The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1906-12-20
S.RCROCKETT. Amza. AZ TER
(copyrisht 1898. lgOO by S. n, Croosett)

wardness, II not impossbility, of es-
cape.
Conrad the prisoner greeted Joan
with the sweet gravity which had been
characteristic of him as Conrad the
prince, and his eyes shone upon her
with the same affectionate kindness
that had dwelt in them as he looked
upon his sister in the pavilion OF the
rose-garden. But after one glance
Joan looked steadily away across the
steel-grey sea. Her feet turned In
stinctively to walk back towards the
house and the Prince turned with her.
IF we are two fellow-prisoners,"
said Conrad. 1--WE ought to see more OF
each other. Is it not SOP"
"That we may concert plans OF es-
cape?" said Joan you desire to con-
tinue your pilgrimage. to return to
my people who. alas, think them
selves better off without mel"
They paced along together with their
eyes on the ground, the Wordless Man
keeping uniform distance behind
them Then the Prince laughed a
strange, grating laugh, like one who
mocks at himself.
"The world Is i'll arranged" he said
slowly; "my brother Louis would have
made a far better Churchman than l.
And strange Il Is to think that but a
year ago the knights and chief coun-
cillors of CORTLAND came to me to
propose that, because of his bodily
weakness. my brother should be de-
posed and that should take over the
government and direction of affairs"
| He went on without noticing the
color rising In Joan's cheek, smiling
a little to himself and talking with
more animation.
"Then, had I assented, my brother
might have been walking here with
tonsured head by your side, while 7
would doubles have been knocking at
| the gates of Kernsberg seeking at the
spears point for a runaway bride"
"Nay!" cried Joan, with sudden
vehemence: chat would you not"
And as suddenly she stopped, strick
en- dumb by the sound of her own
words.
The Prince turned his head full
upon her. He sew face all suffused
with hot bushes. haughtiest pride
struggling with angry tears In eyes
that fairly blazed upon him, and a
slender figure drawn UP into an atti-
tude Of defiance, at sight Of which
something took him instantly by the
throat
you mean--you mean" he STAN
mered. and for moment was silent.
For Gods sake, tell me what you
mean"
~ mean nothing at ALI" said Joan,
stamping her foot in anger.
And turning upon her heel she left
him standing fixed in wonder and
doubt upon the margin of the sea-
Then the wife of Louis, Prince of
CORTLAND, walked eastward to the
house upon the Isle Rugen with her
face set as sternly as for battle, but
her neither lip quivering, while Con.
rad Cardinal and Prince Of Holy
Church, paced slowly to the west with
a bitter and downcast look upon his
ordinarily so sunny countenance.
For Fate had been exceeding cruel
to these two
And meanwhile right haughtily flew
the red lion upon the citadel of Kerns
berg. Never had the Lady Duchess
Joan of the Sword Hand, approveI
herself so brave and determined In
her foresters' dress of green velvet
glinting beneath it's frogs and taches
she went everywhere on foot. At al
times of the day she was to be seer
at the halfmoons wherein the cannon
were fixed, or on horseback scourins
the defenced posts along the city wall
She seemed to know neither fear no
fatigue. and the noise of cheering fol
> lowed her about the little hill city Xix,
her shadow.
Three there were who knew tn
truth-Peter Balta, Alt Picker, an,
George the Hussite. And when TIL
guards were set, the lamps lit. an,
the bars drawn stupid Hohensteine
set on watch at the turnpike foot wit
command to let none pass upon hi
life-then at last the 1.-THE young Spar
hawk would undo his belt with hug
refreshful gushing of air into his lungs
amid the scarcely subdued laughter c
the captains Of the host.
Nevertheless, in the face of BRAY
words and drawer deeds, provision
waxed scarce and dear in Cast
Kernsberg, and in the town belo
women grew gaunt and hollow
checked. Then the children acquire
eyes that seemed to stand out of no
low purple sockets. Last of all, tn
stout burghers grew thin. And a
three began to dream of the day
when the good farmfolk of the blacl
ened country down below them whel
now stood the leafy lodges of the Mu
covite and the white tents of II
Courtlanders, used to come In
Kernsberg to market, the great Sc
g emn-eyed oxen drawing carts full
country sausages, and brown me
N fresh from the mill to bake the Who'll