Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-01-11
CHAPTER V.

nu Chllpu 10 llJffe 10 open tAc BTcub VIII
dow Of tho hall
II will speak TO them" no said conf
IDENTIFY.
"But hnrk to the howlingl" cried
Pierre, holding back. "Tho servants have
oil run nway. There Is Danger"
"Iha, is why will speak to thorn" re.
piled tho count. And with that ho stopped
upon tho window scat,
Tho smell Of tho rcoplo came in through
tho easement MS the old man, with FUN
bling hands, opened Il. and the seethinl
crowd howicd nuuw ut the sight OF tho
peach colorcd cont.
Tho count stood his ground, nervous,
but showing no sign OF inisgiying. The
tumult was far too fierce to bo Ineligible,
hut for cry OF "Chuuuu" or "the Eng
lish" or "Pitt." all OF which told him
nothing, IL might have been tho roaring
Of beasts, Presently, however, his courugj
began to soften tho clnmor, md when 10
lcssonod tho count cried out in IL loud
voice:
"Cl,izcns, you are welcomed What DO
you dosiruY'
"Evurythlpg," cried from tho midst Of
them voice OF the quality Of tearing cali.
co, and Pierre with sinking Of the
heart, knew It for Fnrochol.
Tho crowd yelled In delight, and the
count had to wait again In his nervousness
TIL they woro quleier.
Everything" ho cried at last. "You
have everything, You have liberty and
you hnvo victoryl'
Loud cries for liberty and the nation
greeted the opigrnm.
For q moment tho count thought thai
he had conquered, and SO perhaps did tho
mOithpioce, for Pierre plainly saw him
cast tho stone that c1no crashing througi
the glittering beraldry above tho counts
head
That was tho end. Tho count stepped
down, looking worry grave, and wiped tho
blood from his forehead where splintof
OF elnss had cut IL,
"plerrc, " said he quite gently Say to
Mmo, Ia Comtosso that these unhappy poo
pie nru being lnislcd desire shc will lido
herself and the children In tho cnchot,"
"And you, NJ. 10 Comtof" said Pierre.
~ will hut got my manuscript and Join
you there" explained tho poor count
And the cAshboxP' suggested tho stow
ard
"Cortainly, tho cnshbox," ngrccd his
muster, And my pistols, too, think. "
At tho door OF tho hnll they parted.
Pierre won't straight ns he was bid, and
kNAb NlllauE4y NNhubit ~ NAlTg MS mas
tor's orders to the countess.
They wore orders which even in TINS
desperate hour tho old man boro with an
enhcartCning Utilization, for tho caches
was tho family secret, The steward was
the only stranger to whom 1t was Impair
cd, aud never, even to him, till the end OF
his twentieth year Of service. To each son
IL was revealed ms ho attained tho Hgc OF
81; to the countess for tho limo being on
tho first anniversary OF her Wedding; to
the daughters never. Long ago, 1t wal
said, IN the days Of the rodunhtnblo Tai
bot, count Of Fnngepurt had been be-
trnycd into the hands Of greedy English
knight and his Archers through tho lido
bubLling OF daughter Of tho house, and
In eternal memory OF the crushing ransom
which the EuglishmHn cXncted the secret
OF tho oachut was committed only to thu
sons.
Such Mt least was the Legend; Others
snid 1t was tho simplest and, indeed, thu
only prccaution possible to prevent TIN
ladies telling their husbands.
Why the C. chot had ever been construct
Cd was not 81 Easy Ia oNpihln A. WAS q
chamber cut deep In tho rock, upon which
the older part OF the chateau stood, and
lighted by an aperture so contrived TINT
NO opening could 10 seen without, either
from above or below Over IL rose the
massive walls Of what was known n
Count Ba,dwin's' tower, and It was from
an upper room In this that access to thy
oachut was to hu had,
Hither, laden with a basket of bread
and wine lantern and the countess
y Jewel ease pioro presently conducted hi,
mislroSs and hur two children
All was done In great haste, and yet
there was u Kind of reverence in their hur
~, for the place was In measure tic
shrine OF their ancestor worship. being
known In the family as Count Baldwln's
bcdchanibnr. Tho count was one OF the
great names In the last days of the old
English occupation, aud, in honor Of the
ancestral hero, the room had been pre-
served In the same condition Of medieval
gloom aud discomfort that had been the
doughty old knlghts Idea of elegant lux
ury.
Its furniture was cross legged table o.
oak, settle or two and largo carved
bedstend, on which tradition said tho terri
hln Talbot himself Ind slept the night aft
ar hc took tho castle. Over against this
heliowed relic yawnod cavcrnous fire.
place ovcrhung with q heavy oowi OF stone,
md upon this was carved the only enrich
,ncnt Ia tho ohnmher--a rudo rolicf which
Econcd TO represent tho Mngdnlono and
her Master at tho scpulchor. Tho baol;
was massive plato OF Iron, that displayed
for those who could declpher tho doenycd
chisoling--an achievements OF tho arms oil
tho house. About tho walls werc hanging,
all a.rust, pieces Of tho old counts armoE
and tho dusty rags OF his surcoat and ban
nor
Lucilo know the chamber well. for when
she found sho could not boar with hor
brothers peoyishuess patiently, 1t was hcI
custom TO retire thither, and there She
mover wenrlod OF sitting, reading In hei
somances.
But FOR Aymon the place had always
had horrur--ovcr slnoo his nurse, aftoi
tho manner of tho peasants thereabuut
used to terribly him into submission BY
threats OF calling for Talbot Whulsjc hat
grown bcyond the influence Of tlis. Englisi
ogrc knght and come 10 nature under
standing OF his condition, he began TO in
vest II with new attributes Of his owr
aiaklnG and would nsrSr DO oe-sradcd q