Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1912-04-18

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gone. and Bertha replied that the-
were still In the castle.
The young man must have possessed
a refinement superior to his fellows of
that rude age. for though he noticed
from the moment he me- the girl that
she wore the ruby heart on her left
breast. ne did not ask why she did so.
Though he felt the effect OF Cupid's
shaft IA 500 as he saw her. he seemed
TO be resisting II. This only made her
more eager to conquer him.
One evening just before dark a craft
was seen floating down the river load
ed with merchandise. Bertha. who was
with the count. stole away from him
and. donning her military costume. de
scended to the creek. took command
of the boats starting to levy tribute
and went out to intercept the stranger
There was a fight. in which the latter
was worsted. as usual. and the tax
turned to the castle and. ascending n
spiral staircase leading to her room to
change her costume. met Count Hubert
face to face.
The sight OF the girl. her dark eyes
flashing with the memory Of the fight.
her raven hair that had come In
loosened and fallen In a coil on her
shoulder. her tight fitting costume dis
playing the grace of her supple figure.
was too much for the young lover.
Whatever was the reason for his re
sistance to the spell he had fallen I'm
der. he broke through all reserve.
clasped her In his arms and pressed
his cheek against hers
Disengaging herself. she told him
the meaning Of the ruby heart.
"Alasr' he said. II am no swords
man. | have been interested in knowl-
edge and my profession is diplomacy
/ have neither a taste for arms nor
time to perfect myself In their use.
Nevertheless | shall avail myself of
my only chance"
and Bertha was a real. not a sham,
fighter. she did not mean by wearing
the ruby that the man who would win
her must stab her In the heart. Ii
was intended to give notice that he
must be sufficiently skillful to do SO.
place the point Of his rapier upon the
ruby, leaving him to infer that IL he
went further be would kill her. The
count was appalled, and ready to fore
go the trial. but Bertha egged him on.
saying that she felt perfect confidence
in being able to protect herself. Be
side himself with a love which he
must take so great a risk to crafty.
he consented to the meeting. declaring
that IL through a mishap he killed her
he would plunge his weapon into his
own heart
From the staircase Bertha wen to
her room. where she dressed herself in
fencing costume. and instead Of the
ruby on her heart she wore a heart
made OF red silk, a much better tar
get than the jewel. Reckoning Count
Hubert, the two went to the armory.
where. taking up swords that had al
ready been used In such encounters,
they put themselves in fencing posi-
lions.
Now the count. as has been said.
was no swordsman. but a diplomat.
Knowing that II he o at oil 1t must
be by diplomacy. he sought a plan
that would bring him success by a
ruse. But no plan suggested itself
except one fraught with danger, and
he was loath to use II. For an hour he
fenced with his antagonist. hoping to
tire her out. but at the end Of that
time she seemed as fresh as ever.
while he had lost strength. Then be
determined. as a last resort, to put
into practice his stratagem. Pressing
his antagonist holly. he forced her to
assume the defensive. and when she
did so. their swords being crossed, he
guided the point of hers into a feshy
part Of his right side.
Bertha, horror stricken, withdrew
her sword. then dropped it. Hubert
stood immoyable till he heard the
weapon rattle on the floor, then, taking
his own sword by the blade. made n
lunge and touched the red heart on her
breast with its hilt. Flinging his weap-
on away. he cried exultingly:
II have won"
Summoning assistance. Bertha had
the count, who was weak from loss of
blood. carried to his room. A surgeon
was called. but since In those days
there was no remedy except blood let
ting and the patient had quite enough
OF that there was nothing to do but
bind up the wound,
One OF the counts escort, hearing
that his leader had been stabbed, rush
ed into the room where Bertha was
bending over the wounded man, seeing
his condition. shouted:
'Treason! The prince has been as
~sassinated."
THE primer exclaimed Bertha.
aghast.
Eyes. the p~rince-the crown prince"
Peace" said the wounded man. IL
have not been as~sassinated. | have
met with an accident In play"
And thus It came out that Count HUI
bert was the crown prince. who incog-
nito was making q tout with a view TO