Warren sheaf., 1901-09-05

sne nela II Tor a long ulme. She neil
it thus until the door Of the apart
ment was opened and a female do
mestic entered. '%a
Lady" the newcomer said, trem-
bling perceptibly while she spoke,
''the duke bade me tell you he
awaited your coAing below in the
hall"
She stopped here and seemed to
wait tor an answer But Rosalind
did not speak. ,..,.....-..-...-....... ....... Il.
"What answer shall I give him,
]ady?" D. r. >o T. -
AT this the countess started up,
but she sank back again without
speaking.
|'Tell him we will come," inter-
posed Zenobie, who saw that the an
nouncement had taken the last pow
er of effort from her mistress. -
Yes, yes," whispered the count
ess as the messenger hesitated and
gazed inquisitively into her face.
And with this the woman left the
apartment. g#
My dear mistress,'' spoke Zeno-
bic, now calling all her power Of self
control to her aid, "all means of
help and escape we have tried in
vain. The time has come
go God, have mercyw groaned
the countess. 4 @%
~s-"and we must meet it, since
there is no further hope. It will be
better to 60 down at once than to
arouse the bad mans anger by more
delay. Were there the least glim-
mer of hope, we would not go. But
there is not. You know what I
mean"
A few moments Rosalind sat like
one dead. Then she started up, with
her hands clasped, and raised her
eyes toward heaven. She did not
speak aloud, but her lips moved,
and she surely uttered a prayer to
God, and it was, none the less elo-
quent because it was silent. Then
she turned to her companion. Her
lips we're set and colorless, and
deathly look had overspread her
whole face. ~
'Zenobie," she said in tone
which bore no feeling more than
the gliding of cold, icy sound, II
am ready. Once more, before the
last joy of earth departs from me,
let me bless thee and press thee to
my bosom. I am pure nowP'
She opened her arms as she spoke,
and when she closed them again Ze-
noble was within their embrace.
| "Bless you, bless you ever! God
keep and guide you to the end of
life and then receive you home to
himself! Kiss me. There, I am
ready now!!'' ....e@ssss
The broken hearted girl wiped the
tear from her eye, and in a momentt
more she was. as cold and passionless.
as before: fo -, 1oh rs
without help
Without looking around the Mos!
lem maiden led the way to the hall,
She walked slowly, and she fancied,
she could hear the beating of herr
mistress heart. I'm the hall stood
the duke with some half dozen of his
own male attendants. He took the
hand of the countess as she an.
preached him and gazed earnestly
into her face, but he did not speak
He led her toward one of the draw
ing rooms, and when they entered
there they found the humpbackeA
priest already in waiting. Rosalind
came well nigh fainting when she
saw this miserable villain ready for
his work. She knew now that the
priest was like the master. -
|FYou see, my dear countess,y
spoke the duke in low, hypocritical
tone, chat we have all prepared. I
trust we shall have no trouble be-
fore this holy man. -.
This last sentence was spoken in
threatening tone, but it had no
effect upon Rosalind. She hardly
heard the words he spoke.
s<Come, father" said Olga, turn,
ing now to the priest. eve are
ready" ,....
Savotano moved forward and
mumbled Latin prayer. Then he
looked upon the twain before him
and directed them to kneel.
SSNo, no, nov' gasped the fair
countess, trembling for the first
time. ''I cannot do thatY'
"Kneel!" Kissed the duke between,
his clinched teeth, and as he spoke,
he grasped the maiden more firmly
by the arm and forced her down.
She uttered quick cry of pain as,