Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-11-03


Il have"
"Where ~
''In Greece"
"Why hast thou returned now -
ITO see the land of my birth"
"Who came with thee!'
II landed alone upon these shores, your ma
iesty, and had no thought but TO find friend
and then. if need be, to leave the country
again"
"And who is the friend you sought ~
"A bosom friend of my early youth, whose
influence extends not beybnd the walls OF her
home"
"Ah-a female, eh ~
yes"
'And lives she with the artisan Beiereus -
81 went there TO seek her"
"And there you found her z"
Il heard of her there"
ANSWER me - cried the king in a voice of
rage. "By the sacred crown of Jupiter, thou
had'st better bite off thine own head than an
swer Inc again as thou hast done. Who is the
maiden thou hast come to seek y
Alaric hesitaled ere he replied to this He
remembered the warning he had received from
Bellerus, and he began to feel that he had been
too rash in his speech. But he had no choice
now. If he refused to answer, the king could
easily send to the dwelling Of the mason, and
thus matters might be only made worse.
''She is the daughter of Bellerus,' he finally
said
The monarch gazed into the youths face for
some moments without speaking. There was
a look of deadly meaning upon his hard fea-
lures, and his fiugers moved neryously over his
knees AT length he turned to the chamberlain
and said;
This is a curious freak of circumstance
but the young man is like stranger in our city,
and we must provide for him-at least for a
while" then turning to Alarie, he added
'Since have had thee brought hither against
thy will, thou shalt be provided for during the
night"
Il can easily provide for myself, sire"
"Aye-but we do not choose that thou
shouldst be put to that Inconvenience. We
have room enough, and to spare; and 1t will
afford us true qualification to know that thou
art cared for"
/ Alaric could not mistake the meaning of these
words The look which accompanied them was
a sufficient key to their import. But he could
do nothing now to help himself He could only
/ trust to circumstances as they should present
/ themselves.
The kino called one of his officers to his side
and whispered something into his ear, and then
turned once more to the youth
at is waxing late now, and we all have need
of rest" he said; $50 thou shalt be conducted
to place of safety until tomorrow"
"But, sire" =" interpOsed our hero, why should
you keep me here tonight can be found
when you want me.
1--WE are Tot so sure Of that. But it is our
will that you remain.-Hippon, you will con-
duct him to place of rest, and report TO me
when thou hast done 1t.
The m, fbuc ad1rassal anDrnachpl hero
and placed his hand upon his arm.
"Come," he said.
Alaric started as he heard the tones Of that
voice, for they sounded Ike knell. The word
was not spoken as speaks one who leads guest
to quiet chamber.
''Go with him." spoke the king.
Alaric turned, and was led away. In an ante
room his conductor was Joined by four dark
sinister looking men, who had more the ap ear
ance of common rufians than walters on q king
and then be was seized by both his arms and
hurried on through a vaulted passage to dimly
lighted corridor. Presently the officer, who wai
Nippon, the jaier, stopped at deep mich, where
a guard was posted, and procured torch, by
the glarng light of which he led on once more
On, through dark and narrow psssages-and
down, down, down, long and steep stairways
the youth was led and when his conductors fl
nailN SEOppcuY oJNlACN - NSSA VI 0SA4N
metal. which swung out from jagged wall
and the prisoner was forced roughly in and tht
. massive door was closed 1t was shut with
: 6all, heavy sound, the reverberation being DRUM
M by the solid walls as soon rs they fell upo
, the air-and the prisoner was left iii utter dark
ness He closed his eyes and then opened then
again. to see if some glimmering might not b.
found te break the horrible gloom but It wa
all in vain He groped his way t. the wall an
= leaned against it for support, for there was n
a seat save the floor.
The youth was not long in making up hi
! mind that he had been doomed 10 death. H
: knew the character Of the monarch, and tha
no deed would be too evil for him. He knew
I also, how fear could make the tyrant more cru'
than before, and TO what deeds of darkness th
4 fear-stricken usurper can descend
II was a terrible thought, and for awhil
!, Alarie was inclined to blame himself for VIII;
u he had done but when he came to reflect upo
!, the transactions of the day, he could not Sc
how the present result could have been avOlde'
: It had flown from causes over which he eou
have exercised no control without the power {
foreknowledge lie thought of Ianthe, and
wondered if he should ever see her again. II
chances were against it, but he was not pr'
= pared TO give up all hope He had Just startI
: to prope his way around the Shiny wall, whC
- he heard the sound of footsteps without, an
= presently the moving of bolts fell upon his ga
I, in few moments more the door of his dungeC
= was opened and three men entered, one OF the
= bearing flaming torch They were huge fl
- lows, clad in sombre garbs, and each bore n
I. ked sword in his hand.
!. Alarjc recognized those garbs for he had SCI
~ ~ them wears before, and he knew that only t
~ executioners wore them The moment his e
a
~ rested upon the grim visitors, he knew that
: doom had been spoken, and that the time !
- execution had come instinctively he placed
hand upon his hip, but there was no welpi
there. He was all unarned and seeming
powerless against the gigantic ruffians. L
= man who held the torch leaned it up again
the wall, where Il projecting point of rock he
:. ed support it, and then the three approach
an the prisoner.
1U 1u 'IiOw nOw," spoke Alaric, What is yo
business here !"
"a foul business you'd say, if you knew
J, nv MASTER" replied the leader of the inferI
" trio, in an unieeling tone "but when It's doI
~ we'll DO it so well, you won't know we've do
70 it at ALL
,s al am to die !" the youth said with his han
~ elasped upon his bosom.
Z, We've all got 10 die some time, and those W
:, die first will get the soonest out of very wit
- ed world And since you know what's eomiI
i suppose you'll take it as easily as possible.
~ What lifetime of thought and feeling "
- crowded into the next moment The thu
ho cleaning swords were raised, and the doom
youth saw them pointing surely towards
-. heart. There was no escape by flight, for
- tween him and the door advanced the workI
to of death There was no hope in his o.
=. strength of body and limb, for, unarmed as
~ was the power opposed to him was uncOnqu
', able. So he leaned back against the reeki
-, wall and shut the horrid monsters from his sig
10 The above is the commencement of
'as CoBB's great story, which is now being p
of lished in the New York Ledger. We give t
" - = --......I. LIT nr.lu thn hnriI,r,in.,