The Elbert County tribune., 1906-06-07

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The long blue cloak fell to the
ground. and the Sparhawk. clad IN
close-fitting squire's dress. stood be-
fore their astonished eyes. /.
A long, low murmur. gathering and
sinking, surged about the square.
Prince Louis gasped. Margaret clung
to her lovers arm, and for the space
of score of seconds the whole world
stopped breathing.
Prince Ivan twisted his mustache
as If he would pull it out by the roots.
So" he said, "the Princess is mar
ried, is she? And you are her hus-
band? Whom God hath joined'-and
the rest of it. Well, we shall see. we
shall seel"
He spoke gently, meditatiyely, al
most caressingly.
Yes" cried the Sparhawk, defiant
ly. I'VE were married yesterday by
Father Clement, the Princes chaplain.
in the presence of the most noble Leo
pold Won Dessauer. High Councillor of
Plassenburg."
And my wife-the Princess Joan.
where is she?" gasped Prince Louis.
SO greatly bewildered that he had not
yet begun to be angry.
Ivan Of Muscoyy put out his hand.
Gently. friend" he said; II will
unmask this play-acting springald.
This is not your wife, not the woman
you welded and fought for. not the
Lady Joan of Hohenstein. but some
baseborn brother, who, having her
face, hath played her part, to mock
and cheat and deceive us BOTH"
He turned again to Maurice Won
Lynar.
81 think we have met before. Sir
Masquer," he said, with his usual
suave courtesy; 81 have. therefore, a
double debt to pay. Hither!" He
beckoned to the guards who lined the
approaches. II presume, sir. SO true a
courtier will not brawl before ladies.
You recognize that you are In our
power. Your sword, sir!"
The Sparhawk looked all about the
crowded square. Then he snapped
his sword over his knee and threw
the pieces down on the stone steps.
you are right, will not fight vain
ly here" he said. 81 know 1t is use
less. But"-he raised his voice-"be
1t known to all men that my name is
Maurice, Count Won Loen, and that the
Princess Margaret is my lawfully
welded wife. She cannot then marry
Ivan of Muscovy!"
The Prince laughed easily and
spread his hand with gentle depreca-
ton. rs the guards seized the Spar
hawk and forced him a little space
ha p1{ rfx,ex 90 "A,
cess.
II am an easy man." he said gently.
as he clicked his dagger to and fro in
its sheath. when | like a woman, /
would as lief marry her widow as
maid
prince Louis" continued Ivan,
turning to the Prince. 1--WE are keeping
these holy men needlessly, as we'll as
disappointing the good folk of Court
land of their spectacle. There is no
need that we should stand here any
longer. We have matters to discuss
with this gentleman and his wife.
Have l your leave to bring them to-
gether in the palace? We may have
something to say to them more at
leisure"
But the Prince of Courtland made
no answer. He moved his hand an
| grily and began to descend the stairs
towards the waiting horses.
Prince Ivan turned toward Maurice
"You will follow under escort OF
these gentlemen of my staff" he said
with sinking equality of courtesy;
| there is no need to discuss intimate
No; Il I,
| Courtland.
He bowed to Maurice as If he had
| been inviting him to a feast. Maurice
looked about the crowded square, over
the pennons of the Cossacks. He
knew there was no hope either in
fight or in resistance. All the ap-
proaches to the square had been filed
up with armed men.
81 will follow" he answered briefly.
| Hitherto we have had to do with
the summer palace by the river, a
| building of no strength, and built more
as a pleasure house for the princely
family than as place of permanent
habitation. But the Castle of Court
land was structure of another sort
Set on a low rock in the center of
the town. its walls rose continuous
with its foundations, equally massive
and impregnable, to the height of
| over seventy feet. For the first twen-
| ty-five neither window nor grating
broke the grim uniformity of that
mighty wall of rock. Above that line
only a few small openings half-closed
with iron bars evidenced the fact that
a great prince had his dwelling with
in. The main entrance to the Castle
was through gateway closed by n
grim iron-toothed porticullis. Then a
short tunnel led to another and yet
stronger defense-a deep natural fosse
which surrounded the rock on all sides