The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-09-23

"Name this great stake, madame, what
''It is myself, my lord" said Princess
Osra.
"Yourself?" he cried wondering,
though he had half guessed.
AYE To be lord OF Zenda Is much. Is
it not more to be husband to the kings
sisterf''
1T is more" said he, when the kings
sister is the Princess Osra." And he
looked at her now with open admiration.
But she did not heed his glance, but with
face pale as death, she seized small ta-
BILE and drew it between them, and cried,
"Throw, then, my lord! We know the
stakes"
"If you win, zenda is mine III win,
you are mine.
eyes. / and zenda also," said She
"Throw, my lord. "
"shaII we throw thrice, madame, or
once, or bow often?"
"Thrice. my lord, f" she answered, toss
ing back her hair behind her neck, and
holding one hand to her side. ''Throw
first, she added.
The count ratified his box, and his
throw was seven. Osra took the box
from him, looked keenly and defantly
in his eyes, and threw.
''Fortune is with you, madame" said
he biting his lips. "For five and
four make nine, or err greatly"
III
shook, but hers was firm and steady;
and again he threw.
"Ah. IL is but five A" said he impatient
ly, and a frown settled on his brow.
"It is enough. my lord, " said Osra, and
pointed to the dice that she had thrown,
three and a one.
The counts eyes CLEANED again, and he
sprang to her and was about to seize the
box. But he checked himself suddenly
and bowed, saying:
Throw first this time, / pray you,
madame, il it be not disagreeable to
you.'
~ do not care which way 1t is,'' said
Osra, and she shook the box and made
her third cast. And wnen she lifted the
box, the face of the die showed seven.
And a smile broadened, on the counts
face, for he thought surely he could beat
seven, he that had beat eleven, and
e'eby won the castle of Zenda, which
now he staked against the Princess Osra.
But his eyes also were keenly and atten-
lively on her and he held the box poised,
shoulder high, in his right hand.
But then a sudden faintness and sick
ness.seized upon the princess, and the
composure that had hitherto upheld her
failed; she could not meet his glance nor
could she bear to see the fall of the dice;
but she turned away her head before he
threw and stood thus with averted face.
And he kept attentive eyes on her and
drew very near 10 the table so that he
stood right over il. And the Princess
Osra caught sight of her own face in the
mirror and started to see herself, pallid
and CHASTITY, and her face was drawn as
though she were suffering some great pain.
But she uttered no sound.
The dice ratified in the box; they ratified
on the table; there was a pause while a
man might quickly count dozen; and
then Count Nikolas of Festenburg cried
out in voice that trembled and tripped
over the words:
Eight, eight, eight"
But before the last OF the words had
left his shaking lips the Princess Osra
raised her hands SO that the loose white
gown fell back from her rounded arm,
and her eyes flashed and her lips curled
as she outstretched her arm at him and
cried:
"Foul play"
For. as she watched her own pale face
in the mirror the mirror that Count
Nikolas had not heeded-she had seen
him throw, she had seen him stand for
an instant over the dice he had thrown
with gloomy and maddened face; and
then she had seen n slight, swift move-
ment OF his left hand, as his fingers deft-
ly darted down and touched one OF the
dice and turned IL.
And all this she had seen before he had
cried eight Therefore now she turned
on him, and cried, Foul play and be-
fore he could speak she darted by him
toward the door. But he sprang forward
and caught her by the arm above the
wrist and gripped her, and his fingers
cut into the tender flesh OF her arm, as
he gasped, "You liel Where are you
go.ngf'
But her voice rang out clear and loud
in answer.
az am going to tell all the world that
Zenda IN ours again. and 1 nm Qoiny IN
publish i'm every city I'm the kingdom that
Count Nikolas OF Festenburg Is a com
mon cheat and rogue and should be
whipped nj the carts tail through the
streets OF Strelsau. For saw you in the
mirror, my lord. saw you i'm the mir