The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1895-11-13
A PRINCESS RANSOM.

shoot me-" said Princess Karoly, look
ing her fellow prisoner squarely in the
face. MY husband will never pay all
those francs down for me. He will not
think me worth it. %
1.-THE cur |" said the Irishman fierce
ly. The princess laughed softly.
Chow do you know that am worth
it?" she asked lightly. believe me,
Mr.. Gildea, the world will say my hus-
band is we'll rid of me. was going to
demand separation from him in the
autumn, and now All, we'll A scan
dial will be prevented, and the best of
messieurs les brigands' drugs is that
their effect is lasting"
Lasting indeedf' Gerald Gildea $
eyes laughed back into hers. Then they
grew grave again. .'I'm glad little
Lucy's ransom was SO promptly paid. -
''Are you engaged to her?' the prin-
cess asked quickly. "They told me So
in Ajaccio."
"They told you lies in Ajaccio, ma
dame. Lucy is heart free for me. -
"Ohei |" And the princess laughed
softly to herself. "And when will they
pay your ransom, Mr.. Gildea?"
when yours is paid, madame
cat the Greek kalends?' The prin-
cess face was white under her sunburn,
but her eyes laughed still. Gildea bent
his head gravely.
AT the Greek kalends, princess.
Did you expect it to be otherwise?''
"I-I-no What need for more lies
now, when we are going to die. Ger
aldf"
No need at all-now. Do you know,
princess, have never heard your Chris
tian manner"
"Have you not? 1t is not pretty
name-Zenobia. -
1T is an imperious kind of name. 1t
suits you.
"You think SOP All, never mind I
How old arc you, Geraldf Twenty FLYER
And am 80. Neither of us old, and
yet neither of us very sorry that we
shall have our Threats cut in day or
so. y"
Hush Do not speak of it. y
"But must speak. I am curious. I
wonder how it Will feel--if it viii hurt
much. Like your Queen Anne Bnllen,
have little neck. l would rather be
shot, l think, but these Corsicans are SO
ready with their knives. A-ah, " and
she shuddered little, "do you believe
in paradise and purgatory and all that,
Gerald? was a good Catholic once,
but now
81 believe in everything, princess, al
though am Protestant. +"
"Ah, happy you l'' the princess sighed.
"Have you mother, Mr.. Gildea, or a
sister,"
Both" Gerald Gildea ans wered,
and for moment there came into his
blue eyes the shadow Of half conquered
pain. 1t 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, her look seemed to
say. Would not he at least send word
to those who loved him of the peril in
which he stoodp The money would be
paid at once Gerald Gildea knew, but
then he must leave behind the princess,
she whom her friends called the lowell
est and her enemies the worst woman
in Russia. 1t was only death the prin
cess need fear Gildea knew, too, for no
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 how2 Fiel Come,
shut your eyes and guess how many fin
gers l 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 n
frown.
1.-TWO women?" she said, with an odd
little laugh. "Are 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 in the world.
"You speak as if you were sorry for
her" the princess said in an altered
voice. lis your sister delicate?''
"She is 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 ia
Alice, you said. Tell me 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, think. Do
not let us speak Of my mother, princess. y
"Ahp' the princess said under her
breath. Then she leaned forward and laid
her hand on the Irishman's locked fin
gers. "My dearl" she whispered softly
as her hand was taken and held tightly.
"My dearl I"
The banditti were still playing mora,
though the moon was we'll up in the
sky, and the losers were cursing in good
set terms. But the prisoners were sleep
ing--that is to say, Gerald Gildea was
sleeping as soundly as child, with a
heap Of grass for pillow, but though
the shadow of 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.
...... 49,. I. ND