The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1902-02-21

the dim starlight to recognize tn,
form Of the humpbacked priest. II,
walked quickly to where the duk'
stood, and the two moved of to
gether.
''Now what luck ?" Savotano ask
ed as the gained the street once
more
"Good-as good as / could even
hope" returned the duke. Il have
the power for arresting the gun
maker"
sand for executing him ?"
at amounts to the same. / am
ordered to bring him before the EN-
peror, but that is easily managed"
Here the duke stopped and gazed
about him. and then, bending his
head so that no word could possibly
pass beyond his companions ears,
he continued:
"You can call upon three of your
best men, and / can furnish two from
among my own servants. Early in
the morning, by the time the sun is
up, they must be at the gunmaker's
dwelling. They must make him an
gry-of course he will resist-and
then kill him. 1t is very simple
very. They can easily dispatch him
thus, and then we have only to tell
the emperor that he resisted the i'm
periaI authority even unto death.
So, you see, this is even better than
it would have been had / received
direct authority for his death, for
then some form of trial would have
been necessary, but now we have
only to go to his house, provoke him
to quarrel, kill him and then tell
the emperor how it happened. What
think you?"
why" returned the priest, W.T.
wicked chuckle, 81 can only say
that Master Newell is done for--he is
a dead man."
Exactly. Nothing could be bet
ter-nothing."
After the explanation Of this
fiendish, hellish scheme the two
walked on some distance in silence.
"Stopw uttered the duke, catch
ing his companion by the arm,
"There come two persons this way.
We must not meet them. Here
into this passage quickp'
1t was a narrow, dark passage
leading to the next street, into
which the duke dragged his compan-
ion, and here he meant to remain |
until the two persons had passed. |
The fact was the duke did not wish
to be seen with the priest at that
hour in the street, and it is no mat !
ter of surprise that he should at
that moment have been influenced
BY guilty fear. The two pedestrians
came on and passed the spot where
he men stood. They were females,
md one of them the priest saw in
he face. The features were upturn-
ID to the starlight, and he recogniz-
d them. He caught the duke quick
y and nervously by the arm.
"By the host of heaven" he whis-
,ered, "'twas the countessp'
"Rosalind ?" gasped Olga.
eyes, as sure as DEATH
''Then come, quick!'
Savotano understood the mean
ng of this, and he followed the duke
uickly out. At few bounds Olga
cached the females, and one of
hem he caught by the arm. She
tered harp, quick cry, and as
he turned her face up she revealed
he fair features of the Countess
Valdai. The priest had no
eed to stop the other girl, for she
topped of her own accord as soon :
8 she found that her mistress was
aptured.
"Ahaw Olga uttered when he saw \
nat pale face. "What now, Ell?
here are you bound at this i'm $
'emly hour" :,
go Godw 1t was all the poor girl n
,uld utter. She saw the dark face y
her hated and feared guardian, &
I'd the last glimmer of hope faded il
ON her soul. 2
"By my SOUL" the duke resumed, q q
stening his grip surely upon the ii
aiden's arm, sit is fortunate | have :
und you, for you might have fall
into difficulty else. You were n
,und for the imperial palace, eh ?" Il
At first Rosalind thought of ;,
for escape, but she felt d
e strong grip upon her arm, and f f
e knew that such a movement =
uld result only in her own harm. :
"Say," repeated the duke, ''were !
u not bound for the palace?" 4
"Aye, proud duke, | was" the
untess replied, gazing up into the
ms face. 81 was trying to es-
no from yOl1r accurSpd mower