The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1916-01-14
XIII.
The Torture Chamber.

NUc l0ENNNE CuAINlNNs
As for the young American herself,
she had remained these hours alone in
the palace OF the king.
The palace, as she now reflected,
vas more nearly deserted than yer
she had seen It. The household STAFF
seemed disorganized. Fright bad
caught hold OF all. The most conflict
ing rumOrs went this way and that.
Il wonder" said Kitty Gray to her.
self after a time. as she sat alone-"l
wonderl'
Now, what she wondered had 10 do
with certain questions which she long
had had In her own mind.
"'Cruciati candid cam mean
'camera'-'chamber' - torture cham
ber7'"
II so. where was that torture cham
bert Was II 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. l
have Travelled far and am weary. ! am
distressed-nervous perhaps. Talk 20
me-"
I'VE are all distressed, e~xceIlency,"
said the woman. "We know not what
there may be yonder. Perhaps this
moment the two kingdoms may be at
war But what can | do to make your
excellency more eomfortable?"
She was willing enough to curry IA.
vor with a favorite OF the king.
Tell 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 il an old land, this Of
Gretzhohen. Margot?"
more immemorlaliy old. your excel.
lency. than most people have ever
dreamed Of. The FIRST kings Of Crete
hohen date back 20 far In history that
almost they merge into myths. The
oldest Kingdoms Of Euro / are not 30
old as this little one"
Does the history OF this country
date back 30 far as the middle ages?"
"Oh. easily. We are very old"
smiled Margot
Those also we're times OF war and
bloodshed, were they not7 Why, Mar
got. In those days they tortured pris.
oners. did they not?"
HkFnF .wI.r wrfu.unwu .-mnTIau,u knt
many others. II a king wished news
OF money, II an official wished comics.
sion Of a crime-if a bishop desired
confession OF faith from a ~heretlc-the
torture chamber was the place to get
such results"
But not here, MargOt-surely not
here2"
These very walls saw 1t. exoelleney
vest"
but that was long ago-those places
were all wiped out and forgotten ages
since"
Destroyed? Indeed. not. Do moi
the people Of this country always pre-
serve their monuments, their museums
Of weapons, their chambers OF horrorsl
DO they not take a certain pride IN
that? MonsTchs even OF today know
the secrets Of the old torture cham
beers Ia this land. and perhaps IN many
another"
Il could not have believed ~ And
80 there was such a place here, IN thiI
palaoe?"
surely. can give warrant for ev
cry word I have told you. excellency
The tradition IL that the old toEtur,
chamber OF GretEhoRen was over yon
0er-under the corner tower of th'
palace-where the embellishments RAJ
in. There Is a corridor which lead
Onaer. down below. Into the vaults
would not 50 there for all the world
Few Of ~ know the way. indeed
have never been there, We folk o
Gretzhoifen paiace-we are Viel
enough not 20 xak too many questions
or 70 learn too many truths. Besides
should die with terror 10 think 0
Nhai spirits must haunt such a place
hnt, e%xcclloncy she concluded, lie
10 speak OF more pleasant things"