The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-16
CHAPTER TX.
THE AsrrE OF sAGAS.


-. Jo,r waters rush unanimously from the
-o.,o h.loN tho castle Of SaRan and fling
"a, incIosiug arm about the bleak plains and
uorsh.s O, which the wastes OF the frontier
oopsist. 1t is land whsro even summer
dvss coldlv.
w. ,bo north n chain OF hills rises black
.soirst the sky and there. set upon boldly
t1,tInu SPUR the castle OF SaGan dominates
the iuhospitan'e landscape like frown upon
Sinister face.
rough with ragged pine woods and below
49, E,nts shelye to the river with broken
scattering OF deci luous trees, that leave on the
sv. tho chill Impression OF leafiess branches
,,I.d against a background OF gray and
.tOnY slopes.
Sor,n two or three miles south OF the castle
,ho r,vs- break. across step!ise outcrop OF
,ook and thus forms the ford across which the
Counts Of Sarsn used in tho old days to lead
tbsIr furaging expeditions over the border
simon NJ Sagan the present Count inherited
IN an unm,tNel degree the more predatory
md uncyilized instincts Of his foretathers.
Iuit.rate brutal and cunning. the thin veneer
laid by henlneteenth century upon his coarse
grained nature was apt to "ub off on the very
sligh,est friction, bringing the original savage
to he surface.
lie was AT Ouco t"c '9iio' "o VIZ '. ~ Va
;hs stolid silent pea-antrY that lived under his
mi. 4 ler,e and fearless sportsman. his de-
rendents delighted in Boosting OF the prowess
n. a master whose capricious crueties they
neyer dreamed OF resentng. With Sagan
throuchcut liie to desire was to have. and In
.his uursutt Of the wished for object he was
hammered by no newfangled sentime nts of
honor. truth or loyalty. Like other savages.
he vuick, IS tired ot.his fancies when once gtatl-
fed Nol toGr years ago ne han been pos
assessed ~ frantic passion ior Ihe peauti'u i
young wife whom he ma now come 10 regard
with something dangerously n"nr nate.
In dealing with such temperament az this
both Elmur and Selpdurt were aware tha' they
were handling an explosive that hlGht a1 any
moment wreck their most carefully laid plans
They would very much have preferred to
make too OF the relHhiAg DUKE out Selp-
dorf who had been iIyiL- MN 'or more than
month with aceaseIess ana exhaustive course
ot.innuendo disbursement and yelled temp
taton, was at length convinced. by the Duke
reply on the dav OF the review. that nothing
further was 70 be hored Tor In that direction.
For this reason the German party was
Obliged to fall back on 'ounf Sagan. Ihat ne
was nntrammeHed bI principle ana was more
over. nr"rage1 to meet them half way. rem
dsEed their schemes no whit ST er. The only
hore o. security aT in clin.hinG che matter as
quickly as II was possible to do so. once the
Hetmah LTASn had been fairly lad upon the
state the nominal sovereign might struggle
as ne liked; lie could hurt no one but himself.
NJ. SeIpdors chief contribution toward the
new rIot-whrh was 70 be carried out at the
consisted IN sending AN urpen. lat,.r after hi.
daughter begging her &c fall in with Won FL
nura wishes
Valerie received the letter in Nine. de Sa-
gan APARTMENTS. The Countess lay on
couch reading French No rel and vayuing.
What devoted papa she exclaimed.
Elancng rp
NAere did not Immediately repv She was
standing az The deep emhayed window that
locked ont toward tho river and the apparently
? en''less desoation beyond. She only moved
n ~ slightly. thereby turning her back even
" more completely uHon her companion The
), eirI had rot lived so long i'll an atmosphere OF
diplomacy without learning the wisdom Of
xeeplng her own counsel.
Nhe mad for some time been aware OF Baron
Won hmurS admiration, but only Of late had
h' Nremed anxious to make his aspirations
h'n"es' tothe puoir--a much more significant
i1''' for he German was in one gay u uni
'er'a' admrer; he made Inallnediove TO most
o' inc eood-ioosing ladies' about tho court
Ani a''o perhaps. more pointedly. to some
MO were not so gOOd-looking thus gaining
nucn ptoht and some pleasure. His high
snou'neFed' porly, psrsonabe figure. his hand
some 'scs' with It's cIoss.set, nucrow eyes. rose
pe,ofe ,a'ere's mental eye. Her future hus-
'''u' now absurd, how impossible! and
she suddenly laughed n soft throatv rinnIe NJ
laughter
Isolde ~
ue moved nolselessly. and. coming be-
hInd Valerie. caught her by the shoulders and
swung her half round
VIA, a 1'' 'ounu'
"". are You laughing at2" she asked over
the girls shoulder
Naerle moved AWAY ysntly from, undar tina
'rnueF hands.
Gan ou Imagine yourself in love Nth Baron
Won Elmur?" sh. o,,.aa 80 '''o "''" ""'ou
"Wa,n 'o "sAeu'
"1fo you laughing at that2" inquired the
other lucredulousy.
Yea rI,b an.,L ,,..,
~ "t a'p'ner lttle laugh.
, Al" me devoted papa has been writing of
III" 'on EImur' said the Countess with an
!. ui,h bUt can understand being in
~ win Won l'nur, He is-lii!cult Men
no longer in their u,., at -, A, -