The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-02-10

! a cluster of glossy hair tioalll.u
down over the neck and shoulders
"Grest God Of mercy" gasped Sa-
votano. staggering back, '<it is tie
emperor
darkly flashing eye upon the stag
gering duke, II am your emperor
Paul, go and call the guard ?
The boy fastened from the pal
ace, and when he returned he WAS
followed by party of the Imperial
guard
'tMerey, mercy, sirer' gasped tie
duke, sinking down on his knees.
But the emperor answered him
not. He only turned to his g1lar.i
and bade them secure the duke and
the foul priest.
Rosalind Valdai gazed upon the
transformed man until the strange
| truth worked its way to her strug-
Cling mind, and then she turned
once more to Ruric. She gazed up
into his face, and she saw the holy
| smile which rested there. The joy
full truth'came to her now, and, with
one long, low cry of frantic hope
and bliss, she sank upon her noble
lovers bosom: She could not speak.
She coa]d only cling closely and
more close to her loved protector,
and. with her head pillowed close by
the heart that beat for her, she wept
away all the s-;ef of her opened
soul.
solga," spoke the emperor after
the nobleman had been firmly
bound, 'syour race 'of iniquity is
run"
'sNo, no, sirer' the duke cried in
humble, supplicating tones. "Say
not so! In this single thing may
have been wrong, but let my. mad,
consuming love be some palliation
for my offense Oh, you will not
crush me with public shame for
this! You will not cast from you
one who loves you WE'LL"
"Oh, miserable man," uttered Pc
ter, with a look Of utter contempt
upon the base wretch, "add not per-
jury to your already accumulated
crimes! Hark ye, some months
since I knew there was conspiracy
in my capital, and I knew there was
much Of evil, too, which was never
reported to me. I resolved to ferret
it out, and to that end / meant to
mingle among my people without
their knowing me. So | had that
robe made and so stuffed and wad-
ded that could even hide my chin
in the seeming fat. I assumed the
garb, and my own master at arms
did not at first know me. Once in
swhile l made my page assume the
garb and be seen in it about the
city, and thus ali thought of sus-
pecting me was cut of. have been
at the work, Olga, and l have found
out all l sought. 1t was mere acci-
dent that first threw me in the way
of this young gunmaker, and it was
by accident, too, that I overheard
the Count Damonoff and his COM
panion discussing the subject of
their mission to the gunmaker's
shop. OF course l followed that
scheme up, and l should have
snatched our fair young countess
from your grasp ere this had I not
been desirous of arriving at another
point first. Perhaps you know that
the Princess Sophia and the Minis
ter Gallitzin have planned grand
overturn of my throne2 All! You
tremble! And now, my noble duke"
the emperor continued in a deeper
tone, q have learned of your own
guilt in that affair. Oh, you do love
me, do you? But | know YOU now.
Two of your tools are in my hands.
They are named ,Totma and Viska.
They have made full confession,
and l now know all your villainies.
know what you have planned
against this noble countess and
against her noble lover. know
what you planned against the Count
Damonoff, and | know, too, what
you have planned against your en-
peror. Not word, sir! You are
the Duke of T'ula 20 more. A more
worthy man vears4he ducal coronet
from this hour. Ruric Nevel shall
assume the station you have dis
graced, and | know he will ennoble
it once more"
AS Peter ceased speaking he wav-
ed his hand to his officers, and they
bore the prisoners from the room.
! The priest said not word, but Olga