The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1911-07-14

/ huOCk Ut my uOoi.
"Who comes at so late an hour% l
said. throwing the door open and ready
to defend myself.
welcome you all your friends so,
Sir Verrall?"
1t was Jasar, and he smiled as he
pointed to my drawn sword.
Il expected IA foe"
And perhaps with reason" he. said
"Still. come as a friend and secretly
Close the door and make 1t fast and
let us speak low. Your servant has
not returned?"
No"
And will not tonight. He was found
Drawing in the streets and was ar
rested
u thought soldiers were privileged
to brawl tonight" said
"Some-not ALL"
"You mean that only my servant was
arrested?"
He bowed and watched me with
smile upon his face, even as he had
watched me as | pleaded to the prin-
cess
| by uSCd OIueIS, Ioupti0SS'
Doubtless"
"Ah, for few moments with him
to settle our score now and for all
timer | said lmpatiently.
what can you expect? A fallen
man is ever stepping stone which
others use to rise to higher favor"
"Fallen, you say 1t is too rash an
assertion Falling, perhaps, but not
fallen. When Sir Verrall completely
| falls he'll carry some ruin with him.
Brave words-an idle boast | should
have said had another uttered them.
But Sir Verrall has proved himself as
good as his words. Tell me, are all
men as you are in the land you come
| FROM"
81 am but poor specimen of my
countrymen," | answered And then
[ stopped, remembering how | had
come to Drussenland as the long ex-
pected knight.
1--WE must talk of that another time"
he answered, with a smile. Now we
have other matters in hand. You are
right, Sir Verrall. You have not fallen
vet, but there are those who think
you have"
"You mean began.
mark you, Sir VERBAL, you were
unwise tonight"
ITO plead for those wretched pris-
oners?'
mo For that l honor you. 1t was
the action of true knight. The law
| Is a disgrace. l quarrel not with
your pleading, but with the manner of
It,"
at was the only way"
"There you are in error" he an
swered. First you should have come
alone. To associate Lady Aldrida
with the request was to court failure.
Then you should not have asked for
an immediate answer. Her highness
cannot make and break laws at her
pleasure Your importantly made her
resist you"
"Made her doubt my loyalty" | said
bitterly. Had a man so accused me
II would have cut out his lying
! tongue"
"You gave the challenge, Sir YER
rail-, and since none dared to answer
it you had the advantage. But you
did not use 1t. You turned to sheer
at the princess. Think you any wom-
an can bear that?"
"My knowledge of women is limit
ed"
"True, | have found 1t so. You
should learn to read women, Sir Yer
rail-, and then you would know how to
use your advantage. The princess,
after all, is a woman"
| l looked at him, trying to discover
deep meaning in his words, but Jasar's
face was not easy to read.
81 used the weapons to my hand" |
said.
/ "And used them badly-your last
weapon worst of all. 1t was bravely
done, but it was madness just then"
~ am no courtier where the lives Of
men are at stake"
"When you should be the courtier
most. Yet you do yourself an injus-
tice. | marked you play the courtier
well enough to the Lady Aldrida, and
the princess saw 1t also. l can read
on the Lady Aldrida's face what the
man who whispers to her talks of.
saw well that you talked of love"
"And If l did,"
"Was 1t wise, think you, to produce
| the princess token when you had
proved how lightly you esteemed itp
This was an argument | could not
find a ready answer to without show
ing this priest, of whose friendship
had no guarantee, that l thought more
of the princess than | cared to ac-
knowledge.
"She denied the gift" he went on.
"She could truly do so, for ! saw the
manner in which it was given. You
could expect nothing else but her an
ger and the Punishment she pro-
nounced."
Il have fought and lost, as many
another man has done before me-"
you have not lost yet, Sir Verrall.
| was tonight sent to the priests by
/ her highness. The sacrifice of the
prisoners is delayed for the present"
"Thank heavenw | exclaimed.
so far you have succeeded. 1t Is
possibe-na probable-that the prin
/ cess will send for YOU Be humble;