The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1907-03-26
JOAN IL III SWORD HAND
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: S.RCROCFETT. Au1Sor az ZEeRnaas0c
Copyright, 1898, 1900, by s. R. crockett)
La pronpIna Of ! CLOAK.
CHAPTER XXI.

ne dropping OF Oioaks
And so. with the mounted guard of
his own Cossacks before him and be-
hind, Prince Ivan carried his bride to
church through the streets of her ma
tive city.
The great doors of the cathedral had
been thrown wide open and the leath-
ern curtain withdrawn. The altar
candles and the lamps a-swing in the
choir winked no brighter than yellow
willow leaves seen through an autumn
nal fog. But as the cortege dismount-
ed the organ began to roll, and the
people within rose with a hush like
that which follows the opening of a
window at night above the ALA.
The sonorous diapason of the great
instrument disgorged itself through
the doorway in wave after wave of
sound The Princess Margaret found
herself again on her feet, upheld on
either side by brother and lover She
was at first somewhat dazed with the
rush of accumulate disasters. Slowly
her mind came back
Maurice-where was Maurice? She
turned about. The small, glittering
eyes of Prince Ivan, black as sloes,
we're looking into hers. She remem-
bered now. 1t was her own wedding
These two, her brother and her enemy
we're carrying out their threat They
had brought her to the cathedral to
wed her, against her will, to the man
she hated. But they could not. She
would tell them. Already she was q
but then, if she told them that
they would ride back and kill him
Better that she should perjure herself
condemn herself to hell than that
Better anything than that. But what
was she to do? Was ever a poor cir
so driven?
Margaret, you must come with US
into the cathedral" 1t was the voice
of her brother 1T is necessary thai
the Prince should wed you now. 1
has too long been promised, and nov
he can delay no longer. Besides, the
Black Death is in the city, and this il
the only hope to escape. Comel"
1t was on the tip of Margaret
tongue to cry out with wild words
even as she had done at the door o
the river parlor. But the thought o
Maurice. of the torture and the death
silenced her. She lifted her eyes, an
there, at the top of the steps, wer
the dignitaries of the cathedral wait
ing to lead the solemn procession.
Il will go!" she said.
She laid her hand on her brother
arm and began the ascent of the lon
flight of stairs But even as she di
so, behind her there broke a wave O
sound-the crying of many people
confused and multitudinous. like tn
warning which runs along a crowde
thoroughfare when a wild charge
escaped from bonds threshes alon
with frantic flying harness. And 10
at the foot of the steps, clad from hea
20 foot in cloak, the sick Princes
Joan, she whom the Black Death ha
stricken, leaped from her foamin
steed, and drawing sword followe
dercely up the stairway after tn
marriage procession. The Cossacks {
he Muscovite guard looked at eac
other, not knowing whether to stan
n her way or no.
Hold, there!" the pursuer shoute,
as she set foot on the lowest step.
Lord Surely that is no woman
voice!" whispered the people VIII
stood nearest, and their lower jaw
iropped little further in sheer wo
ierment.
Up the wide steps of the Dom fle
he tall woman in the flowing cloa
Her face was pallid as death, but h
ayes were brilliant and her lips re
At the sight of the naked swol
prince Ivan plucked the blade fro