Evening star., 1899-07-29
these changesr' again demanded colen-

these changes?' again demanded Colen-
dorp.
'Then"-Elynur laid hand on the old
mans shoulder, but Sagan shook it off
then, Captain Colendorp, he must go
TO make room for another who can better
| fill his DlaceI Justeas Wallenloup must go
TO give roomTto another and less obstruct-
Colendorpss dark face glared straight in
front of him.l Hadoit been Adiron-Adiron,
as true man. would have feigned agree
ment and blown the plot afterward. But
never Colend59rp! He was narrow minded,
poor, embitteted, scenting insult in every
careless word proud loyal, desperate.
Mentally his vision was limited; he could
see but one thing at time, but he saw it
very large.
oagan treacherX passed by him in that
moment of mad feeling He felt and felt
only the deadly affront offered to him of
an the officers of the guard-the coarse
| orlpe OF the colouelcy dangled before his
! StarVlnS nose, for he alone of all the guard
had been deemed corruptible The thought
held more than the bitterness of death.
he looked from wall to wall. and knew
nlhiSeli an unarmed man, so he made ready
20 uie as soldier and gentleman. But
nfst ne must clear his tarnished honor
.arhlShed with the foul proposal made to
MIN by Count Simon of Sagan. He had
passed through life a cold and in his own
sense OF the word, an honorable man. dis
liked reared and avoided outside his own
most intimate circle. He had been driven
ny the irresistible destiny of character to
i've lonely man, and now the strength of
a lonely man was his-the strength that
can make an unknown death a glory for
lhe sake OF honor. not honors. So he spoke.
l. gu We're very good. Count Sagan, to
make cholce of me before all the guard for
-thls! he said in his cold voice; may
ASK why you so favored me?''
because L can read a man."
ana you read me so? Then hear me.
take the place you have given me. l take
my place as the least stanch Of all the
guard. You have told me so much, unmasked
SO clearly what you intend to do, that I'M
haS tess "a iai, IN with your wishes, can never
nope to leave this room except feet fore
most l say this. Now see me act as the
| least stanch of the guardr'
without warning he leaped upon Sagan.
nurllng him backward with the force of
the sudden impact and buried his fingers
IN the gray bristling beard. He had but his
bare hands with which to slay the enemy
u tue duke, and used them with the
strengtn OF envenomed pride. Sagan. un-
ger tne IRON throttling fingers snatched at
ms hunting knife and stabbed fiercely up-
ware between the bent arms at the guards
mans throat
INSIDE the room the heavy breathing and
struggling of the men on the floor seemed
10 Elmur loud enough to alarm the whole
castle IN spite of the furious screaming Of
the gale. He sprang to the writhing heap
ana tried to pnfon Coiendorp, but as he
toucned MIN the wounded man fell back
In moment Sagan was on his feet calling
on Eimur to bring the lamp. He seized
Coiendorp under the arm and showed him
roughly toward the wall. where throwing
pack curtain, he opened a door and thrust
the tottering figure before him down a short
hlght OF steps. Then another door was
opened and the tsa swept in with a wild
yell Tor moment holding upright the
railing man. who staggered out on to the
snowy terrace. making tragic center to
the hickering path of light cast by the lamp
in Elmur's hand.
For an instant Colendorp stood swaying
on the yielding snow by the edge of the
precipice and he swayed his voice
climbed through his broken throat:
Maasau the free, Long live the dukei
The dukes man = = = Colen-
dorD of ~
The wind had ulled for second Again
the mad blast caught and wrenched Colen-
dorp's figure. the snow gave between his
feet and he plunged forward heavily into
the gorge of the Kefn river. The broken
snow, whiTled up In a great cloud by the
eddying gusts shone in the lamp light for
a second like a wildi5oss of spray. then set
tied again upon the narrow terrace. obliter-
ating all marks there. A window overhead
was pushed open but already the band of
light upon the snow was gone. and nothing
remained for Walerie's eyes but chaos of
gloom. Yet she had seen something. Dimly
through the double glass she had discerned
the green and gold, of the guard the
swayng figure before it dropped away for
ever into the night