The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-01-27
= - By SYLVaNUS COBB, j..



and / am sure he would serve me
more if opportunity offered. But
who is he? Have you found out any
thing concerning him? p
81 have not, my. son.
sBut isit not stranger"
1t is.
And so lhes eonversed until their
dropping lids would no longer re-
main apart, and then, having first
rendered up their thanks to God and
asked his help for the future, they
retired to their respective places of
rest. Ruric had strange dreams, and
for the life Of hin he could not tell
whether they we're good or bad.
Once he dreamed that he was duke
himself and that he had a wife
whose face he lad never seen. She
would not raise Ter veil until the
ceremony was performed. Then she
removed the obstruction, and Rurlc
started on beholding the face Of
Vladimir, the monk! And then
Vladimir seemed to say, "All this
e have done for thee. Do you like
it:?', And Ruric dared not object,
because Vladimir had done so much
for him.
And now while Ruric awakes
from his. dreams and wonders what
they mean let US look in and see
what is going on in the ducal palace.
1t was early morning, and the
Duke ef Tula was once more il his
own private apartment. He had not
slept well. for he, too, had had
dreams, and they we're troublesome
ones. They hung about him even
now, and they filed his mind with
dark and gloomy forebodings. He
paced to and fro across. the apart
ment, sometimes stopping and bow
ing his head and then starting on
again with new clouds upon his
brow. Thus he walked and pondered
until he was aroused by a stealthy
football close by the door. He stop
ped and listened. He knew the step.
Twas the one he had been waiting
for. He moved to the door and
opened il, and the humphacked
priest, Savotano, entered the apart
ment.
sBy St. Paul, savotano, I feared
you.sEould never come the duke
uttered as his workman CLOSED the
door behind him.
ri would have come sooner if ]
could, my lord, but even now it is
early morning. The sun is hardly
above the city walls"
Well, it is early, I know, but !
have not slept well.
sI have not slept at ali, my lord"
eNo, Savotano. You look worn
and weary. But you have been at
work"
"Aye;I / have"
ssAnd you have come to tell me
the result of that work. Does it
move you so to do such work? I
thought YOU were used to it ?"
The priest gazed into his masters
face, but he did not speak.
sBah!!" uttered Olga contemptu-
ously. "What ;s the killing of a
man? But tell me, did you conceal
the body SO that no one will find
it 90
1t was some moments before Sa-
yotano spoke. His frame trembled,
and his hands worked. nervously to-
gethcr. But at length he said in a
hcsiiatins tone:
!. Gle is not dead, my lord
ssNot dead yet: Bat you promis-
ed me he should be-"
81 know, but we could not do 1t.
s'Bah. gave you credit for more
frmness. Not kill a man? What is
I. there so terrible in that ?"
"Ao on misunderstood me, my lord.
We did all We could toward killing
him. but he escaped US"
Hold cried the duke, starting
forward and grasping the priest by
the shoulder. "You do not mean
that Ruric Newell has escaped you"
'sHe has, my lord"
sBut not entirely. You do not
mean that he has fairly gone from
out your hands,
'sfIe has. my lord. But listen"-
Listen n,-thou bungler! By the
saints, what story can you tell to
make that smooth and reasonable
You had him in your power, and you
should have kept him."
"But, my lord, the devil himself
is working for that man. We went
last piohf TO kill the fellow, and ]