The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1915-10-08
CHAPTER XIII.
The Torture Chamber.

/ Inc fOFtuTC Sfldf1pCTs
As for the young American herself
she had remained these hours alone in
the palace of the king.
The palace, as she now reflected
she had seen it The household staff
seemed disorganized. Fright had
caught hold of all. The most conflict
| ing rumors went this way and that.
II wonder" said Kitty Gray to her
self after a time, as she sat alone-"I
| wonderl"
Now, what she wondered had to do
with certain questions which she long
had had in her own mind
"'Cruciati candid cam mean
camera chamber = torture cham
ber?'"
If SO, where was that torture cham
Der? Was it under the battlements yon-
der, or here in the palace itself?
Where had the old king concealed his
wealth?
She rang the bell and summoned
once more the woman of the palace
who thus far had cared for her at the
kings behest.
"Margot," said she, talk to me. /
have travelled far and am weary. am
distressed-nervous perhaps. Talk to
me-"
1--WE are all distressed, excellency,"
said the woman. eve know not what
there may be yonder. Perhaps this
moment the two kingdoms may be at
war. But what can l do to make your
excellency more comfortable?"
She was willing enough to curry IA
vor with favorite of the king.
'1Tell me Margot," demanded Kitty
Gray, about this country here. / am a
stranger from a far country, and |
know very little of this land and of
its customs. Is it an old land, this of
Gretzhoffen, Margot?"
more immemorially old, your excel
lency, than most people have ever
dreamed Of. The first kings of Gretz-
hoffen date back so far in history that |
almost they merge into myths. The
Oldest kingdoms of Europe are not SO |
old as this little one"
Does the history of this country
date back so far as the middle ages?"
ooh, easily. We are very DID,"
smiled Margot.
''Those also were times of war and
bloodshed, were they not? Why, Mar
got, in those days they tortured pris-
oners, did they not?"
mot only prisoners, excellency, but
many others. If a king wished news
or money, if an official wished confess
confession of faith from a heretic-the
torture chamber was the place to get
such results"
But not here, Margot-surely not
lere?"
These very walls saw it, excellencY
ves!"
"But that was long ago-tnose places
we're all wiped out and forgotten ages
ince."
Destroyed? Indeed, not. Do not
he people of this country always pre-
erve their monuments, their museums
t weapons, their chambers of horrors?
10 they not take certain pride in
hat? Monarchs even of today know
he secrets of the old torture cham
ers in this land. and perhaps in many
:,
Il could not have believed It! And Y
. there was such place here, in this q
alace?"
Surely. / can give warrant for ev- Ii
y word / have told you. excellency. s
he tradition Is that the old torture Il
rambler of Gretzhoffen was over yon- /,
the corner tower OF the r,
llace--where tho embellishments ran
!. There is corridor which leads II
'nder, down below, into the vaults. lc
would not go there for all the world. h
NV of us know the way, indeed a,
we never been there. We folk Of le
-etzhoffen palace-we are wise
ough not to ask too many questions, b
to learn too many truths. Besides, tb
should die with terror to think Of &C
lat spirits must haunt such I place e
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