The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-04-23

E|rsS lain in the castle of Zenda
go The great pipe that Rupert OF
Hentzau had nicknamed Jacobs lad.
der" was gone. and the lights In the
room across the moat twinkled in the
darkness. All was still; the din ant
clash Of strife were gone. | had spent
the day hidden in the forest from the
time when Fritz had led me of, leav.
ing Sapt with the princess. Under
cover of dusk, muffied up, | had been
brought TO the castle and lodged where
/ now lay. Though three men had died
there-two Of them by my hand-I was
not troubled by ghosts. / had thrown
myself on a pallet by the window and
was looking out on the black water.
Johann. the keeper, still pale from his
wound. but not much hurt besides, had
brought me supper. He told me that
the king was doing well, that he had
seen tt princess: that she and he.
Sapt and Fritz had been long together
Marshal StrakencZ was gone TO Strel.
sau: Black Michael lay in his coffin,
and Ant0inette de Mauban watched by
him. Had not heard from the chapel
priests singing mass for him?
Outside there were strange r1mors
afoat. Some said that the prisoner Of
Zenda was dead: some, that he had
vanished yet alive; some. that he was
a friend who had served the king well
in some adventure In England; others
that he had discovered the dukes
plots and had therefore been kidnapped
by him. One or two shrewd fellows
shook their heads and said only tina.
they would say nothing, but they had
suspicious that more was TO be known
than was known II Colonel Sapt would
tell all he knew.
Thus Johann chartered till sent him
away and lay there alone thinking NOT
Of the future: but. as a man Is wont tc
do when stirring things have happened
to him, rebearslng the events Of the
past weeks and wondering how
strangely they had fallen out And
above me IN the stiffness Of the night
heard the standards Tapping against
their poles. for Black MiehaeI's bannei
hung there half mast high. and above
Il the royal dag Of Ruritania, floating
for one night more over my head
Habit grows so quick that only by
an effort did I recollect that Il fIoated
no longer for me.
Presently Fritz Won TaFIenhe.m came
into the room. I was standing then by
the window: the glass was opened
and was idly lingering the cement
which chung 20 the masonry where
Jacobs ladder had been. He told
me briefly that the king wanted me,
and together we crossed the draw.
bridge and entered the room that had
been Black Michaers.
The king was lying there In bed
Our doctor from TarIenheim was 10
attendance on him and whispered &C
me that my visit must be brief The
king held out his hand and shook mine
Fritz and the doctor withdrew 10 the
window.
I took the kings ring from my finger
and pIsced II on his.
II have tried not to dIsbonor II, SIRE .
said I.
Il can't talk much to you," be Raid In
a weak voice. Il have had great fight
with sapt and the marshal, for we
have told the marshal everything ]
wanted 10 take you 10 Ftreisan and
keep you with me and tell every one
Of what you had done. and you would
have been my best and nearest fjfen6
Cousin Rudolf. Bit tlev tell me INNS,
not. aud that the secret must be kept,
n kept II can be-"
They are right, sire. Let me -. ny
work here Is done"