The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-11-22

on but waste your breath, sir
count, in speaking thus. You have
my answer"
"By heavens, Ruric Newell, you'll
sign this p the count cried madly.
"Never, sirW
"But look we, sirrah, here is my
whole future of life based upon my
hopes of union with this fair girl.
Her guardian bids me get this pa
per of you ere | can have her hand.
And now do you think I'll give it
up so easily? BY the saints of heav-
en-, III have your name to this or
I'll have your lifep
"Now your tongue runs away
with you, sir count. | have given
you my answer. Be sure that only
one man On earth can prevail upon
me to place my name upon that pa
per-"
"And who is he?"
81 mean the emperor"
'But you will sign it~ Kissed Da-
monoff, turning pale with rage.
"Here it is-sign! If you would live
-signr'
perhaps he cannot write" sug-
gested Urzen contemptuously.
''Then he may make his mark, :"
rejoined the count in the same con-
temptuous tone.
at might not require much more
urging to induce me to make my
mark in a manner not at all agree
able to you, sir" the youth return
ed, with his teeth now set and the
dark veins upon his brow starting
more plainly out. "You have come
upon my premises, and you have
sought your purpose. You now
have your answer, and for your own
sake, for my sake, | beg you to
leave me"
"Not until your name is upon
this paperp cried Damonoff, shak-
ing the missive furiously and crum-
ping it i'll his hand.
care you mad, sir count? Do
you think me a fool?"
"Aye, a consummate one"
"Then," returned Ruric, with a
curl of utter contempt upon his
finely chiseled lip, "you need have
no further dealings with me. There
is my door, sir"
For some moments Conrad Da-
monoff seemed unable to speak from
very anger. He had surely some
deep, anxious purpose in obtaining
Ruric's name to that paper, and to
be thus thwarted by a common arti-
san was maddening to one who
based all his force Of charcter upon
his title.
"Sign!' he hisser.
"Fooln uttered 2uric, unable
longer to contain himself in view of
such stupid persistence. "Do you
seek quarrel with me?"
'Seek? | seek what | will have.
Will you sign?"
''Once more-noW
'"Then, by heavens, you shall
know what it is to thwart such as
me! How's that ?"
As these words passed from the
counts lips in a low, Kissing whis-
per ne aimed a blow with his fist
at Ruric's head The gunmaker
had not dreamed of such a bastard
act, and he was not prepared fol-
it, vel he lodged it sufficiently to es-
cape the mark upon his face, receiv-
ing the blow lightly upon the side
of his head But he stopped not tc
consider now As the count drew
back Ruric dealt him a blow upon
the brow that fel!cd him to the floor
like Il dead on
Beware. Stephen Urzen" he
whispered to the counts companion
as that individual made a movement
as though he would come forward
81 am not myself now, and you are
safest whore you are.
The man thus addressed viewcC
the gunmakcr a few moments, anC
he seemed to conclude that he ha'
better avoid a personal encounter
for his fists relaxed and he moved
to the side of his fallen friend anC
assisted him to his feet.
Conrad D&monolT gazed into hi!
antagonists face few moments il
silence. His face WIS aShen pale
and his whole frame Quiyered. Up
on his forehead there was a liviC
spot where he had been struck, bu
| the skin was not broken.
"Ruric Novel," he said in a hiss
ing, maddeninq tone, You will hea
from me! The mad spirit of
vengeance such as mine cannot b.
trifed with"
And with this he turned away.
paul" said the gunmaker, turn
ing to his boy after the men ha'
gone away. 'not a word of this t,
my mother. Ee sure"
TTo BE CoNTTNUFD.l
Curas Pezamo aud Itoh;no uunor