The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1909-11-19
@
The thrilling story
Of q mothers love
and a woman's hate.

mother!"
Come, Fritz Won Ravenstein," the
Princess answered, suddenly calming
herself, becoming rigid like some
snake that is suddenly hypnotized by
the voice of an Indian charmer.
Come, and | will show you something
more!"
Her white and jewelled hand
clutched the purple velvet of his coat,
and she drew him to the opposite wall.
Then, still holding him with her left
hand, with her right she tore the cur
tain away from what was hidden.
Look there!" she cried. Fix your
eyes upon that"
The young man looked and shud.
dered. Two other young men, watch.
ing this mad and terrible scene like
statues frozen by the horror of it all,
looked also.
And this is what they saw. In the
full electric beam a curtain showed a
picture of the Duchess Of London in
all her radiant beauty, glancing out at
them as il she was ready to step out
Of the picture and come down to end
this of horror. ID
Look! Look" the Princess cried,
her voice now rising into an insane
scream of dreadful hatred. Look,
Won Ravenstein! That is the dread.
full woman who took him. That is the
mother Of this thing in the cage! May
the curses of God fall upon her! May
she see again.
AS she screamed out this. something
more noble than any feudal tradition
asserted itself in the young man. He
rushed up to the. wild, stately figure
in it's crimson gown, swaying and
shrieking with the hate of a madwom.
an, and caught her by the arms.
Princess" he said. you must come
away! You must come away! There
Is an end to everything. l think
think"
She flung the courtier from her with
the strength of madness. One white
hand, flashing with diamonds, went up
to her hair. She withdrew a long sill.
yer pin and with an awful panther-like
movement began to circle round the
steel cage toward it's gate.
Fritz" she said, in a quiet, rising
voice, which was exactly like the slow
escape of. steam from ar ~overcharged
boiler, "Fritz, l think you are right,
Perhaps it would be better to end it
now. I will take this pin. First of all
| will push it into his eyes-and then
all over"
There was a roar of terror and an.
ger. a sound which echoed and re.
echoed in the still and brilliant salons
of the palace. as Grant and Marriott
threw from themselves a hypnotism
which had bound their limbs and froz
en- their hearts with horror, and burst
into the chamber with cleaning revol
vers in their hands.
Grant rushed at the Princess. He
caught her wrist in his strong left
hand. twisted the shining pin away
from it, and forced the dreadful WON
an upon the floor. Then, mad as he
was, he lifted his right hand and
brought it down with terrible force
upon the writhing face.
Even as he did sc he fell upon his
knees and gasped at what he had
done.
The Princess lay m~otionless. Grants
hands went up to his face and GOV
cred his eyes.
81 have hit a woman" he said, il
thick. gutteral accents. II have hit
woman! Heaven forgive me. l have
hit a woman"
Then he also sank Imply upon thu
floor and seemed to sleep.
Won Ravenstein had been kneelins
against the wall. His whole face hat
become a mask of blank and IDIOT,
| terror, but when Michael sank moan
ing by the side of the woman in rec
| velvet, something-some automati,
| impulse within him-reasserted itsel
and gave strength to his impulse ant
purpose to his movements.
He leapt straight at Basil Marriott
bending all his limbs together, as
stone goes from a catapult.
In a second the two men wer
'ocked in a terrible embrace. The,
swayed and staggered over the ston
aoor, grooming and straining withou
1 word.
Basil's open right hand was presse
against the Germans chin, and me
ment by moment his right arm grew i
strength. and he felt the head of hi
adversary gradually pressing back
pressing back towards that dreadf,
instant when there would come
light click, and a lifeless form an
erohen spine would fall beneath tn
serrible onslaught.
Round and round the prone figure
If Michael Grant and the Princess tn
rightful contest spun and circled. an
hen suddenly the little creature J
he cage woke up. and a tiny voice b
md etched itself into the silence (
he fight.
Mother. mother! | want mother
The piteous wailing voice struc
Basil like a blow. He relaxed h
muscles for a single moment. and