Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1901-09-20

pro1nin rent chin no more hid
den, and he was but d small man -
not much larger than the. boy Paul,
who stood near him. Nextshe placed
his hand to his head and tore away
the tight slullcap, and the ring 81
gray hair came away with It, leaving
a cluster Of glossy hair floating
|sdown over the neck and shoulders!- l.
Great God Of mercy, gasped Sa-
votano, staggering back, 1T is the
emperorp @.
t"1Aye," cried Peter, turning: his
darkly flashing eye upon the stag
gering duke, Il am yoursempero
Paul, go and call the guard. j.
The boy FASTENED from the pal
| ace, and when he returned he was
followed by a party Of the Imperial
guard. .:.s5s< : - -. :. =
ttMercy, mercy, sire !'gasped the
duke, sinking. down on his knees.
But the emperor answered him
not. He only turned to. his guard
and bade them secure the duke and
the foul priest. s.: Id
Rosalind Valdai gazed upon the
transformed man until the strange
truth worked its way to her strug-
Cling mind, and then she turned
once more to Ruric. She. gazed up
into his face, and she saw the holy
smile which rested there. . The JOY
full truth came to her now, and, with
one long, low cry Of frantic hope
and bliss, she sank upon; her noble
lovers bosom. She could not speak.
She could only cling closely and
more close to her loved protector,
and, with her head pillowed close by
the heart that beat for her, she wept
away all the grief of her opened
soul:
"Olga," spoke the mperor after
the nobleman had been firmly
bound; ':your race of iniquity is
rum" : ...~>
<<No, no, sire!' the duke cried in
humble, ,supp1icating tones. :.esSay
not sol In this single thing. I may
have been wrong, But lei ny mad,
consuming love Be some palliation
for my ofense. OH yon q will not
crush me with public shame for
this r You will not cast from YOU
one who loves you ~e1I4!'' y s I I: ..*
- T0h, miserable maj, I. ttttered Pc
ter, with: q look Of utter contempt
upon the base wretch, add not per
jury to yonr already accumulated
crimes! Hark ye,<.. some months
since + knew there was conspiracy lii
ia my capital, and ] knew there: wa
much Of evil, too, which Vas g never 81
reported to me. 4 resolved TO ferret:
it: out, and to that end5I meant to,
mingle among my people without
their knowing me. SOL had that:
robe made and So stuhH Ind =wad-:
ded that I could 81 : nY chin:
in The seeming fat. e,lAe the:
garb, and: my own &c arms s
did not at first knodw,llnies Once. Il. Is
awhile I made my ps3ge assume the
garb and be seen So iitsI shout The
city, and thus all thought sc sus-
pecting me was cut have been
at the work, Olga; and 4 have: found
out all I sought. It: was mere acci-.
dent that first threw me in the.way,
Of this young gunmaker, and it was
by accident, too, that overheard
the Count Damonoff and his com
panion discussing the shbject of.
their mission to the *gunmaker's
shop. Of course I followed That
scheme up, and i should have
snatched our. fair young countess
from your grasp ere this had I not
been DESTROYS of arriving at another
point first. Perhaps you know that
the Princess Sophia and the Minis
ter Gallitzin have planned a grand
overturn Of my throne? All! You
tremblel And now, my noble duke.
the emperor continued in a deeper:
tone, II have learned Of your own
guilt in that affair. Oh, you do love
me, do you? But I know you now.
Two Of your tools are in my hands.
They are named Totma and Viska..
They have. made 4 full confession:
and I now know all your villainies.
I know what you have, planned
against this noble countess and
against her noble lover. I know
what you planned against the Count
Damonoff, and I know, too, what.
you have planned against your en-
peror. Not q word, sirl ! You are
the Duke Of Tula no more. A more
worthy man wears the ducal scoronet
from this hour. Ruric: Newell shall
assume the station you have dis.
graced, and I know he will ennoble
it once more: r. i; .s. S =....=. IF. p
As Peter ceased speaking he Way-5