Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-03-14

on the entrance of the searchers loud
" demand release and redress. and
Michael. being summoned. would con
fess to hasty action. but he would say
the man had an-cred him by seeking
the favor of Il lady in the castle Gbis
was Antoinctte de Maubam. and he
had confined him there. as he conceived
he as Lord of Zcnda had right to do.
But be was now on receiving his apol-
o-y content ~ let him go and so end
the gossip which. to his hi@hnesS' an
noyancH. had arisen concerning priS-
Oner i'll ZcndH and had given his Wis
ftors the trouble Of this inquiry. The
visitors. baiIlcd. would retire. and Mi
chacI could ut his leisure dispose of the
body of the king.
Sgpt. Fritz and in my bed looked
round on on" another in horror and he
wildcrmcnt at the cruelty and cunning
of the plan Whether | went in peace
or in war. openly ut the head of
corps ~ secretly by Il st2Hlthy assault.
the king would he dead before | could
come near him. If Michael We're
| stronger and oVercamc my party there
would Ice IN cnd hut if ! were stronger
| | should have no way 10 punish him. no
means of proving any Guilt in him
without proving my own guilt also.
! On thc other hand. I should he left AZ
! king Clh Tor Il moment my pulse quick
. cncI,. and it would I've FOR III" future
! to witness IL" final stTl&gl" between
| him and me-. IL seemed t have made
/ triumph possible aud ruin irnpoTsihio.
! At III" worst T." would stand whore lie
f; had stood before / crossed his path
. VIII hut one man between him and the
f, throne. and that nan an impostor. At
! best there wCulI lie non" left II stand
against him. had begun II think that
Black Michael WAS overload of leav-
ing the fighting to his friends. hut now
acknowledged that the brains, if not
the arms. Of the conspiracy were his.
Docs the king know this" ! asked.
Il and Giy brother" answered jO-
| ham. put up the pipe under the or
,3ers of my Lord of Hcntzau. He was
on guard that day. and the king asked
I my lord what it meant. Faith he an
swcrcd. with his airy laugh, Il" Il new
! Improvement on the ladder Of Jacob.
whereby. rs you have read, sire. men
pass from earth 10 heaven. We thought
it not meet that your majesty should
90. in case. sire. You must 80. by the
common route. 50 we have mace you
4 pretty private passage. where the
vulgar cannot stare at you OF incom-
mode your passage. That. sire. is the
meaning of that pipe. And he laughed
and bowed and prayed the king leave
I to repleniSh the kings glass. for the
king WAS at supper. And the king.
though he is 4 brave man. us are all of
his house, grew red and then white as
he looked OH the pipe and ut the merry
devil who Knocked him. All. sir. aud
the fellow shuddered-''it is not easy
to sleep quiet i'll the castle of /cnda,
for all of them would as soon cut Il
mans throat aS play Il game at cards.
and my Lord Rupert would choose it
sooner for Il paStime than amy other.''
The man ceased and | babe Fritz
take him away and have him carefully
: guarded, and. turning to him, added:
If any one asks you if there is Il
, prisoner in Zenda you may answer
Yes. But if any asks who the prison
or is, do not answer. For all my prom
= iSes viii not save you if any man here
: learns from you the truth as To the
| prisoner in Zenda. I'll kill you like 4
: dog if the thing he SO much as breathed
within the house,
Then when he was gone locked at
Sapt.
1t is Il hard nut said j.
so hard. said he, shaking his gri?.-
lied head. that, as | think, this time
next year is like To find you still king
of Ruritania!'' and lie broke out into
curses on Michaers cunning.
, | lay back on NY pillows.
There seem TO me- / observed. ''to
be two ways by which the king can
come out of Zenda alive One is by
treachery in the dukes followers.
You can leave that out said Sapt.
Il hope not" ] reiOined, because
the other | was about To mention is
: by miracle from heaven,"
| ITO Re COntinmedl