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THE SCRANTON TRIBUNE MONDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 16, 1895.
'II r i -' V t
Copyright, MM. bv A. H. Hawklu.
CHAPTER IV.
At thU Instant In the room In the
irate-tower of the castle overlooking the
moat there had fallen a dead silence.
Here Count Nikolas had raised the
princess, set her on a couch, and waited
till her falntness and flight were K"ne.
Then he had come near to her and In
brief, harsh tones told Iher his nilml.
For him Indeed the dice were now cust;
he had In his fury and fear dared all.
He was calm now, with the calmness of
a man at a great turn of rate. That
room, he told her, she should never
leave alive, save as his promised wife,
sworn and held to secrecy and silence
by t'he force of that bond and of her
oath. If he killed her, he must die.
whether by his own hand or the kind's
mattered little. IJut 'he would die for a
--. '
"If I Have a l air Face It Should Inspire
Fair lceJs."
ereat cause and In a great attempt. "I
shall not be called a cheating gamester,
nore effort, seeking- to move her by an
.". I'l'al to wlwca women are not wont 10
be insensible.
"A cheat, yes!" nld he. "I. Nikola's
of Kestenberg. am a cheat. I say It.
though no other man shall while I live
to hear him. Hut to g:iln what stake?"
"Why. my brother's castle of 55end:i."
"I swear to you It was not." he cried,
coming nearer t her. "I did not fear
losing on thut cast, hut I did not endure
dure not to win. Not my stake,
ruadaine, but yours, lured me to my foul
play. Have you your face and yet do
not know to what it drives men?"
"If I have a fair face, It should Inspire
fair deeds." said she. "Ihi not touch
me, sir, do not touch me. I loathe
breathing the ranif air with you or so
much as seeing your face. Aye, and I
cun die. Kven the women of our house
know how to die."
At her scorn and contempt a great
rage came upon him, and he gripped
the hilt of his swiml and drew It from
the scahbard. Hut she stood still, fac
ing him with calm eyes. Her lips
moved for a moment In prayer, but she
did net flu Ink.
"I pray you." said 'he. In trembling
speech, and mastering himself for nn
Instant. "I pray you!" and he could
say no more.
"I will cry your cheating In all Strel
sau." said she.
"Then commend your soul to Ood.
For In one minute you shall die."
iSt III she stood motionless: and he be
gan to come tu-ar to her. his sword now
drawn In his hands. And. coming with
in the distance from which 'he could
strike 'her, he paused and gased Into
her eyes. She answered him with a
smile. Then there was for an Instant
the utter stillness In the room: and in
that instant the Hl.-hop of Modcnstcin
set his foot on the staircase' and cam
running up. On a sudden Osia heard
Mie step, and a gleam Hashed In her
eye. The count .heard It also, and his
sword was nirvstetl In Its stroke. A
smile came on his face. He was glad,
a't the coming of some one whom ho
might kill in tight: for it turned him sick
to butcher her, unresisting. Yet he
dared not let her go to cry his cheating
In the streets of Strelsau.
The fteps came nearer. He dropped
his sword on tJie floor and sprang upon
'her. A shriek rang out. but he pressed
his hand on her mouth and seized her
in his arms. She had no strength to
madame." ald he. a smile on his pale I resist, and he carried her swiftly across
face. "I choose death sooner than dis
honor. Such is my choice. What Is
yours? It stands between death and
Hence and no man but your husband
will dare to trust your silence."
"You dare not kill me," said she de
fiantly. "Madame. I dare do nothing else.
They may write murderer on my tomb;
they shall not throw 'cheat' in my living
face."
"I will not be silent," cried Osra.
springing to her feet. "And rather
than be your -wife, I would die a thous
and times. For a cheat you are a
cheat a cheat." And her voice rose
till he feared that she would be heard,
If any one chanced to listen, even from
to far off in the hall. Yet he made one
the room to a Unor in the wall. He
pulled the door open it was very mas
sive and 'heavy and he flung her
roughly down on the stone floor of a
little chamber, square and lofty, hav
ing but one. small window high up
t'hrough which the moonlight scarcely
pierced. She fell with a moan of pain.
Unheeding he turned on his heel and
shut the door. And as he turned, he
heard a man throw himself against the
door of the room. It also was strong:
and twice the man flung himself with
all his force against It. At last' It
strained and gave wayfand the Bishop
of Motlensteln burst Into the room
breathless.. And he saw no trace of the
princess' presence, but only Count
Nikolas standing sword In hand in
rVont of the door In the wall with &
sneering smile on his face.
The dUshop of iModensteln never
loved 'to speak afterwards of what fol
lowed, saying always -that he rather
deplored than gloried In It, and that
w'aen a man of his sacred profession
was forced to use the mumiis of this
world It was a matter of grief to him,
not of vauir.lns. Hut the king com
pelled him by urgent requests to tle
cribt. the whole mutter, while 'the
prlnces was never wt ary of telling all
that the knew or of blessing all bhrhopsj
for the sake of the bishop of MoUin
steln. Yet the bU!iop blamed himself,
pei'iups, if the truth were known, not
for the necessity that drove him to what
he did, as for a secret and ashamed
joy that he had detected In himself.
For certainly, as he burst into the
room now, there was no tlgn of re
luctance or of unwillingness in his face;
he took off his feathered cap, bowed
politely to the count, and, resting the
point of his sword on the floor asked:
"My lord, where Is the princess?"
"What do you want here, and who
are you?" cried the count, with u
blasphemous oath.
"When we were boys together, you
knew Frederick of ilftutzuu. Do you
not now know the Bishop Modensteln?"
"Itlshop! This 'Is not the place for
bishops. et back to your prayers, my
lord."
"It' wants some time yet before ma
tins." answered the bishop. "My lord,
where Is the princess?"
"What do you want of her?"
"I am here to escort her wherever It
may be her pleasure to go." He sm1
confidently, but he was In his heart
alarmed and uneasy because he had
not found tfhe princess.
"I do not know where she is," said
Nikolas of Festenberg.
"My lord, you lie," said the Hlshop of
Modensteln.
The count had wanted nothing but
an excuse for attacking the Intruder.
He had it now, and an angry flush
mounted in his cheeks as he walked
across to where the bbhop stood. Shift
ing his f word to his left hand, he struck
the bishop on the face with his gloved
hand. The bishop smiled and turned
the other cheek to Count Nikolas, who
struck him again wKlt all his force, so
that he reeled back, catt'hlng hold of
the open door to avoid falling; and the
Mood started dull red under the skin
of his face. Hut he still smiled, and he
bowed, saying:
"I find nothing about the third blow
in Holy Scripture."
A'i this instant theprincess Osra, who
had been half stunned by the violence
with which Nikolas had thrown her on
the floor, came to her 'full senses, and,
hearing the bishop's voice, she cried out
loudly for help. He hearing her, dart
ed in an instant across the room and
was at the door of the little chamber
before 'the count could stop him. He
pulled the door open and Osra sprang
out to him, saying:
"Save me! Save me!"
"You are safe, madame, have no
fear," answered the bishop. And
turning to the count, he continued,
"Let us go outside, my lord, and dis
cuss this matter. Our dispute will dis
turb and perhaps alarm the princess."
And a man might have read the pur
pose in his eyes, though his manner
und words were gentle: for he had
sworn in his heart thst th count
sliould not escape.
liut the count cared as little for the
presence of the princess as he had for
her dignity, her honor, or her life; and
now that she was no longer wholly at
his mercy, but there was a new chance
that she might escape, his rage and the
fear of exposure lashed him to fury;
and, without more talking, he made at
the bishop, crying. "You tlrst and then
her. I'll be rid of the pair of youl"
The bishop faced him, standing be
tween Princess Osra and his assault;
while she shrank back a little, shelter
ing herself behind the heavy door. For.
although she had been ready to die
without fear, yet the sight of men
lighting frightened her, and she veiled
her face with her hands, and waited
in dread to hear the sound of their
swords clashing. But the bishop
looked very happy, and setting his cap
on his head with a Jaunty air, he stood
on guard. For ten years or more he
had not used his sword, but the secret
of Its mastery seemed to revive, fresh
and clcur in his mind, and let his soul
say what it would, his body rejoiced
to be at the exercise again; so that
his blood kindled and his eyes gleamed
In the rlee of strife. Thus he stepped
forward, guarding himself, and Inns
he met the count's Impetuous onset;
and he neither flinched nor gave back,
but finding himself holding his own he
pressed on and on. not violently at
tacking and yit never resting, ami
turning every thrust with a wrist of
iron. And while Osra gazed with wUli
eyes and close-held hrtath. and count
Nikolas muttered oaths nnd grew more
furious, the bishop seemed as gay as
when he talked to the king, moro
gaily, maybe, than bishops - should.
Again his eye danced as in the days
when he had been called the "wildest
of the llentzaus." And still he drove
Count 'Nikolas back und back.
'Now behind the count was a window
which he had himself caused to w en
larged and mude low and wide, In
By on Aec It Missed Her Head.
order that he might look from It over
the surrounding country, but In time
of war It was covered with a close and
strong iron grating. Hut now the grat
ing was off and the window open: and
beneath this window was a fall of
seventy feet or hard upon It Into the
moat below. The count looked Into the
bishop's face and saw him smile, and
suddenly he recollected the window,
and fancied that It was the bishop's
design to drive him on to It so that he
could give back no more; and, since he
knew by now that the bishop was his
master with the sword, a despairing
rage settled upon him, and, determin
ing to die swiftly since die he must,
he rushed forward, making a desperate
lunge at his enemy. But the bishop
parried the lunge, and, always seem
ing to lie about to run the count
through the body, again forced him to
retreat, till his back was close to the.
opening of the window. Here Nikolas
stood, his eyes glaring like a mad
man's; then a sudden devilish smile
spread over his face.
"Will you yield yourself, my lord?"
cried the bishop, putting a restraint
on the wicked Impulse to kill the man,
and lowering his point for an instant.
In that short moment the count made
his last throw; for all at once, as it
seemed, and almost in one motion he
thrust and wounded the bishop In the
left side of the body, hlsh In the chest
near the shoulder, and though the
wound was slight, the blood flowed
freely: then, drawing back his sword,
he seized It by the blade halfway up
and flung It like u javelin at the prin
cess, who stood still by the door,
breathlessly watching the fight. By
an ace It missed her hend, and It pinned
a tress of her hair to the door and
quivered deepset In the wood of the
door. When the Bishop of Modensteln
saw this, hesitation and mercy passed
out of his heart, and though the man
hud now no weapon, he thought of
sparing him no more than he would
huve spared any cruel and savage
beast; he drove his sword into his
body, and the count, not being able to
endure the thrust without flinching,
against his own will gave way before
it. Then came from his lips a loud cry
of dismay and despair, for at the same
moment that the sword was In him he,
staggering back, fell wounded to death
through the open window. Tha bishop
looked out after him, and Princess
Osra heard the sound of a great splash
In the water of the moat below. For
very horror she sank against the door.
seiMiilng to be held up more by the
sword thut had pinned her hair than
by .her own strength. Then came up
through the window, from which the
bishop still looked with a strange smile,
the clutter of a hundred feet running
to the gate of the castle. The bridge
was let down; the confused sound of
many men talking, of whispers, of
shouts, and of cries of horror, mounted
up through the air. For the count's
men In the hull also hud heard the
splash, and run out to see what It
was; und there they beheld the body
of their muster dead in the moat; and
their eyes were wide open and they
could hardly lay their tongues to the
words as they pointed at the body ami
whlspeivd to one another, very low,
"The bishop has killed him the bishop
hus killed him." But the bishop saw
them from the window and leant out,
crying:
"Yes, I have killed him. 60 perish all
six'h villains:"
And when they looked up and saw In
the moonlight the bishop's face, they
were amazed. But he hastily drew his
head in, so that they might not see him
any more. For he knew that his face
had been fierce, and exultant, and Joy
ful. Then dropping his sword, he ran
across to the princess und drew the
count's sword, that was wet with his
own blood, out of the door, releasing
the princess' hair; and seeing that she
was very faint, he put his arm about
her and led 'her to the couch: and she
sank down upon k, trembling and
white us her white gown and murmur
ing, "Fearful, fearful!" and she clutched
his arm, and for a long while she would
not let him go; and her eyes were fixed
on the count's eword that lay on the
floor by the entrance of the little room.
(To be concluded.)
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TBI Nakcoti CIIIMICAI.L'o..
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WASHINGTON
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I Ml
IV
AVENUE,
U ZJ
BY.
BP
J
Everybody is invited to see this remarkable exhibition. Beginning at 7 a. m. TUESDAY, in the NEW STER
LING RANGE, we will bake One Barrel of Pillsburys Best Flour into loaves
of Bread and do it Inside of Ten Hours.
nmuiiiiiiuHiiiiiiiiHiuiiiiiiiiiuim
DID.IT I s
The New Sterling Range.
If there were ever an honest Range made, it is the Sterling. Examine
it and talk back. If you bay something else, yon' 11 regret it some day.
IHIIIIOTIIWillffllMltlllllllllll.m
8WVRICHT.ie9S.BVSU.STOllE0RltS:
Thobaking of One Barrel of Fionr into Bread .in Ton Honrs at a cost
of leas than 10 cents for fnel (hard coal) can only be done
in THE NEW STERLING RANGE.
THAT SHOWS ECONOMY. DON'T IT?
NO EQUAL
,., ... iuannu
The New Sterling Range.
Buy it. Try it., We'll take it back if you will let us.
fitted fb?
Grand
Baking Exhibition on Tti?sday
0119 Washiiigt
on Ave.
4 '