Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1901-08-02
THE : | II ]. lJN | ! |. 1 !. I
OF MOSCOW. !
- -.~- -, 3 fts-
=. By z I. + sz3
sYlvANus COBB, JR.
ny fortune and title I Law at your

my fortune and title I lay at your
feet"
"And what is to become of my es-
tate% the maiden asked quickly
and meaningly, for the thought
flashed upon her.
"Why-we'u have the two unit
ed" returned the duke, with some
hesitation.
ttNo, mop Rosalind cried. sYou
will not do this! Oh, spare me from
such a fate!"
"Spare thee, girl spare thee
from becoming the wife of one of
the most powerful noblemen in the
empire? You must be crazy"
my guardian spoke the fair
girl, now looking her companion
steadily in the face, 'Fyou only do
this to try me. When you know that
such union would make me misera-
BILE forever, when you know it would
cast out all the joys Of life and ex-
tinguish the last hope of peace from
my soul, you surely will not press
<Rosalind Valdai, have resolved
that you shall be my wife. Mind
you, this is one of the firm, fixed
purposes of my soul, and those who
know the Duke of lula best know
that he never gives up a purpose
once fixed in his mind. You cannot
mistake me now"
Slowly the stern fact dawned up
on Rosalind's mind. There had been
a lingering hope that he might be
only trying her to see if she loved
him or if she would willingly become
his wife. Awhile she remained with
her head bowed and her bosom
heaving with the wild emotion thus
called up. But at length she looked
up and spoke.
f<Sir," she said family, but with
marked decision, "you cannot make
me your wife,
"Ah! And why not?"
because will never consent"
"Ah! Say you so ?"
II do, and mean il"
"Ha, ha, ha! You know little of
my power if you think you can
thwart me in my purpose. I tell
thee, as sure as the God of heaven
lives, you shall be my wife"
mo, no! Before heaven I protest
against such unholy union. You
cannot have my heart, and such a
union would be but foul mockery:"
soho! Now you come to the
point. can't have your heart, eh?
Perhaps your heart is given to the
gunmakerY : s =
Rosalnd's eyes flashed in IN in
slant. TheZwords ofsthe duke were
spoken rmiglyz md scontemptu-
ously, and they Jared upon the
young girls soul
AYE" she quickly uttered, and
boldly, too, II do love Ruric Nevel,
and he is worthy Of my love. . :
Now, my pretty ward, resuned
Olga in q tone Of peculiar irony,
you have spoken as T hoped you
would speak-plainly and the
point, SO I can answer just as plain-
y. Know, then, that Ruric Newell
can never be your husband. He
stands charged with q horrid crime,
and the emperor onl y waits to see
whether the count RECEIVERS or not
ere he awards the punishment. The
eunmaker is forbidden on pain Of
1eath b lave The city. So you
may cast him from your thoughts
% soon as possible"
"What crime is Ruric accused
af?'' the maiden asked .
~Of murder"
In wounding the count p
eyes,"
"Oh, how can you bring your
tongue to such speech? You know
the noble youth WAS not to blame in
this affair. He was - 5
Hold, Rosaind. ! I want no az
ument on this question. You hsse
lDard what I have said, and be rs
Gured that / mean it. ! had halped
You would receive my y proposal with
Qore favor, but I did not enter into
lie plan until my mind W. III
nade up and the thing all fixed.
You will become my vita within one
0onth r s. + A.. Ia s.
.Tvill dee to the emperot. : 11p-
q Rosalind. ::
- - - So. - 81 ~ -
- >,s-S- s IN :>55t 2-ss4:74Y-.-a- ~
+. you win not Leave this palace
gain Sural you are the Duchess d
1ula!" l.ss.$s.=.ssSs .. S