The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-27

IL"
Sagan roso from his pltcn as UnIiaI returned
! with q naked sword In his hand The count
took H. and laid II on the table before him.
| Then, standing he addressed tho court:
! Gentlemen of the Guard--l must thank you,
In the nrst place. for the admirable patience with
which you have listened to the details Of the abon-
! nabio crime with which tho prisoner John Rally
| wood, Is charged Ills guilt has been proved
up TO the hilt by Lieut. Unziars evidence, but
In addition 10 that the accused was not ashamed
To conyic, himself out OF his own mouth The
! sentence upon traitor, as upon a mutnous sol
| der, Is unaltcrable II In death! No doubt
| gentlemen, VIC are unanimously, agreed upon
| that and the iormulity oil the ballot Is all that
| Is lett"
Tho ballot box stood upon side table at the
upper end Of the room, and beside Il q basket
! with a number OF ivory balls, some black, some
white The officers went UP In rotation and each
with his back 20 the company placed q ball oil
| tho color no chose In the ballot box
Tho haggard daylight wss fading slowly
| the mon lett their chairs and returned 70 them
| In silence
Hollywood waited. not In suspense, indeed,
| but with the iull sense that his late was being
legally recorded by q jury o. his fellows II is
| at such moment as this that man goes back
TO his belief in God. II there is no God, TO what
| end anything? Those who say there IL no God
say tho world Ia a sad and very evil place Ii
their croed were universally accepted the last
state OF humanity would be worse than the first
| and Garth degenerate into hopeless and help
| les hell
| six black balla ono whito- announced MAJ
U1m
Tho prisoners gray, irank eycs 1nahed out
At Unxiar but the Mnasaun's rigid taoe Envo
no dgn.
Then Count Sagan, secure oi his enemy lot
himself 60 He lifted the sword from the table,
and. casting one more glance at the prisoner,
| he placed the cleaning point upon the floor, bend
ing tho delicate blade and stamping upon it
midway with his booted heel There was shall
low ring as tho stool broke, then q clash OF metal
as tho count flung the hilt upon the point as Ii
| tho touch contaminated him
| John Hollywood. this court has found you
| guilty and condemned you to die. And !, Count
Simon Of Sagan. coonel-in- chile: Of the guard
OF NASSAU. now pronounce upon you the sen
tence Of death. Trusted by the guard you chose
| 70 botray thom Where Is the oath Of fealty by
| which you swore 70 obey? We are polluted by
your treason we tainted by your shame Arc
| you afraid 70 speak? Is your voice frozen in
your throat! The greater part Of your punish
| ment should be In it's shame But you cannot
feel IL! You and shame strangers the last
| infemy OF the base! You orc loathsome a mer-
| cenary false To his salt q hound who sold him
self for money lrst and for disgraceful ain after
| ward! How can touch you? On what nerve,
since the nerve Of shame Is dead, lake the grooms
| ono could only punish you with q whip. | shall
lay the matter before the duke. l will urge IL
upon my colleagues" he swept his arm round
| the table, . hundred with tho whip or TO run the
gauntlet Of the guard That would touch you
more than words or shame, death! Ha, that
| raachea vouN he 81 andt Berc
exultadon In the rauoous, volleytng words you
have disgraood the guard put We cannot for req
| sons OF state publicity disgrace you But you
shall be shot-shot like dog You shall not
meet death face TO face as many o brave man
has met IL, but you shall be shot cringing with
| your back 70 the gun muz1les-hke the cur you
arc"
| Rallywood's pale features had flushed for
second There was brutality about Sagan's
| denunciations which shocked the mon around
| him Hollywood deserve something, but not
| this not that Unziars eyes burned, Wallen-
loup was irowning But Sagan swept He
| WIS a man who trampled horribly upon a fallen
| foo
AT Last Wallenloup could bea- ii longer
He 70 his iect and saluting the count led tho
| why from the room, the line closing with Rally
wood between Adolf and unhar as guard
Lett alone In the great dim, vauted chamber
Sagan stood upright and watched the door through
| which they had filed out and there came upon
him In the dying daylight a terrible moment
such as all uncontrolled natures must at all times
know. A OF the futility OF all things, a
knowledge that life has lost Its taste, the hide
business OF finally bafied desire.
He hurled out his arms with wild gesture
| where have they gone? Where they,
the strong fusts and hates and triumphs-the
satisiactions OF the old days? The world has
grown puny. II Is empty, empty, empty"
CHAPTER XXX
upon THE oRRAT WORLDS ALTAR STAIRS =
| tits a commonplace that selfish natures, baked
| Of qualification, seek relief In making the unhap-
piness Of others preferably Of those who help
less to resist or TO resent Therefore Count Sagan
| employed the interval before going ~ the palace
| TO procure tho signature OF the duke TO Rally
woods death warrant In paying flying visit
10 his wife, whom he not had seen since the morn
| ing OF tho boar hunt at the castle
He found several other people calling upon
| Madame de Sagan, who was not fond Of solitude
| Numbers gave the pretty countess courage She
| took notice Of her husbands entrance, although
| the soft color left her face instantly a candle
| fame IL blown out But Count Simon had only
Ave minutes 70 spare and something To say in
them. Isolde's feeble rebellion escaped him:
| he strobe TO her sldo, ana WIN a single glance
dispersed tho little coterie Of guests about her,
tho only ono who kept his position being Baron
Won Elmur
Saean stood before his wife an evil smile on
his COARSE. bearded mouth lie nodded at Elmur.
Il have nows OF interest for hotn Q. you"
-Ahi Il Is over them" Einur asked at once.
He discerned tho courts intention AMI would
have avertel its fulflmcnt il possible The
thought that In, about 10 make woman
unhappy never deferred Emur from any course
of action Whatsoever. but he preferred not 10 sec
them so He delighted III pretty women, and
Isolde Of Sagan was exceptionally pretty; there
fore for the sake OF the next half hour OF her soci
city he would have spared her the udings her
husbands malice designed to thrust upon hea
In public. Afterwards the deluge might come,
but what matter? Have We not all our deluges
in private that submerge our world In toarsH
Madame has kindly promised to assist in the
tablcaux vivants next week." he added hastily.
The count grinned his contempt
you should reproduce the death Of traitor
Como 10 SEQ Rallywood shot in the morning by
| way OF an object lesson"
, | Madame dc SaRan's hand few To her throat