Warren sheaf., 1901-08-01

suddenly, and why does he turn 50
pale? Why do his hands tremble,
and why is his brow bent so eagerly !?
"What is it?" asked the count,
startled by the strange event.
''Hold!" whispered Ruric il q
frantic tone. "You were recovering
once?"
From this wound?"
eyes,
eyes. | was getting well fast,
and the doctors said | should be
stout and well in month. But sud
denly this change came on. Let's
see. On Friday morning ! felt the
first relapse" -.
'tThe very time!' gasped Ruric to
himself. :
The count moved his head for
ward and would have caught his
companion by the hand if he could.
"For Gods sake, Ruric, what is it?''
"As l came this way I saw
humpbacked priest pass out from
this house?' said the gunmaker In
terrogatively. II ....5,s
ff"Yes, yes," returned the count,
speaking shortly and quickly. 1T
was Savotano. He has attended
me. The duke recommended him"
"And was he here Thursday
night'" .
S'Thursday? All, yes; he watched
with me that night"
|And has he been in attendance
since?" ssts
'FYes-every day. But why do
you ask? Say, what is that mean
ing upon your face? What is it ?"
"At this moment the door of the
apartment was quietly, noiselessly,
opened, and Kopani, the surgeon,
entered the place:
ward him and grasping him by the
arm. "Your patient is poisoned! A
deadly poison has been given him,
and it is even now eating his life
away"
<Impossible!" gasped the surgeon,
straining his eyes to see plainly who
it was that spoke to him. "Ah!" he
uttered as he became somewhat used
to the gloom Of the apartment. "Is
it you, sir?" ~e
"Aye, but mind not that now.
Cannot you do something for the
count? He has been poisoned"
''It cannot bel"
ffBy the hopes of my salvation" :"
cried Conrad Damonof, starting up
to a sitting posture, che speaks the
truth! That accursed priest! Oh,
Olga, Olga, I never dreamed that
thou vast mine enemy!''
@'But what is it all % the surgeon
asked, gazing first upon Ruric and
then upon the count. <'speak, some
onew ~. j.
"Tell him. groaned Conrad.
*sListen," said the gunmaker. <tI
have my suspicious. But, mind you,
they are founded on facts, and the
facts are these: The Duke of Tula
is well nigh free from the possession
of property. His half of Drotzen is
all mortgaged, and he wants the
other half. That other half he can
not have while Damonoff lives. The
duke, too, has sworn that Rosalind
Valdai shall be his wife, so he would
have her property also. This hump
backed priest is Olga's tool. It was
Olga got him into the church, and it
was Olga who freed him more than
once from deserved punishment.
Last Thursday evening he was with
the duke in private council, and he
came from thence directly to this
place. Now you can judge for your
SELF"
The surgeon started slightly, and
then he bowed his head. A few mo-
ments he remained thus, and then
he leaped up and clasped his hands.
"By the living God of all things" "
he cried, cit is, it isY' There is no
burning up, as I thought, of icy,
wintry fire, but the hellish work is
from human hand! Hold! I know
the symptoms! I know them now.
Be quiet, Conrad. It may not yet
be too late." ..E
AS the surgeon spoke he hastily
opened small leathern case he car
ried with him, and from thence he
took a powerful emetic. The wo-
man was sent for, and when she
came she obtained warm water. The
potion was given, a small quantity
at time, at intervals Of about five
minutes until the desired effect was
produced. A strange mass of stuff
was thrown up, and Kopani took it
to the light and examined it. Most
of it was Of dark, brownish color,
but, with streaks of yellow and
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