Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1909-11-18
CHAPTER xxl-Gontinued.
BY GUY THORNE.

- AilG SECRET 5ClldI1DGI. Ill flue wall w d.
not carpeted or decorated in any way,
save only that exactly opposite to
where they stood there was dark
curtain hanging midway on the wall,
Goncealing something. To their right, |
clamped against the stone, was some,
thing which made their blood run cold.
IL was a large cage OF polished steel,
six feet high, and perhaps seven feet
across--tte cage Of an animal-thc
bars some three inches apart.
In the cage We're two zinc troughs
On either side of the entrance gate,
which was secured by asheayyg pad
loGk One trough was filled with wa
ter the other with some brown sub
stance that looked like porridge. In
the middle of the cage. upon d heap
of STRAW, clay an odd and grotesque
litals figure thef figure of a child
asleep.
The figure was dressed ina costume
of tight. fitting skins the skins OF
some animal, it seemed, which came
close UP to! the neck Only the head
was bare. and the head was that of
the little Duke of London pale, vast
ed and tear-stained. the tiny eyes
CLOSED the whole OF the little organ
ism now sunk hi sinerciful Oblivion.
Fritz Won Ravenstein had started
back and was looking with horror
struck blue eyes upon this frightfula
system Of revenge.
Princess, they heard himtsay, what
{ Is this? Oh, my Princess, what Is
this? rs "a s
There came a low and cruel chuckle,
like the king of thorns just igl
his said the Princess. SIS my
revenge Fritz Won Rayenstein!"
But what what --''
q will tell you, came the low and
sinister4rapfy. /" In the Middle Ages,
when my ancestors used to make
those who had scorned and flouted
them pay the dreadful penalty, they
knew how to do IL! They would take
men and women, and even children.
from those who loved them. Some
times they would torture them. You
lhaxe been down In the oubliettes be.
meath the Rhine, Won Ravenstein2 2.
They would torture them with fire and
slow steel & the scourge, the water, and
the linen bag. But sometimes they
were not. SO merciful as. this. They
would make another torture "a more.
'sireadfnl and Il lifelong thing, They.
would take men and women, whose,
8braias. were their own and whose souls
were living. and they would make
them live the lives aof, beasts turning
them into animals. dissolying their
souls, netting their brains, and max
Ing them as the brute beasts of the.
l Held.
lid then they would come, day by.
day watching the slow de graduation of
proud people who had dared to Of
fend ard fout the Princes Of Wohlau-
I.andskrona. il Is this that I am go
4 ing ID With that piece of flesh
I there Look YOU. Won Ravenstein! In
that, cage iii the child Of Alberto. Duke
of London, "a Great prince in his own
country even ssas am here. That
/ thing liz ghe son OF the man who left
]. me. who iied@from a Royal alliance. at
whose hands lam here old, unloved,
and alone! Is Is the child also OF
e that dsvii.woman OF England that
q young lovely and loving woman who
I took him from me IS! Isl And now he is
1 mine Mine! Mine. He will live
there ION enstein; he will live in
that cage like ,a dog until he dies. It
4 may be that the soulless thing will
no daie fof many years. 1t may be
N thai dressed In the skins Of animals,
4 he will grow like and learn the ways
M The animal mean to make him!
u He will feed out !of these troughs. He
! VIII learn to come and humble mar
I ticulately when deign to feed him
Through these bars: He will become
i lower than 4 spaniel, d thing
Princess, ,.5 Won Rayenstein said
saIdd anly, and with a harsh. high, voice,
yo,, are mad Such notwithstanding
cannot be- shall not bein Christian
lsermany today! Princess! Icannot
lee IL bel vii II not let It be! II Is
t0o 8terrihle thin that Satan him.
seif must be ins the palace Of Wohian-
j IiaIsiskrona toAight y
sss The tall woman threw her head
3 back tka diamonds IN her hair shoot
ing little CLEANS of bite lightnings as
I she aid No.
la q. 81 she cried III al. TRAINED
falaettn IS the revenge Of q Pfini
/ CESS frig htens even yo,l, my yassai
and nv sserf. lad Am 4 mad Then
Inysmadnesss:s a madness such as only
princes dare All So You cur, on
Il tie lille 3 on are not ma de sof such