The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-28

head upon the block. As he did so his
 shirt slipped down below his shoulder and disclosed the mark of blood-red arrow Gracious heavenl" cried the friar what do I see? It is my soR, my Theodore! Your son?" cried Manfred,
 as the priest, rushing to the young man,
 threw his arms about him, "and how | comes it that thou hast a son?" Know replied Jerome, that before l was Father | Jerome I was the Count of Falconara,
 and this youth was born in holy wedlock | Of family as noble as your own Fur
 ther, I will in good time explain to your
 hikhness-but, my lord, spare this young
 mans life."
 1 Manfred unused a little and then said:
 Well we'll; we will be merciful. Return
 to the convent and bring hither the 1 Lady Isabella. Then your son shall be
 free. Meantime, guards secure the youth in one of the chambers of the castle. Must my honesty be the price l must l pay for this dear boys safetyf" ex- | claimed the friar, while Theodore oe- clared he would rather die thousand l deaths than have his father sully ms ] honor Just as the guards dragged away 1 Theodore there came the sound or | trumpet, blowing a note of summons ana | defiance at the castle gate, and, the 1 the drawbridge being lowered and the
 nortoullis raised, there rode into the l oourtvard a mounted herald armed at ev-
 CT point. while the sable plumes upon the ], miraculous helmet became ag1tated as 1 if stirred by violent wind. Manfred 1 retired to the great hall and, seating l himself in princely state, ordered the 1 herald to be brought before him. .eWhat wouldst thou with me. insolentf' he asked. 'I come" the herald replied, | "to thee, Manfred, usurper of otranto' 1 from the renowned and invincible knlsht of the Gigantic Sabre, in the name or, 1 his lord. Frederick, Marquis of Vicenza He demands the Lady Isabella, daughter
 of that prince, whom thou hast pasely
 and treach erously got into thy power py
 bribing her guardians during his ap- sence And he requires thee to resign l the principality of Otranto to the sald lord. Frederick, nearest of blood to the l last rightful lord, Alfonso the Good. If
 thou dost not at once comply with these demands he dehes thee to single combat to the last extremity" Saying thus the he ~ld cast down his warden.
 Manfred felt that the fate he dreaded and that prophecies had foretold for his line was crowding upon him, but dissem- bling both his rage and his fear he an- swered that the herald should return to
 his master and say that before they set tied their differences he would hold some
 converse with him. "Bit him come to the castle" said Manfred, where, by my 1 true faith as knight. he shall have courteous reception and full security for
 himself and his followers. If we can
 not adjust our quarrel by amicable means
 he shall have full satisfaction according
 to the law or arms.''
 The herald departed and in a short time there arrived at the castle the Knight of the Gigantic Sabre and his train. It was a gorgeous and warlike procession which filed beneath the great arch of the gateway. Harbingers with wands, her aids, pages and trumpeters, footguards and footmen clothed in scarlet, the color of the Marquis of Vicenza, led horses; gentlemen on horseback bearing banners on which the arms of Vicenza were quar- tered with those of Otranto; knights armed in complete mail, with their viz
 ars down, and hundred gentlemen bearing an enormous sword and seeming to faint beneath its weight. Then came the Knight himself on a chestnut steed,
 his vizar down and his lance in rest. Men-at-arms with drums and trumpets closed the procession.
 Manfred was appalled, by the sight of the gigantic sword. It seemed, indeed, to be
 a companion to the gigantic helmet. Recovering himself. he bade his guests to feast which he had ordered spread in the hall. The Knight of the Gigantic Sabre and his companions merely bowed without speaking in reply to all that Manfred said, and opened the wizards only to eat and drink. While the feast was in progress Father Jerome came hurried ly into the hall and announced that Isa- bela had fled from the church. where she had taken sanctuary. and was mo- where to be found.
 The Knight of the Gigantic Sabre at this sprang to his feet and. drawing hls sword. cried out: '"rhou traitor Prince! This is some trick of thine. Isabella shall be found Know me for Frederick, Mar quis of vicenza and rghtful Prince of Otranto." The Marquis rushed toward the door calling his men-at-arms, and Manfred. seeing that 1t was useless to try to stop him, summoned his train and vowed that he himself would join in the search. The castle thus being largely denuded of its guards, Matilda seized tho keys of Theodore's place of confinement,
 which had been carelessly left by the
 warder, liberated the young man, took him to the armory, where he donned a suit of armor, and hastened him from the castle. Theodore made his way to some caves not far from the castle, where he sought safety in concealment. Sud-
 denly he came upon Isabella, who was
 hiding there. She recognized him and
 told him that she was prsued and in
 great danger. There came changing
 of armor at the entrance of the cave.
 Alas! I am discovered." cried the un- happy girl, and Theodore rushed to the
 mouth of the cave to do combat in her behalf.
 The fight was short but furious, and ended in Theodore so badly wounding the
 unknown knight that he fainted from loss of blood. As the knight fell the rest of the pursuers came riding up. and what
 was Theodore's distress to find that he had wounded Frederick, the father of