The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1909-11-19

By GUY THORNE.
XXl-Continued,

OnAp eH
The secret chamber in the wall was
not carpeted or decorated in any way,
save only that exactly opposite to
where they stood there was a dark
curtain hanging midway on the wall,
~concealing something. To their right,
clamped against the stone, was some
thing which made their blood run cold.
It was a large cage Of polished steel,
six feet high, and perhaps seven feet
acrOss-the cage of an animal-the
bars some three inches apart.
In the cage were two zinc troughs
on either side of the entrance gate,
which was secured by a heavy pad
lock. One trough was filled with va
ter. the other with some brown sub
stance that looked like porridge. In
the middle Of the cage. upon a heap
Of straw. lay an odd and grotesque
little figure-the figure of a child
asleep.
The figure was dressed in a costume
OF tight-ftting 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 t~ear-stained. the tiny eyes
closed. the whole of the little organ
ism now sunk in merciful oblivion.
Fritz o R%avenstein had started
back and was looking with horror
struck blue eyes upon this frightful
system OF revenge.
Princess" they heard him say, what
Is this? Oh. my Princess, what is
this?"
There came a low and cruel chuckle,
like the cracking of thorns just ig.
uited.
This" said the Princess. lis my
revenge. Fritz Won Ravenstein!"
But what-what-"
II will tell you" came the low and
sinister reply. in the Middle Ages.
when my ancestors used to make
those who had scorned and f1outed
them pay the dreadful penalty. they
knew how to- do It! They would take
men and women. and even children,
from those who loved them. Some
tiuses they would torture them. You
have been down in the oubliettes be-
meath the Rhine, Won Ravenstein?
They would torture them with fire and
slow steel. the scourge, the water. and
the linen bag. But sometimes they
we're not so merciful IS this. They
would make another tOrture-a mOr
dreadful and a lifelong thing. They
would take men and women, whose
brains were their own and whose souls
we're living. and they would make
them live the lives of beasts, turning
them into animals, dissolving their
souls. netting their brains, and max
Ing them az the brute beasts OF the
field.
And then they would come. day by
day. watching the slow degradation of
proud people who had dared to Of
fend and flout the Princes Of Wohlau-
L~andskrona. It is this that am go
ing to do with that piece Of flesh
there. Look you. Won Ravenstein! In
that cage 10 the child Of Alberto, Duke
OF London, . great prince in his own
country. even as ] am here. That
thing is The son OF the man who left
me. who fled from q Royal alliance, at
whose hands I am here-old. unloved.
and alone! He Is the child also of
that devilwoman of Englapd--that
young, lovely. and loving woman who
took him from me! And now he is
mine! Mine! Mine! He will live
there. Won Ravenstein; he will live in
that cage like q dog until he dies. 1t
may be that the soulless thing will
not die for many years. 1t may be
that. dressed In the skins Of animals,
he will grow like and learn the ways
.of the animal I mean to make him!
He will feed out of these troughs. He
will learn to come and humble mar
ticulately when / deign to feed him
through these bars. He will become
lower than q spaniel, a thing
Princess Won Ravenstein said
suddenly. and with a harsh. high voice
..you are mad! Such Woodworking
cannot be-shall not be-in Christian
Germany today! Princess! canno'
let 1t be! l will not let 1t be! It I:
too terrible! think that Satan him
seN must be in the palace of Wohlau
Landskrona tonight"
The tall woman threw her heat
hack. the diamonds in her hair shoot
Inn little CLEANS Of white lightnings a
she did SO.
.Ha, hal" she cried, in a strained
falsetto. $50 the revenge OF a Prin
cess frightens ven you, my vassa
ana my serf! Mad? Am mad? Thel
nv madness Is q madness such as onl
nrinces dare All! You cur! Yol
tremble! You are not made OF sue
stuG az / am made Of! You don
know the meaning Of revenge!
The Princess began to laugh-horri'
demoniacal laughter. She pirouette'
IN front OF the steel cage which he'll
the little sleeping child. She bowe'
% It: she lolled out her tongue. ono
she spat at the little sleeping f1gur'
III IT. skins.
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