The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-11-12

~
remember. | think"
Together they went to the window
The SUN had risen from behind the
mountains and flooded the city with
light The morning air was crisp and
fragrant The market place was throng-
ed with pcUple--mcn in line In front,
women. girls aud boys i'm mass be-
hind They were all absolutely quiet
ana silent Opposite where they were
was raised platform of wood. reached
by steps from the ground. 1t was
rostrTm for the uee Of those who sold
goods ny auction In the market. A
board uu trcSl'r> had been laid on this,
and on the board was stretched the
! body Of the king At his feet stood
| Lukovitch Behind were Max Won
| Holbrandt. Zerkovitch aud Marie. At
the kings head stood Sophy, and Peter
| VasSlp knelt on the ground beside her
| she stOud like statue. white and still,
| but DUnstarbury could see the red star
glowing
/ I.ukovitch seemed to have been speak
/ ing. although the sound of his voice
| had not reached them through the
closed window of the topmost room In
| the inn. He spoke again now-not loud
/ ly. but in very clear voice
"The king lies dead through treach.
cry" he said. "ln Slavna the German
! woman rules and her son and the men
who killed the king Will you have
them to rule over you, men OF Vol
seni?'
I A shout OF Nor rang out, followed
again by absolute silence. Lukovitch
drew the curved sword that he wore
and raised It i'm the air. All the armed
men followed his example. The rest
with the women and young people
raised their right hands 1t was their
custylI in calling Heaven to witness.
God hears u.s. said Lukovitch, and
all the people repeated the words after
hlW
Drustanbury whispered to Basil, do
they mean to fg''T An eagerness
stirred in his voice
Listen. He's speaking again"
Whom. then. viii you have for your
king men OF Noseni?" asked Luke
vil'h There s. me on whose finger
tho klng has put the silver ring of the
bains of Voscni VITA his own hand
he sct It there before he died-he set
II ere when he made her his queen,
aS u have heard VIII you have the
ba = OF Vulseni for your kingY"
\ great shout of "Yesr' answered
hir
"wln you have Sophia for your
king"
"Sophia for our ug!' they cried.
Lukovitch raised his sword again
All raised swords ~ hands. The sol
emn words God hears usw were spo-
ken from every mouth I.ukovitch turn
ed TO Sophy aud handed his drawn
sword TO her She took II. Then she
knelt down and kissed the kings lips.
Rising to her feet again. she stood for
moment silent looking over the
thronged market square. Yet she seem
ed hardly 10 see. Her eyes were vacant
At last she raised the sword to her lips.
kissed ii, and then held II high In the
air.
at was monselgneur's wish. Let us
avenge him, God hears mel"
"God hears You" came all the voices.
The ceremony was finished. Six men
took up the board on which the king
lay. carried il down from the rostrum
and along the street TO the guardhouse.
Sophy followed. aud her friends walk
ed after her Stlll she seemed as
though In dream. Her voice had
sounded absent almost unconscious.
| a, e., fIn n
star
Following her dead. she passed out
OF sight. Immediately the crowd be-
gan to dlsperse. though most OF the
men with arms gathered around Luke
witch and seemed to await his orders.
Basil Williamson moved away from
the window. with heavy sigh and a
gesture Of detection.
81 wish we could get her safe out of
It," he said Isn't IT wonderful, her
being here?'
Yes. but I'd forgotten that" Dun.
stanbury was still by the window. He
had been thinking that his service now
would not be 10 morsclgneur. Yet no
doubt Basil had mentioned the wlsest
form OF service Sophy's own few
words-the words for which she cited
Heavens witness hinted at another.
But Basil had recalled his mind tc
the marvel Moved as he had been by
his talk with Sophy and even more by
the scene which had just been enacted
before his eyes. his face lit up with Q
smile as he looked across to Basil
Eyes, old fellow-wonderfull Sophy
Grouchl Queen OF Kravonial 1t beats
Macbeth hollowp
"It's pretty nearly as dreary," sait
Basil, with discontented grunt.
II find 1t pretty nearly as exciting
Dunstanbury said, "and / hope for 1
happier ending. Meanwhile"-he buc
kled the leather belt which held his re
volver around his waist-'T'm for som'
breakfast, and then / shall go and asl
that tall fellow who did all the talking
If there's anything l can do for KIM
Sophia. BY Jove, wouldn't Cousin Mel
open her eyesT
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