The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1902-08-09

"He is sutton for your hand, is
be not? ?"
''He was, but he is not now"
''Not now?" repeated Ruric, with
surprise. "What mean you?"
"Why, simply that he has asked
the duke for my hand and that he
was answered in the negative"
"Did you hear the duke answer
him SOP"
"No; but so the duke assured me
he had done. But what mean you ?'
81 will tell you. Yesterday the
count came to my dwelling accom-
panied by Stephen Urzen. He had
a paper drawn up by the dukes OWL
hand in which l was made to say, or
rather, by which the writer said
that he dsclaimed all pretensions
to your hand and that he wished
not to marry you; that he freely
gave you up, meaning to seek with
in the sphere of his own social circle
some companion when he wished.
And this was asked to sign"
'sBy the count?"
eyes, by the dukes orders"
ooh, it cannot bel" uttered the
fair girl, trembling.
Sand he further assured me that
the duke had requested him to OBJ
tain my signature thereto, so that
he might receive your hand without
impediment."
$50 tina: the count might receive
my hand"
"Yes."'
"But the duke assured me only
yesterday that l should be troubled
no more with the count. May there
not be some mistake ?"
"There can be no mistake on my
part. The instrument was in the
dukes own hand"
'But you did not sign it?"
"Ask me if l took my own life
if | made curse for all I loved"
ut is strange" the maiden MUIR
INJURED, bowling her head few mo-
ments. sSAnd yet" she added, look
ing up into her companions face,
81 do not think the duke would be
treacherous."
"He may be-" answered Ruric.
"He knows how lightly our noble
emperor holds empty titles, and
perhaps he fears if this matter came
to the imperial ear and you should
claim the right to marry with whom
you pleased Peter would grant your
prayer; hence he wished to get my
claim set aside so that he may have
clearer field in which to move.
Do you know how the dukes affairs
stand at PRESENT."
Rosalind thought awhile ere she
answered, and then, while startled
expression came to her face, she
said:
"Ruric, | do remember now that
between the duke and young Damo-
noff there is some matter of dispute.
There is some question of proper
ty."
"AhP' uttered the youth earnest
ly. GLOW is that ?"
"Why, as near as I can under
stand it, there was a dispute be-
tween the duke and the elder Damo-
noff concerning the ownership of
Drotzen, the estate on the Don, in
Kaluga, and since the fathers death
Conrad has maintained his family
claim. You know the duke and the
old count married sisters, and this
estate belonged to them"
"And now" suggested Ruric,
"may not the duke mean to compro-
mise this matter by giving your
hand to the count and taking Drot-
zen in exchange?"
"Oh, cannot think sop the
maiden returned earnestly. "The
duke would not do that. He is kind
to me, | am sure. He loves me as
though / were his own child. I
know he does, for in thousand
ways he has shown it. He is mind
full OF my comfort and anticipates
my every want. No, no; if he is
deceiving any one, he must be de-
ceiving the count"
Ruric started as the new suspi-
cion flashed upon him. Had the
duke sent Damonoff upon that mis-
sion on purpose to get him into
quarrel? "By my SOUL" thought the
youth to himself, "the duke knows
that l have taught the sword play,
and he knows that the count would
in this match for me. So he thinks
In this subtle manner to make me
an instrument for Kidding him of
But the youth was care
full not to let Rosalind know of this.
He knew she would be unhappy if
she knew that a duel was likely to
come off between himself and the
count.
After some minutes of compare
tive silence Ruric touched unon a