Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-12-13
sHush! Do not sneak of it,


yet neither Of us very sorry that we
shall have our threats cut in day OF
So
"Hush Do not speak of it. -
"But must speak. am curious.
wonder how it will feel-if it will hurt
much. Like your Queen Anne Bullen,
have little neck. would rather be
shot, I think, but these Corsicans are SC
ready with their knives. A-ah,'' and
she shuddered a little, '.do you believe
in paradise and purgatory and all that,
Gerald? I was a good Catholic once,
but now
81 believe in everything, princess, al
though am Protestant. -
"Ah, happy you!" the princess sighed.
"Have you a mother, Mr.. Gildea, Or a
sister?''
"Both," Gerald Gildea answered,
and for a moment there came into his
blue eyes the shadow of half conquered
pain. It had beset him an hour Or two
before, when the American girls ran
som had arrived and she had turned to
him for one moment with dumb en-
treaty in her eyes. She was going back
to home and friends, l:er look seemed to
say. Won i MT lie at least send word
to those >..a. l-'i lil2 Ct tie peril in
which ~ s'..@. &c 4.i-'ley would be
paid at once, &c aid Gii'iea knew, bL,
then lie must leave behind the princess,
she whom her friends called the lowell
est and her enemies the worst woman
in Russia. II was only death the prin-
cess need fear, Gildea knew, too, for he
was aware that she had one bosom
friend that would help her from any
worse fate. And, SO thinking. he made
up his mind to abide the end with her.
"Our jailers are busy playing mora, -
said the princess, breaking in upon his
thoughts. ''shall we play, too, Gerald
You do not know how? Fie Come,
shut your eyes and guess how many fin
gers 1 hold up Well, what are you
thinking of to make you look SO grave!
A woman? Tell me her name.
"Alice and Honor
The princess straight brows met in a
froWn.
''Two women?' she said, with an odd
little laugh. care they pretty women,
then? Tell me about them
"My mother is lovely, not pretty, -
Gerald Gildea said gravely. "Honor is
not pretty either, but she has the pleas
ATTEST face i'll the world.'
'You speak as if you were sorry for
her, - the princess said i'll an altered
voice. els your sister delicate?"
"She is a hopeless cripple At least
she will never be able to walk as long as
she lives. But ought not to have called
her hopeless. There never was a merrier
creature than my sister Honor"
"And your mother? Her name is
Alice, you said. Tell NE about her,
Gerald.
"My mother-I have nothing to toll
Of her, princess. -
"You said she was lovely. Is she fair
Or dark like your
Ozark like me- Darker, I think. Do
not let US speak of my mother, princess. -
"Ah!' the princess said under her
breath. Then she leaned forward and laid
her hand ON the Irishman's locked fin
gers. 'tMy dear'' she whispered softly
as her hand was taken and held tightly.
"My dear!'
The banditti were still playing mora,
though the moon was well up in the
sky, and the losers were cursing in good
set terms. But tho prisoners were sleep
ing-that is to say, Gerald Gildea was
sleeping as soundly as a child, with a
heap Of grass for a pillow, but though
the shadow Of a great rock was over the
princess also, she was wide awake, and
not word of their captors' talk had she
lost as she sat crouched in the shadows
looking up at the slender sickle of the
moon with wide, intent eyes. Presently
she put her fingers into her ears to shut
out the loud laughter and louder oaths,
but the thoughts would not fall into CO.
herent shape even then. Something thus
they ran:
"They will kill us tonight. heard
them say SO. wonder if Gerald knows
How can he sleep like that? 1 am not a
coward, yet I could not sleep. Or am I
a coward, after all? I hardly know.
Oh, me, know nothing! have wasted
my life. What will Ivan say, Won
der? He can install La Mascotte in my
rooms now. And how i'll the blue satin
will go with her red hair! Perhaps
Ivan will be sorry for little. He was
fond of me once. Poor Ivan ! dare say
it was more than half my fault that we
were SO unhappy. ! wonder what they
will do with US when we are dead. Will
they bury us Or throw us into the sea?
They III bury us, perhaps, because of the
hue and cry. Are they moving over
there? think they are. I wonder am
not more frightened if I am coward. y
She closed her eyes for a moment, muir
muring an incoherent little prayer.
Forgive me-and him-and make
us happy somewhere, dear heaven. And
make Ivan happy. too, and comfort