The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-08-11
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L So Francois, not hopeful Of a sortie
by that point, drew in his head from
the open window and took to examin-
ling 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 third.
The, count had gone through this last
door one night month before, into a
dark, winding, stone staircase, and dis
appeared for three minutes, and
brought up bottle of wonderful wine.
"a fine stock they put down there
the Italians who ruled here for eight
hundred-odd years." he had said. 1--WE
lowered.it bit. A good spacious wine
cellar and grand old wine. You will be
e-better for 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 soldier. The 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 impos-
sible. Count Gersdorf looked at him
seriously when dinner was over; as
yet Francois, talking, laughing, sing
ing, had eaten not over half dozen
mouthfuls.
Certainly you are not well, he said.
81 think the doctor should see you
And then he nodded his head and his
small eyes cleaned with a brilliant
thought. II know medicine better
than Doctors" 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" He slid
the key into the lock and said, half to
himself, my little brass friend never
leaves the belt of Albrecht Won Gers
dorf except to do him pleasure, bless
himi" And then, Hold the candle
Beaupre-well, come along down-it
can do no harm and can't manage 9
light and two bottles.''
So Francois followed down the twist
ed, headlong, stone staircase and found
himself, after rather a long descent
holding the lamp high, gazing curious
" about the walls of large stone
.oom lined with shelves, filled with
bottles.
"a show, isn't it?" the Count Won
7ersdorf demanded. Here, hold the
light on this side," and he went on
talking. "The wine is SO old that /
think it must have been stocked be
fore the time of the last lord of the
CASTLE"
And Francois, holding the light, re-
Numbering the Marquis Zappi, thought
so too. The count pointed to a square
stone In the wall which projected
slightly, very slightly.
THAT is the door to a secret stock
Of some sort, have always thought, .
the4 said. Probably some wonderful
old stuff saved for sthe coming OF age
Of the heir, or great event of that
sort. / wish could get at It." and he
stared wistfully at the massive block
But cannot stir it. And don't lei
anyone but myself down here-not l.
The count turned away and they
mounted the two stories of narrow
steps, for the governors rooms were
on the second floor, and the staircase
ran from it between walls, down un
derground. "The old chaps must have
thought lot of their wine to have the
cellar connect directly with their OWL
rooms-for Battista tells me these
were always the rooms of the za-ot
the lords of the CASTLE" the governor
explained.
And to Francois, considering it, the
fact seemed an odd one. And theI
the governor set to work drinking
Pietro's wine, and little thought, as
he urged it on his prisoner, how much
more right to it the prisoner had thar
he 1t was a wonderful old liquid
full of strange dim sparkle, and o.
most exquisite bouquet. AS he drank
it Francois silently toasted its owner
on his return to his own again. He
took so little as TO dIsssst the gov
ernor, but it put fresh life into him
and when at last he could leave tn,
count, who was by that time NOR
than fairly drunk, he went up to hi
cold prison under the roof quieter ant
more at peace than he had been fo
months.