Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-03-23
G ::;!,s prlsoner|
Eli; Ct 81 Zenda|
HOPE
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Copyrighted. 1894 1898. by Henry Holt e Company

WHICH DlSuI give OF Keep IOr lcf her
power over the duke. AS L say he
took and gave not. simultaneously
Antoinette found herself entanGied in
his aUdaciouS schemes. Unwilling to
abandon him, bound to him by the
chains of shame and hope, she yet
would not ba 4 decoy nor at his bid
ding lure me To death; hence the let
tiers of warming she had written.
Whether the lines she sent TO Flavia
were inspired by coed or bad feeling,
by jealousy Or by pity, do not know,
but here also she served us well. When
the duke went to Zenda she accompa-
MED him. and here for the first time
she learned the full measure of his
cruelty and was touched with compass
sion for the unfortunate king. From
this tine she was with us. yet from
what she told me / know that she still
(as women wild loved Michael and
trusted to gain his life, if not his par
don, from the king as the reward for
her assistance. His triumph she did
not desire, for she loathed his crime
and loatEed yet mere fercely what
would be the prize of this marriage
with his cousin, Princess F!avia.
AT Zenda Il new force came into play,
the daring of young Rupert. He was
caught by her beauty, perhaps. Per
haps it was enough for him that she
belonged to another man and that she
hated him. Foc many days there had
l.;
and the duke, and the scene which
had witnessed in the dukes room was
but one of many. Rupert's proposals
to me, Of which she had of course bcea
ignorant, in no way surprised her when
l related them. She had herself warn
Cd Michael against Rupert even whea
she was calling Oil me TO deliver her
from both of them. On this night,
then. Rupert when she had gone to her
room, having furnished himself with u
key tn ii, made his entrance. Her cries
had brought the duke. and there in the
dark room while she screamed the
men had fought. ana Rupert, having
wounded his master with q mortal
blow. had on the servants rushing in
escaped through the window. as | have
described. The dukes blood, squirting
out. had stained his opponents shirt:
but Rupert, not knowing that he had
dealt Michael his death. was eager to
finish the encounter. How he meant tC
deal with the other three of the band l
know not. dare say he did not think,
for the killing of Michael was not pre-
meditated. AntOinette, left alone with
the duke. had tried to stanch his
wound, and thus was she busted till he
died. and then, hearing Rupert's
taunts, she had cone forth to avenge
him. Me she had not seen. nor did she
till | darted out of my ambush and
leaped after Rupert into the moat
The same moment found my friends
on the scene. They had reached the
chateau in due time and waited ready
by the door. But Johann, swept witt
the rest to the rescue of the duke. die
not open it-nay. he took a part aGains
Rupert. putting himself forward more
bravely than any in his anxiety t
| avert suspicion. and he had received {
| wound, in the embrasure Of the win
dow. Till nearly half past , Sapt wait
ed: then. following my orders. he haC
sent Fritz to search the banks of thu
moat. | was not there. Hastenin;
| back, Fritz told Sapt. and Sapt wa
| for following orders still and riding q
! full speed back to Tarlenheim, Will
/ Fritz would not hear of abandonin;
me, let me have ordered what | would
| On this they disputed some few min
uteS; then Sapt, persuaded by Fritz
detached 4 party under BernenStein I
gallop back to Tarlenhe:m and brinj
up the marshal, while tie rest fell t
on the great door of the chateau. 70
near fifteen minutes il resisted them
| then. Just as Antoinette de Mauba
fired at Rupert Heutzau on the bridge
| they broke in. eight of them in all. an
the first door they came to was til
door of MichacFs room. and Michae
lay dead across the threshold, with
sword thrust through his breast. Sap
cried out at his death. as | had heart
and they rushed on the servants. bu
these i'll fear dropped their weapon:
and Antoinette flung herself weepin
at Sapt'S feet. And all she cried wa
that | had been at the end of th
bridge and had leaped off. What {
the prisoner?' asked Sapt, but sh
shook her head. Then Sapt and Frit
with the gentlemen behind them. eros
ed the bridge. slowly, warily and witt
out noise, and Fritz stumbled over til
body of De Gautet in the way of tt
door. They felt him and found hi
dead.
Then they consulted, listening cage
ly for any sound from the cells below
but there came none, and they wei
greatly afraid that the kings guart
. had killed him and, having pushed b
: body through the great pipe, had e
capped the same way themselves. Y
because | had been seen here they Ia
still some hope thus, indeed, Fritz
his friendship told mel, and, going baC
to Michaels body, pushing aside A
toinette, who prayed by it, they four
a key to the door which l had locke
and ODened the door The Stairca;