned alone, with out council or diet Imperial ! Tho while knight camo near and said something In a low voice un- , henrd by tho general crowd, to the Princess, I "I Insist," sho said aloud; ")ou mutt unhclm, that nil mnj teo the face ot him who hns won tho prlie' Whereat tho knight bowed nnd undid un-did his helmet A closely-cropped falr-halrcd liend was re vi tiled, the features clearly chiseled and yet of a masslvo beauty, Iho head of a mar-bto mar-bto emperor "My brother jou!" cried Margaret ot Courtland In astonishment Tho Ambassador looked curiously nt his secretary. Ho was standing with eyes brilliant as those of a man In fever Ills fnco paled oven under Its dusky tnn Ills llpa quivered He had straightened himself up ns brave and gencrnua men do when the) iee n deed nf bravery done by another or lllto a wnmnn who seea tho man she loves publicly honored "Tho I'rlnco!" said Johnnn Pyr mont, In a voice hnarso and broken, "It Is tho Prince hlmsdf." And on his high seat tho States Councilor. Ixwiwld von Dessauor smiled well pleased After tho tournuy nf tho Illack Unglo tcopold von Dessnuer had gone lo bed early, fiollng ounger nnd lighter than ho had dono for years Part of his scheme for thore northern provinces of his fatherland consisted In gradual substitution nt a tow slrnng states for many weak ones For this I reason hn smiled when ho saw thi c)oa of his secretary shining like stars Von Dessauer waa lying nwnke an I I thinking of the strange chances whirl. help or mnr the lives of men am! women, when n sudden sense of shock, a numhress spreading upward through his limbs, tho rising of rbrum tn his eyes, and a humming In hi ears announced tho approach of ono of thoso attacks to which ho had been subject over since ho had 'ten I wounded In n duel some years brfore a duel In which hla prestnt Prince and his Into master, Karl, tho Miller's son, had both been engaged The Ambassador nallod for Jorlan In a feeblo voice That light slctplng soldier Immediately answered him. "Hive me my ease of medlrloe," 'il 1 1 old man 'that In the bag of rvusti Hlleslan leather But 1 feel y "I I attack coming upon me It "III l three ds)s before I can stir l i ui. thin pan rs be put In the lr' nf the I'rlnii earl) this mum IBs Mi then- Is m) little Jnhann I wao thinking about her him, I an Well he shall have his esm- He made a wry face a a twinge of Hie i aught him It tMd nnd he tSotned "flu Jorlan," he said, "lap light fon his (hamlx-r door. There It aeti tn order ere at nine o'clock he st adjourn to the summer palace mm he Prince" Jor it tipped low, with more rever ' than la common from captains to Kr isrli of legations At the sound Jast i Ptrinont clapped his hand to Is In, where his sword should have seen HI there? ' he asked, turning abfiu i wt li keen alertneas, and In laid which seemed at once aweetet sail mote rnmtimndlng than even the esl ii n rlniis mnslerbullder would Ututa nut tn his underlings "I 'man' ills Hxiellene) Is taken wldi nl) ill and bade me come for r Invi I iitely the tecretar) opened the lim niul In a few seconds stood st the 1 1 1 man's bedside Her iti talkeil low to each other, 'lie )oung man with his hand laid ten-detly ten-detly m the forehead of his elder. Only t'.itr last words concern us at prtsi nt This will servo lo begin my bust "I sm secretary of the noble Ambassador Ambas-sador of Plststnburgt" mil and to finish )ours. Tlicrcsftcr It sooner )ou return to Kcrnsbcrg the belter, Itemcmbcr, the moon can-n can-n long he lost out ot tho sky with-irtt with-irtt causing remark" r'lIicT young man took tho Ambassador's Ambassa-dor's papers nnd went out. Dessauer took a composing draught and lay back with a sigh. "It Is tmmblrtig," he said to Jorlan, "that to compose our wilt you must do It through tho heart, but In Iho ease of tho old through tho stomach "Tls a strango draught ho hath gotten," said tho soldier. Indicating the door by which tho secretary had gone forth. "If I bo not mistaken much water shall flow- under bridge cro his sickness bo cured " As soon as ho had reached tils own chamber Johann laid Ihe papers upon tbe table without glancing at them lie went ngaln tn tho window and looked across Iho ell). "To-day I shall see tho Prince!" he Slid. It waa exactly nine of tho clock when ho set out for tho palaco He was attired In Iho plain black dress ot a secretary, with only tho narrowest narrow-est corded edge ami collar of rough scrolled gold. At tho great door of tho outer pavilion pa-vilion ho Intimated his desire to tho officer In charge of Ihe guard, (To bo continued.) |