The Elbert County tribune., 1906-08-23
CHAPTER xxxII.-continued.

CHAPTER xxxiI.-continued.
zone other revenge ! have which
shall keep to the last. 1t shall be as
sweet to me as yours to you l shall
draw it out lingeringly that l may
drain all its sweetness. 1t is the up
start springald whom the Princess
Margaret had the bad taste to prefer
to me. Not that cared a jot for the
Princess. My taste is far other" there
he looked up tenderly); but the Prin-
cess l must wed, as maid or widow
care not. take her provinces, not
herself. and these must be mine by
right of fief and succession as well as
by right of conquest. The way is
clear. That piece of carrion which
men called by princes name was
carried out while ago. Conrad. the
priest. who is a man, shall die like
man. And I, Ivan, and Holy Russia
shall enter in. BY the right of Mar
garet, sole heir of Courtland. city and
province shall be mine; Kernsberg
shall be mine; Hohenstein shall be
mine. Then mayhap I will try fall
for Plassenburg and the Mark with
the Executioner's Son and his little
housewife. But sweeter than all shall
be my revenge upon the man l hate
upon him who took his betrothed
wife from Ivan of Muscovy."
"Ah," said Theresa Won Lynar. ''it
will indeed be sweet And what shall
be your worthy and terrible revenge?"
II have thought of 1t long-I have
turned 1t over. this and that ! have
thought of--the smearing with honey
and the anthill, or trepanning and
worms on the brain-but / have
thought at last of something that will
make the ears of the world tlngle-'
He leaned forward and whispered
into the ear of Theresa Won Lynar the
terrible death prepared for her only
son. She nodded calmly as she lis
tened. but wonderful JOY lit up the
woman's face.
Il am glad came hither," she mur.
INJURED; sit is worth it ALL"
Prince Ivan took her hand In both
of his and pressed 1t fondly.
"And You shall be gladder yet" he
said. my Lady Theresa. I have some
thing to say. / had not thought that
there lived in the world any woman
that there lived any woman so beau
tiful. Together you and might rule
the world. Shall it be together?"
But. Prince Ivan" she interposed
quickly. but still smiling. what is
this? / thought you were set on we'd
ding the Princess Margaret. You
were to make her first widow and then
wife"
Theresa" he said, looking amor
ously up at her, II wed for king
dom. But l marry the woman who is
my mate. 1t is our custom. must
give the left hand, it is true, but with
it the heart, my Theresa"
He was on his knees before her
now. still clasping her hand.
you consent?" he said. with tri.
umph already in his tone.
Il did not say nay!" she answered,
with a sigh.
He kissed her hand and rose to his
feet. He would have taken her in his
arms. but n noise in the pavilion dis
turbed him. He went quickly to the
curtain and peeped through.
ut is nothing" he said. "only the
men come to fetch the powder for the
Margraf's cannon But the night
speeds apace. In an hour we assault"
With an eager look on his face he
came nearer to her.
Theresa" he said, "a soldiers WOO
ing must needs be brisk and speedy.
Yours and mine yet swifter. Our re-
venge beckons us. Do you abide here
till return-with those goods friends
whose names we have mentioned.
But now, ere l go forth, pledge me
your love. This is our true betrothal.