The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1902-03-07

II LOOh Dc, pIOuu uuhc, lllS mum
interposed, coming quickly forward
81 am at the bottom of all this.
have come to stop this foul workp
Rosalind had started to her fee
when she first heard Ruric's voice
and now, as the monk spoke, ray
of hope darted to her soul, and
with a quick bound, she reached hel
lovers side.
"Ruric, Ruric.' 1t was all she
could say, and, with flood of tears.
she pillowed her head upon his bos-
ON, and his stout arms were wound
| fondly about her.
"Fear not" he whispered, "for,
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, "vou have
come to your death! What, no,
! 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. "You are in
time Seize these dogs! Kill them
on the spot if they offer one act of
resistance. at them now! Down
with the dogs"
"Holdp' 1t was Vladimir who
spoke, and every arm dropped as
they heard that voice. 1t was diff
ferent from the voice they had
heard the fat monk use before.
The duke started as though
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
wont 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, huge
pile of wadding and stufing! 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 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-
totano, staggering back, at is the
emperor"
"Ayc," cried Peter, turning his
darkly flashing eye upon the stag
gering duke, II am your emperor!
Paul, go and call the guard"
The boy FASTENED from the pal
ace, and when he returned he was
followed py a party OF the Imperial
guard.
"Mercy, mercy, sire" gasped the
duke, sinking down on his knees.
But the emperor answered him
not. He only tuSled to bis guard
and babe them secure the duke and
the foul priest.
Rosalind Valdai gazed upon the
man until the strange
truth worked its 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
ful truth came to her now, and, with
one long, low cry of frantic hope
md bliss, she sank upon her noble
overs bosom. She could not speak.
She could only cling closely and
more close to her loved protector, E
md, with her head pillowed close by b
he heart that beat for her, she wept (
away all the grief of her opened !
oul. J
"Olga," spoke the emperor after t
he nobleman had been firmly 5
pound, "your race of iniquity is :
un." 4
"No, no, sirew the duke cried in b
tumble, supplicating tones. ''Say Q
lot so! In this single thing | may n
lave been wrong, but let my mad, c
onsuming love be some palliation :
or my offense. Oh, you will not
rush me with public shame for
his! You will not cast from you
ne who loves you WE'LL"
ooh, miserable man." uttered Pc
er, with look of utter contempt
non the base wretch. "add not per-