The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-12-23
WIeave me alone for that, n

"Leave me alone for that, my
lord. can call help if I want it. -
care there not places in the city
where body can be hidden-wherc
it may be so disposed of and nev-
er be found?" asked the duke as the
thought came to his mind.
"Never mind" returned the 9th
er, with confident nod Of the head.
eff I meddle with the matter, it
shall be well done
Every well. III trust it with
you
For a few moments after this
there was dead silence, during
which only the moaning of the wind
could be heard But at length the
duke started up, and, with sudden
energy, he said:
"Ah, Savotano, there is one thing
I came nigh forgetting. You have
heard Of this strange monk-Vladi-
mir his name is.
s'Aye, ard I have seen him too.
You mean that huge lump of human
fat 90
eyes. And now tell me who and
what he is. He was at the duel, and
I know he has been here to my
house. Who is he?"
"You've secured me there, my
lord, for I can tell you no more
about him than I can about the man
in the moon. In short, 10 one
seems to know him, save tina; he is
monk of some Roman order and
named Vladimir. He has been here
only few months, as near as | can
find out, and yet [ think [ know
what his business is, or, at least,
why he's here" ;"
"Ah, you suspect !"
eyes, and if my suspicious be
correct we could have him taken
care of at any moment" /"
Explain"
"Why, I think he is a spy Of the
pope, sent here from Rome to learn
something Of our emperor's plans"
s'3ut he has not visited the impe-
rial palace"
"0h, yes, my lord; he has been
there several times, and once the
emperor himself was obliged to send
him out of the audience chamber"
''But have you any particular rea-
sons for thinking him a spy from
the pope?:"
sWhy, he is a Romish monk, and
he hangs about the most important
places in our city. Even the cir
cumstance 1 have just related
his trying to remain in the audi
ence chamber while private business
was going on and having to be or
dered out by the emperor-ls some
ground for suspicion. | mean to
watch him at all events. !"
''That's right, returned the
duke. And then, after a moments
thought, he added: II do not see
why he should be around after every
petty duel that may be fought If he
is a spy from Rome, and, besides, l
have heard one or two persons say
that they were sure they had seen
him before"
"Oh, that may be only the result
of some strong resemblance which
he bears to some one else. | am sure
he was never here before-not in
Moscow"
Again the humpbacked priest was
cautioned about the work he had IN
hand, and, having promised over
and over again to be very careful,
he took his leave.
And Olga, duke of Tula, was left
alone with his own thoughts. Bet
ter for him had that wicked priest
been his executioner. Better for
him had he been upon the counts
bed, racked with dying pains. Bet
ter for him had he been a poor gun
maker, SO he had been honest. Oh,
better for him had he been the
meanest beggar that walked the
earth than what he was! But he
did not realize this. He had a goal
ahead, and he tried to overlook the
black, dreadful gulf that yawned be-
tween him and it.
CHAPTER X.
A STRANGE DISCOVERY.