The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1902-10-04

mo, my lord, l do not thlnk SO
l think he must have had business
''But what time were you there p
shortly after sunrise? ?"
"And he gone then?"
"Ayel He had been gone an
hour"
cit looks suspicious. But the men
must be there this evening. He
shall not escape me now"
"There is no fear of that, my
lord. ] will see that he is appre-
hended as soon as he returns"
Fright, Savotano, right And now
to the other matter. | am to be
married this afternoonp
"Ah! So soon ?"
eyes; ! waste no more time.
What is the use?"
"None, my lord-none at all"
"Then you must remain, for the
ceremony shall be performed as soon
as possible"
"And does the countess know of
your determination ?"
eyes. She knew it ere she retired
last night. l told her she should
not escape again till she could carry
my name with her. By the mass,
sir, she sealed her own dooml Ha,
ha, ha! The Duke of lula will have
his Golfers filled again. Money must
come somehow, and how else so cas-
lily as this ?"
"Sure enough" returned the
priest, with that old, coarse, wick
ed smile; sure enough, my lord
how?"
"In no way. Ho, I'll put the seal
upon that budget and stamp it
mine! So here you remain until /
am married. Today-until that GER
emory is performed am not sure.
But tomorrow they cannot harm me.
Oh, she shall be mine, Savotanol
Today she is my wife, tonight she
shares my bed, and tomorrow all
heaven and earth and hell combined
cannot undo the work. | have wait
ed long enough. have worked and
schemed and have puzzled my brain
to one great purpose, and yet each
step | had marked out has failed
me. Damonoff lives, the gunmaker
lives, the black monk lives-but |,
too, live! Hal | live, Savotano,
and now the work shall be done as it
might have been done at first had
been SO disposed!"
The duke had arisen to his feet
while speaking thus, and his man
ner had been frantic and excited.
AS he ceased speaking he sank into
his chair and gazed the priest in the
face. He was all iron now. Every
nerve and muscle was set, and
fierce determination was IN his soul.
There is one more scene in the
ducal palace, and it goes on at the
very time while the duke and his
tool were together.
Vladimir, the monk, was in the
chamber Of the countess, and the
fair occupant and her maid were
there with him.
"And you are sure he means to
make you his wife today" said the
monk in continuation of CONVEX
sation which had been going on for
some moments; shat he will have
the ceremony performed whether
vO11 0nncanf on -,
eyes, sir" the countess murmur-
ed. She gazed into the strange
mans face few moments after she
lad spoken, and then, starting
quickly up, she threw herself upon
Ter knees before him.
"Oh," she cried, with her clasped
hands raised toward him, "can you
not help me in this bitter moment ?
Do not say so. Oh, l know you have
some strange power, and you may
help me. You cannot know the
misery suffer. Oh, earth has no
pangs more cruel! In all the long
catalogue of woes there is nothing
more bitterl Sir"-and the maiden
raised both hands toward heaven as
she thus continued--"sooner than
be that mans wife 1 would with my
own hand let my ifeblood out were
not the act sin against my Godl
But you may help me-"
"Alas, lady, l cannot assure you
now"
"Oh, say not so! You can help
me flee from here; you can find
some hiding place = some place
where my days can be spent in safe
ty from this great evil."C
but how can l help you away,
lady?"
because you know some secret
entrance to the palace. You know
some secret passage, else you would
not be here now"
"True," the monk replied in a
perplexed tone, 81 do know such
way, for by that way 1 came, and by