The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1907-06-11
XXXII.--contlnued.

CHAPTER %%XIl.--Continued
One other revenge l have which
shall keep TO the last. It shall be as
sweet to me as yours to you. | shall
draw 1t out lingeringly that I 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" (here
he looked up tenderly); "but the Prin-
cess / 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 a princes name was
carried out a while ago. Conrad, the
priest, who is man, shall die like
man. And /, Ivan, and Holy Russia
shall enter in. BY the right of Mar.
garet, sole heir of CORTLAND, city and
province shall be mine; Kernsberg
shall be mipo; Hohenstein shall be
mine. Then mayhap 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, sit
will indeed be sweet And what shall
be your worthy and terrible revenge?"
Il have thought of it long-I have
turned it over, this and that l 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 Jingle
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.
IT am glad I came hither," she muir
INJURED; at is worth 1t ALL"
Prince Ivan took her hand in both
of his and pressed it fondly.
"And you shall be gladder yet" he
said, my Lady Theresa. have some
thing to say. had not thought that
there lived in the worfd any woman
so like minded, even as | knew not
that there lived any woman so beau
tiful. Together you and l might rule
the world. Shall it be together"
But, Prince IVAN" she interposed
quickly, but still smiling. what i:
this? thought you were set on wed
ding the Princess Margaret. You
were to make her first widow and ther
wife"
Theresa" he said, looking amor
ously up at her, 81 wed for a king
dom. But l marry the woman who ii
my mate. 1t is our custom. I mus
give the left hand, it is true, but will
it the heart, my Theresa"
He was on his knees before he
now, still clasping her hand.
"You consent?" he said. with tri
umph already in his tone
81 did not say nay!" she answered
with sigh.
He kissed her hand and rose to hi
feet. He would have taken her in hi
arms, but noise in the pavilion dis
turbed him. He went quickly to tn
curtain and peeped through.
at is nothing" he said, only tn
men come to fetch the powder for tn
Margrafs cannon. But the nigh
speeds apace. In an hour we assault.
With an eager look on his face b
came nearer to her.
Theresa" he said, "a soldiers woe
ing must needs be brisk and speed!
Yours and mine yet swifter. Our r.
venge beckons us. Do you abide her
till 1 return-with those goods friend
whose names we have mentioned
But now. ere go forth, pledge m
your love. This is our true betrotha