Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-08-14
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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 humpbacked
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.
"You see, my dear countess"
spoke the duke in a low, hypocritical
tone, "that we have all prepared. [
trust we shall have no trouble be-
fore this holy man."
This last sentence was spoken in
a threatening tone, but it had no
effect upon Rosalind. She hardly
heard the words he spoke.
"Come, father" said Olga, turn
ing now to the priest. "We are
ready"
Savotano moved forward and
mumbled a Latin prayer. Then he
looked upon the twain before him
and directed them to kneel.
''No, no, mop gasped the fair
countess, trembling for the first
time. "I cannot do that!"
"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 a quick cry of pain as
she felt the unmerciful grip, but
she could not resist the strong arm
of her prosecutor.
'tNow 60 on!" the duke cried as
he held the maiden down. eco on,
Savotano, and let the business be
done as soon as possible"
'Hold!"
1t was a voice of thunder which
spoke thus, and it came from the
door. The duke started to his feet,
and he beheld Ruric Nevel, the gun
maker, approaching the spot. But
the youth came not alone. Behind
him came the huge bulk of Vladi-
mir, the monk, and more still, back
of the monk came the widow, Clau-
dia Newell, and the boy, Paul, and
then there were, besides all this, a
heavy tramp of feet in the hall and
the clang of steel.
"Hold! Stop this accursed mock
eryw Ruric shouted as he strobe up
the apartment.
miserable dogp' gasped the duke,
mad and frantic with rage. GLOW
dare you come hither?"
"Look ye, proud duke" the monk
interposed, coming quickly forward !;
81 am at the bottom of all this. l
have come to stop this foul work%
Rosalind had started to her feet
when she first heard Ruric's voice,
and now, as the monk spoke, ray
of hope darted to her soul, and,
with quick bound, she reached her
lovers side.
"Ruric, Ruric!" 1t was all she
could say, and, with a flood of tears,
she pillowed her head upon his bos-
ON, and his stout arms were wound
fondly about her.
"Fear not" he whispered, 'for,
oh, Rosalind, thou art safe now"
The mad duke saw the movement,
and, with a bitter curse, he started
toward them.
"Now, by the living gods," he
shouted, with his fists clinched and
his eyes flashing fire, "you have
come to your death! What, no,
there! Without! Slaves, where are
ye"
In a moment more the side door
was thrown open, and dozen of the
dukes servants came rushing in.
"Haw Olga cried. "You are in
time. Seize these dogs! Kill them
on the spot if they offer one act of
resistance. At them now! Down
with the dogsr"
"Holdv 1t was Vladimir who
spoke, and every arm dropped as
they heard that voice. 1t was diff
ferent from the voice they had
heard the fat monk use before.
The duke started as though a
thunderbolt had burst at his feet.
"Who art thou?" he gasped, stag
gering farther back.
"Olga, duke of Tula," spoke the
monk in tones which sounded
strange for him, because they were
so different from those he had been
wont to use, "I am thy masterH
As he spoke he threw open the
long black robe which enveloped his
person and cast it upon the floor at
his feet, and there it lay, a huge
pile of wadding and stuf1ingl The
vast rotundity of person was gone,
and the strange man noS stood in
his own fair form. His chin-that
prominent chin-was no more hid
den, and he was but a small man
not much larger than the boy Paul,
who stood near him. Next he placed
his hand to his head and tore away
the tight skullcap, and the ring of
gray hair came away with it, leaving
cluster of glossy hair floating