South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-12-04
Continued from Wednesday,

Continued from Wednesday,
So Francois was taken down the
stone staircase and conducted to the
suite. He knew them well. for he had
dined, rs has been said, many times
with the count But tonight he was
left alone a few moments in the outer
room. the living-roOm. while the gov
ernor was in the bedroom. and he
looked about keenly with a strained
attention which grew out of the sup
pressed hope Of escape. Who knew
what bit of knowledge of the castle
night be vital, and who knew how
soon? He noted the swords and pis-
tolls hanging on the wall. and marked
a light Saber whose scabbard was
brightly polished as If the blade also
were kept in good order. On the table
he saw the flint and steel with which
Count Won GersdOrf lighted his pipe:
he stepped TO the window and bent
out, scanning the wall. A stone cop
ing, wide enough for o mans foot, but
little more, ran. four feet below: ten
feet beyond the window it ended in
the roof of a shed, a sloping roof
where a man could drop down, yes
or even climb up with ease a man.
that is, who had climbed when a boy
as Francois had climbed-like a cat
for certainty and lightnesS. But what
then, when one was in the courtyard?
1t was walled about with a, stone wall
16 feet high; these old ancestors Of
PietrO. who had built this place, had
planned well TO keep Pietro's friend
in prison.
So Francois, not hopeful Of a sortie
by that point, drew in his head from
the open window and took TO examin-
ing the walls of the governors room.
There were three dOors-one from the
hall by which he had come, one be-
hind which he now heard the count
moving in his bedroom, and a third
The count had gone through this last
door one night month before. into
dark, winding, stone staircase, and
disappeared for three minutes, and
brought up a bottle of wonderful wine.
"A fine stock they put down there
the Italian who ruled here for S00-Odd
years." he had said. I've lowered 1t
a bit 4 good spacious wine-cellar
and grand old wine. You will be the
better for a little" And Francois
had watched him as he put the brass
key back on the chain which hung
from his belt.
At this point Of memory the bed
room door opened, and the governor
came out, in great good humor and
| ready to eat and drink as became an
Austrian SOlUleT. Inc dinner WAS
| brought in, but Francois for all his
| efforts to do his part, could not swal-
| low food, or very little. The fever,
| the unrest burning in him. made it i'm
| possible Count GersdOrf looked at
| him seriously when dinner was over:
as yet Francois, talking, laughing,
singing, had eaten not over half a
| dozen mouthfuls.
Certainly you are not WELL" he
said. ST think the doctor should see
| YOU" And then he nodded his head
and his small eyes cleaned with a
| brilliant thought. Il know a medicine
| better than a doctor's" He stood UP
! and his fingers were working at the
chain of keys at his belt. Francois
| watched them and saw the thin, old
| brass key which he slipped off. "A
| bottle of wine of our Italian ancestors
YOURS and mine, Beaupre"-the
] count chuckled-"that will cure you OF
| your ills for this evening at least. y
He slid the key into the lock and said
half to himself My little brass
| friend never leaves the belt of AL
| brecht Won GersdOrf except to do him
a pleasure, bless him!" And then
| Hold the candle. Beaupre-well
come along down-it can do no harm
and I can't manage a light and two
| bottles
So Francois followed down the
| twisted, headlong, stone staircase and
found himself, after rather a Ions
descent. holding the lamp high, gaZ-
ling curiOusly about the walls of q