Warren sheaf., 1901-09-12

he held the maiden down. "Go on,
Savotano, and let the business be
done as soon as possible"
"Holdw
It was a voice of thunder which
spoke thus, and it came from the
door. The duke started to his feet,
and he beheld Ruric Newell, 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
ery!" Ruric shouted as he strode up
the apartment.
"Miserable dog!' gasped the duke,
mad and frantic with rage. Glow
dare you come hither?"
"Look ye, proud duke" the monk
interposed, coming quickly forward !;
f'I am at the bottom of all this. I
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, a ray
Of hope darted to her soul, and,
with quick bound, she reached her
lovers side.
"Ruric, Ruric!" It 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, *tfor,
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, ho,
there! Without! Slaves, where are
YEP"
In a moment more the side door
was thrown open, and dozen of the
dukes servants came rushing in.
"Ha!" Olga cried. *fYou are in
time. Seize these dogs! Kill them
on the spot if they offer one act of
resistance. At them now! Down
with the dogsp'
|Hold~ It was Vladimir who
spoke, and every arm dropped as
they heard that voice. It 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
iwont,to use, 81 am thy masterw
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 stuffing! The
vast rotundity Of person was gone,
and the strange man now 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
a cluster Of glossy hair floating
down over the neck and shoulders!
"Great God of mercy" gasped Sa-
votano, staggering back, cit is the
emperor?'
"Aye," cried Peter, turning his
aarkly flashing eye upon the stag:
gering duke, *1 am your emperor
Paul, go and call the guard"
The boy hastened from the pal
ace, and when he returned he was
followed by party Of the Imperial
guard.
"Mercy, mercy, sirew 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.
Rosalind Valdai gazed upon the
transformed man until the strange
truth worked it's 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