Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-05-03

0i1O IlIA DOois ~ W -
Me-
tempted it in the twilight, still less at
night. in which time alone she coulu
hope for success.
All this kept passing and repassing in
the busy little brain while Gertruo
went on with her knitting, or went her
rounds above and below stairs.
II wonder if they have really gone,
she said to herself. cor If they are only
living in hiding I shall see. L shall
give the real Mademoiselle chance to
distinguish herself
And she set the hunters Tyrolese hat,
in which she had been accustomed to
roam the woods, upon the head of the
dress-maker's model, which, like
thrifty landward damsel, she used in
the making of her attire. She set
Mademoselle upon chair with a cloak
about her and pushed her to the WIZ
dow. There she swayed idiodically as
if looking out. A jet Of white smoke
sprang promptly out of the Oleander
bush on the far side of the lawn There
followed the sharp report of a needle
gun and a bullet pitted itself in the
thick beam above the window.
well done, Mademoiselle," said
Truda, smiling.
And she withdrew the decoy back
again into her bed-chamber.
| Thereupon Gertrud went down and
explained her scheme for bringing re-
lief. telling them what she had done.
But the men, knowing what they knew,
~ If ho,. fAr
ment. If "any were to go for help it
must be himself, was St. Polten's solu-
ton. IF we are to die, why die We
must" was that Of Alt Karl.
But in her heart the girl refused to
accept either The Count certainly
could not go. because he did not know
tho only practicable way to ST. Polten,
that through Martins Loeb. Her faith
er might be ready and willing to die,
but not so she. nor, if the judged Alright.
the Count either. So Truda looked
carefully to her revolver, which had
been her fathers during the war, and
slipped it loosely into the pocket of her
coat. ready to her hand. Then she put
on the short mountaineer's kilt in
which she had so often gone to the
NUM- Will ltl ldtHtl, Ct-lL StltiIS lJf
mans Tyrolese hat firmly on her head
she stood ready. After all it was olly
fifty steps across the grass, and fifty
through the wooi to the beginning of
the cleft, and in the .!,li>H coming dusk
she would be there in IA moment.
No, it was still there. Her feet grip
ped the broad firm edge, and she tip
toed out upon it to feel for the rowan
tree which used to grow from a cleft to
the right. 1t was gone, and Truda's
heart for the first time fluttered wildly.
1t would be terrible should she be fixed
all night on this bare limestone ledge
like beetle pinned to wall, while the
fiends above were making an end of the
one most dear to her-that is, of her
father.
But Truda did not hesitate more than
moment. She remembered that the
ledge beneath her was very broad and
that the rock sloped a little towards it.
So without moments hesitation she
swung herself over, and, stretching to
the full extent of her arms, she let it go.
She slid downward bodily, snatching at
every smallest prominence which would
break her fall and bruising herself cru
ely upon the rocks. But what Of that,
thought Truda, when she stood safely
upon the ledge, and the worst was over.
She called to mind that goats track
led down a trail of debris to the back of
the Rathaus of st. Polten. In moment
she was digging her heels into the slid
ing banks Of shale, and descending
recklessly towards the lights of the
town.
In FIVE minutes more Gertrude Rich
ter. dishevelled and bleeding from a
dozen scratches on her hands and arms,
was telling her tale to the Colonel of the
Hussars of the Black Eagle.
The Count of st. Polten besieged by
foreats-impossible" said he, looking
at the wares Of the seller of matches and
automatically selecting one with pref
ty picture.
Nevertheless. in spite of the impossi-
bilty, the bugles sounded, the saddles
filled, and the hoofs clattered merrily
up the road towards the chateau of st.
Polten. The path led up hill all the
way. but the men set themselves light
heartedly TO their task. And first OF
them all, with the Colonel little way
behind her. rode the Breslau school girl
upon a cavalry saddle.
And as they went they came in sight
of that which made them spur yet fast
err and more fiercely-the flames of a
burning house mounting redly 20 the
skies. The heart Of the maid throbbed
violently. Was the thing which she
had done to be all in vain? Were the
rescuers after all to arrive too late?
Not till the white coats of the cavalry
had surmounted the last rise. could they
see the source of the flames. But they
heard the rafting OF small arms, the