The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1911-08-04
The Knight
of the
Silver Star

Silver Star
AS soon as your safety had been
looked after and you had been brought
here her hlghness sent for the men.
The truth will perhaps never be known.
! There was treachery i'm our midst ia
sar continued 1.-THE whole palace was
awake at once and even in the town
there was little sleep that night Search
was made for the murderers in vain.
| At the council next day her highness
did her utmost to probe the matter to
the root She let 1t be understood that
she believed 1t treachery against her
self; that the assassin's dagger was in
tended for her, and shout of loyalty
was the answer. 1t rang in the rafters
of the council hall and found an echo
In every street in the city. Then, Sir
! Verrall-and mark you this well-her
highness said that it was you who had
saved the life of the sovereign, coming
near to your own death in the act.
There was no shout of praise Sir Yer.
rail-. Almost a dead silence followed"
Her highness tried to throw her pro-
lection over me and failed" | said
quietly.
"She failed. yes even worse than
failed, for the priests attacked you
fercely for breaking their laws, They
held that your advice had been proved
worthless since one of these prisoners
had attempted to kill the princess. and
many saw reason in their argument"
did they say that they had been
mistaken in proclaiming me the expect
ed knight?"
"The priests are wiser than that,
Sir Verrall" he answered "They have
studied again You were the knight,
but you have broken the laws of Drus-
senland. you have angered the God
who sent you, therefore you have fail
ed in your mission"
"Will they dispatch me then and
wait for another knight" | asked.
"There are many ways. You might
90 to the mountains unexpectedly as
from the mountains you came uneX-
pectedly. But there is a quicker way
death in the market place. They say
the Lady Aldrida fell in a swoon when
her woman told her what the priests
had decreed"
death will end that folly at least"
answered "And the princess, are
you her messenger to tell me that the
peoples voice is too strong, their will
too unanimous to resist? Well. | said
my life was hers when she should ask
1t. The time has come quickly"
''My son, illness has weakened you.
Have you no desire left to cut a path
through these enemies of yours and of
hers?"
"Her will is my law" I replied.
what is her will?'
"That she must tell you. You
ask why you are prisoner here.
Without these walls dangers in crowds
stand awaiting you. Only now are
you regaining strength; only now are
you again becoming the knight who
withstood Count Vasca in the lists
and fought so valiantly yonder before
Yadasara You have been a child,
muttering in your sleep, too weak to
lift an arm to defend yourself. So
for your own safety you have been
prisoner"
"Muttering in my sleep? What did
speak OFF,
"Of many things strange to me, of
some | cannot tell you. But the prin-
cess chose your nurse Your words
are known only to her, to the princess
and to myself
Tell me one thing" said as he
rose to go Spoke | of the princess
in my delirium?p
Eyes Her name was sometimes on
your lips"
did the princess hear mel?
81 do not know"
"At least she was told?"
perhaps"
rs that why the Lady Aldrida was
not sent for to nurse me?'
st was thought that she would not
be so good a nurse as the one you
had, Sir Verrall-not so patient and
gentle. l know no more than that"