The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-12-02
! THE GUNMAKER
/ OF MOSCOW.
80
By
sYLVANUs COBB, JR.
CONTINUED PROM SEVENTH PAGE.

Her guardian bids me get this pa
persof you ere I can have her hand.
And now do you think I'll give it
up so easily? By the saints OF heav-
en-, I'll have. your name to this OF
III have your lifep'
Nov yoar tongue runs away
with YOU, sir count. | have given
You my answer. Be sure that only
one man on earth can prevail upon
ne TO place my name upon that pa
per 2
And who is he ?"
I mean the emperor"
But you will sign tw hissed Da-
monof, turning pale with rage.
Here it is-sign! Il you would live
sign z.
Perhaps he cannot write, sug-
gesIed Urzen contenlptuously.
Then he may make his marx" "
rejoined the count in the same con-
teInptrous tone.
e st might not require much more
urging TO induce me to make my
mark in manner not at all agree
able to you, sir, . the youth return
ED, with his teeth now set and the
dark veins upon his brow starting
more plainly out You have come
upon my premises, and you have
sought your purpose. You now
have your answer, and for your own
sake, for my sake, I beg you to
leave me. Z.
Not until your name is upon
this paper 7! cried Damonof, shak-
ing the missive furiously and crum7
ping it II his hard.
Are you mad, sir count? Do
You think me fool?
Ave, a consummate on" "
Then, = returned Ruric, with a
curl Of utter contempt upon his
finely chiseled lip, you need have
no further dealings with me. There
IS my door. sir.
For some moments Conrad Da-
monof seemed unable to speak from
yerY anger He had surely some
deep, anxious purpose In obtaining
Ruric's name to that paper, and to
be Thus thwarted by a common arti-
san was maddening to one who
based all his force Of charcter upon
MS title.
sSignw he hissed.
FooIl'' uttered Rurie, unable
longer to contain himself in view Of
such stupid persistence. @Do you
seek a quarrel with me p
ssSeek? ] seek what will have.
viii you sign 2"
Once more-nop'
Then, by heavens, you shall
know what il is to- thwart such as
me. Ho8's that?p
i AS these words passed from the
counts lips in low, Kissing whls-
Der he aimed a blow with his fist
at Ruric,s head. The gunmaker
had not dreamed of such bastard
act, and he vas not prepared for
it, get he lodged it sufficiently to es-
cape The mark upon his face, recelv-
ing the blow lightly upon the side
Of his head. but he stopped not to.
consider now. AS the count drew
back Ruric dealt him a blow upon
The brow that fel'ed him to the floor
Ikea dead OF,
Beware, Stephen Urzen" be
whispered to the counts companion
as that individual made movement
as though he would come forward.
s1 an rot myself now, and You are
safest where you are
The man thus addressed viewed
the gunma!ler a few moments, and
he seemed to conclude that he had
better avoid a personal encounter,
for his fists relaxed and he moved
TO the side Of his fallen friend and
assisted him to his feet.
Conrad Damonof gazed into his
antagonists face few moments in
silence. His face was ashen pale,
and his whole frame quivered. Up
on his forehead there was llvld
spot where he had been struck, but
the skin was not broken.
sRuric Newell he said in a hiss
inc, maddening tone, ssyou will hear
from me! The mad spirit Of a
vengeance such as mine cannot be
frihed with
And with this he turned away.
tsPaul," said the gunmaker, turn
ing to his boy after the men had
gone away, ''not word OF this tc
nav mother. Be sure"
CHAPTER III.
LOVE