The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-15
Ala.
A Futile Quest.

There was now no time for dreaming.
In the adjoining apartments raved the
assailants. The Princess was now con-
WINGED that the tumultuous mob was not
impeiied by political, blind passion, but
simply by desire for plumber. They
were melted by the sparkling diamonds
Of the aristocratic company and by the
But this was poor consolation
When the uctors find neither diamonds
nor silver they viii ask whittier all have
gone. and will not rest satisfied until they
ed the furniture. And still their work
will not be finished: they will be curious
to ascertain by what means the fugitives
had departed. 1t Is not impossible that
between the Two wings Of the the palace.
| Blanca must ascertain whether the Mar
qutse had left the door OF her own sleep
Ing chamber open. The great danger, to-
sssssr bs with nsr ssns be o. psnsd sSe
secret door and stepped into the strange
passage. through which, until now, only
her friend had come.
The pa sslge was not dark. BY the light
of the torches in the courtyard she could
see the. fresco painting upon the side of
the gallery. t9 fEs
At the end Of the corridor was pic
tare painted ,h upon large board repre- pre-
Venus Of Cnidos. The door OF the tenn
pic was the back wall Of the other fire.
rlace. Around the vaulted entrance were
twined painted laurel wreaths, one Of the
leaves of which WAS movable. Under this
was the keyhole. q.
Blanca stopped to listen. Not sound
was to be heard in the bedroom. They
had not penetrated so far as that.
had been described to her ny the Mar
quise. She tried to move 1t By pressing
1t with her feet. The plate did not move.
The secret doof remained closed. Danger
r9=aka
placed a hairpin in the keyhole and
dropped 1t in the artistic lock- IL could
not now be opened even with the key be-
longing to 1t; this could only be acconp-
lished by tearing down the wall and the
She could, therefore, rest assured that
the burglars could not enter her apart
ments from those of the Marquise CAL
notice how the fugitives had escaped,
and reach the connecting gallery from
the courtyard? For this purpose only
a few ladders would be necessary. The
only by slender. gllded bars. She re-
manned there to watch. She could direct
her attention to two noints-to the court
yard below and to the bedroom at her
kindled with the broken furniture which
had been thrown down. and around 1t
two couples were dancing the Tarantella;
q baechante with black eyebrows and
AOWtnk nalT danced WIFI q kO0I~H0EQ
from the Romagna, beautiful as Antinous.
and young. childigh-looking girl with
hunch-backed. satyr-like fellow. A
bagpipe blower and two tamborine play
dance The spectators melted the dancers.
The crowd, pressing backwards, cried:
Death to the cardinals! Down with the
popev'
all this through the bars. A gamin
climbed over the carved decoration OF
Pillar, almost up to where she stood so
that she saw his bristling head almost
in front of her.
why cap not Manasseh see this? What |
fine studies would these two dancing cou- !
pies be for him!"
Suddenly her attention was attracted by |
words which assailed her ears through |
the secret door. The burglars had reach |
ed that bedroom They swere hereely be- |
cause they found neither guests nor /
treasures. She trembled lest the burglars 1
should discover the gecret door. They |
we're now very near 1t. Il.
There is no fire in this CRATE" said
voice. ft
They fed through a chimney" cried
a ladder was then brought for the pur-
oose OF ascending through the chimney, |
when a voice roared tripmphantly;.
The lurking place is discoyeredi" |
Blanca was frightened. Still she did
rot fee She continued to listen.
by what way did they escape?'- ~
Through the bathroom. ''' ". ~
She considered herself lost But she
It'll Listen "A and from words which she
low heard she learned that the danger
vas past &
'trategic art. Even in the confusion of
ight she had taken care to protect the
etreat CT her troops. From her bathroom
Llso spiral staircase connected with. the
passage But this had been
,uiit for drainage purposes. and led the
wanderer into the cavernous
aults Of the cloaca maxirna.
This was disgusting outlet.
"AfttI thenl" roared the burglars. |
Torches!" l.
I'm the cloaca maxima we shall over
AXE them!'' q