The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1909-11-19
By GUY THORNE.


DOT carpetCd or decorated in any way
save only that exactly opposite tc
where they stood there was darh
curtain hanging midway OH the wall,
conceaiing something. To their right
clamped against the stone, was some
hing which made their blood run cold.
II was a large Gaze of polished steel
six feet high, and perhaps seven fee,
across-the cage of an animal the
bars some three inches apart
In the cage were two zinc trOughs
IN either side of the entrance gate,
which was secured by a heavy pad
lock. 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 a heap
of straw. lay an odd and grotesque
little fgure-the figure Of child
asleep
The figure was dressed in costume
Of tight lifting skinS-the skins OF
some animal, il 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 in merciful oblivion.
Fritz Won Ravenstein had started
back and was looking with horror
struck blue eyes upon this frghtful
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
aited.
This" said the Princess. "is my
revenge, Fritz Won Ravenstein."
But what-what-'
Il will tell YOU" came the low and
sinister reply. 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 1t. They would take
men and women. and even children,
from those who loved them. Some
times 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
were net so merciful as this They
would make another tOrture--a more
dreadful and a lifelong thing. They
would take men and women. whose
hVo fnc hnf vxbn 1-
were 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 as 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
Landskrona. 1t is this that l am go
ing TO do with that piece OF flesh
there Look you. Won Ravenstein. in
that cage is the child Of Alberto. Duke
OF London. a great prince in his own
country, even as | am here. That
thing is the son Of the man who left
me, who fed from Royal alliance, at
whose hands l am here-Old, unlOved,
and alone, He Is the child also of
that devil-woman of England-th
young, lovely, and loving woman who
took him from me, And now he is
mine! Mire. Mine. He will live
there, Won Ravenstein; he will live IL
that cage like a dog until he dies. II
may be that the sOulless thing will
not die for many years. II may be
that, dressed in the skins of animals,
he will grow like and learn the ways
of the animal l 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 a spaniel. a thing"
Princess" Won Ravenstein said
suddenly, and with harsh. high voice,
you are mad! Such devil-workins
cannot be-shall not be-in Christian
Germany today! Princess! cannoi
let it be! will not let 1t be! II Is
too terrible! think that Satan him
Selt muSl Oc III tuc PoiuSC Va Noh'"u
I.andskrona tonight"
The tall woman threw her head
back, the diamonds in her hair shoot
Ing little CLEANS of white lightnings a.
she did SO.
"Ha, ha!" she cried. in strained
falsetto. $50 the revenge Of Prin
cess frightens even you, my vassa
and my serf! Mad? Am mad? Thel
my madness is madness such as only
princes dare All! You cur! YOU
tremble! You are not made OF sucl
stun az l am made of! You dom
know the meaning of revenge!"
The Princess began to laugh-horrio
deinouiacal laughter. She pirouetted
IN front Of the steel cage which hello
the little sleeping child. She howe
- It: she lolled out her tongue. Ono.
shs spat at the little sleeping figure
In It's skins.
von Ravenstein leant against the op
posite1wall. His face was white a:
lipen. bis hand was clutching hi:
threat; bis great blue German eyes
were 6xed In q stare OF stony horror
uoon the awful laughing dancinc