The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1906-11-06

Copyright 1898. 1900. BY 8 R Crockett)

I
ing upon the palm OF his left hand
with the fingers Of his right. IF |,
Werner of Orseln, were now to walk
upstairs, and in so many words tell
my lady, the sweet, easy princess.
as you name her, Joan Of the Sword,
as we are proud"
Joan Of the Sword Hochi"
The men-at-arms at the lower table, |
the bearded captains at the high /
board, the very page boys lounging in
the inches, rose to their feet at the |
very name, pronounced in voice Of |
thunder-pride by Chief Captain Wer-
ner.
Il thank you, gentlemen, on behalf |
of my lady, in whose name com
mand here said Werner, bowling cere-
moniously to all around. while the
others settled themselves to listen.
Now, worthy soldiers of Plassen- |
burg" he went on, "be it known to
you that II Ito suppose a case which
will not happen) we're to tell our
Lady Joan what you have confessed
to us here and boosted of-that you
lied and double lied to her-I lay my
| life and the lives Of these good fell
lows that the pair Of you would be
aswing from the corner gallery Of the
Lions Tower in something under five
minutes"
Jorian rose to his feet. up, Borisl"
he cried; "no-Bor-Russian, no kern of
Hohenstein that ever lived, shall over
crow a captain of the armies Of Plas-
senburg and a soldier of the Princess
Helene-Heaven bless her. Take your
ring in your hand, Boris, for we viii
go up straightway, you and /. And
we will tell the Lady Duchess Joan
that, having no sweetheart Of legal
standing, and no desire for any, we
choused her into the belief that we
would bestow her rings upon our be-
trothed in the rose gardens of Plas-
senburg. Then we viii see if indeed
we shall be aswing in five minutes.
Ready, Boris?"
Aye, thrice ready, Joriani"
, About theni Quick march,"
A great noise of clapping rose all
round the hall as the two stout sol.
diers set themselves to march up the
staircase by which they had just des
cended.
Stand to the doors!" cried Werner
the chief captain, do not let them
pass. Stand up and drink a deep cur
: to them, ratherl To Captains Joriar
and Boris of Plassenburg. brave fel
lows both!"
The toast was drunk amid multi
tudinous shoutings and handshahngs
The two men had stopped perforee
for the doors were in the hands o
:, the soldiers of the guard, and the pix
points clustered thick in their paths
They turned now in the direction o
the high table from which they ha
risen.
y "Sit down, gentlemen, and l ais
. will sit Now hearken well" sal
: Werner; "these good fellows of min
will bear me out that lie not. Yo
= have done brayely and spoken up hk
% good men taken in a fault. But "
% will not permit you to go to you
!, deaths. For our Lady Joan-God bles
- her-would mot take a false wor
!. from any-no, not if it were O
Twelfth Night or after Christina
A. merry-making. She would not forgiy
it from your old Longbeard upstair
"A whose business it is-that is, IL ST
m found it out To the gallowsl' 81
"A would say, and we-why. we shou
n sorrow for having to hasten Il
a stretchings of two good men. Ket
your rings, lads, and keep also yol
A. wits about you when the duche
IA questions you again. Nay, when "
IN return to Plassenburg, be wise, se'
~ out a Gretchen and Katrin and B
stow the rings upon them-that is,
I ever you mean again to stand with
the danger of Joan of the Sword
this her castle of Kernsberg!"
/ "Gretchens are none so scarce
/ Plassenburg," muttered Jorian.
| think we can satisfy her-but at
cheaper price than ring of rubi
set in gold!"