The bee., 1916-11-14


any living thing The man. thinking
that after al. his prisoner might have
carried out bis threat, went to the
chimney, fearing that he might see his
body dangling there. There was moth.
ing In the lower part, and, looking up,
he saw only small patch Of blue sky.
With fear and trembling the jailer
sent word to the count that bis prison
er had vanished. In order to shield
himself he declared that he had heard
strange sounds overhead during the
night He believed that his prisoner
had carried out his threat to hang him
self and that witches had carried OF
the body.
That was an age when people, instead
Of looking for natural causes, inferred
everything to supernatural interfer-
ence The count 30 far leaned to tho
Jailer's opinion that he did not look far
for means Of theprisoner's escape. He
examined the only outlet, the chimney,
and satisfied himself that Conrad could
not have climbed the 1ue. In those
days chlmneys were very large, and
for one to work himself up flue by
his knees on one side and his back on
the other was impossible. Conrad must
have hung himself, and there was no
accounting for the disappearance OF
the body except that the witches had
carried 1t of.
The Jailer's suggestion saved him
from punishment, and the count was
obliged to forego the ransom. He was
becoming reconciled to his disappolnt-
ment when one day a neighbor Of Con-
RAIDS came across the border and re-
ported the suicide living at home in
comfort with his wife and children.
The count was astonished Indeed.
he would not believe the report until
he had sent spy into the enemy's
country to learn the truth. When the
spy returned and said that he had seen
Conrad sitting before his door, the
count was convinced that he was there.
But the spy. believing that witches had
assisted Conrad TO get away, supposed
himself to be under the influence Of his
Imagination. Conrad was sitting mo-
tionless at the time, and the spy got the
idea into his head that he was corpse.
He reported that he had watched the
figure ten long minutes, in all Of which
time 1t made no motion.
The count, disgruntled at having lost
his ransom and not satisfied with his
spy's report sent another. who saw
Conrad chopping wood. This disposed
Of the theory that witches had carried
back the corpse Of a suicide, and the
count determined to make a raid into
the dOmaias Of Count Elginbrod with
a view TO again carrying or the wealthy
Conrad.
Now, Con1d's home was near the
border, and all the count had to do
was to send a force across, Eldnap Con-
rad and carry him away before any Of
the baron's forces could be brought to
protect him. But It happened that
Joan had been looking out Of the win.
dow when the second SPY saw her hus-
band chopplng wood and watched the
man slipping away, as he supposed.
unnoticed. Joan suspected what this
meant and straightway took precau-
tions. She sent one Oldershow,
nelghbor to Count Hastings domain
to win the confidence Of the count and
agree for q consideration to entice Con
rad away from his home so that be
could be readily captured. This man
succeeded in his object. At the same
time he was instructed by Joan to re-
port that Joan was a witch.
This confirmed Count Hastings be-
lief in the jailer's suggestion that
witches had been instrumental in Con
RAIDS disappearance, but he attributed
the removal to one witch, COnrad's
wife. Nevertheless, he was so averse
to being beaten even by a witch that
he accepted Oldershow's offer and,
having paid him round sum, sent a
dozen men with him to kidnap Conrad
The expedition approached Conrad's
house In the evening cleaning, and
what was their horror to see the mau
they were after hanging by the neck
to a tree near his house. They at once
took to fight and never stopped run
ming till they had reached their start |
ing point, having left Oldershow be-
hind them. They reported what they |
had seen to the count, and OldershQw, |
returning, entered Conrad's house and |
poured a heap Of gold he had received |
for his work In JOan's lap
This ended Count Hastings efforts I
to regain possession Of Conrad, for he |
was convinced Of his being managed |
by a witch, that witch being Joan.
But he sent a messenger to Baron FL
ginbrod to say that the baron had a
witch I'm his dominions, and II he did |
not get rid Of her she would infect the |
whole country.
Upon this the baron sent for Joan |
and asked her what truth there was |
I'm the counts charge.
"Please, your worship" replied Joan, |
"when Count Hastings raided your do
main he carried or my husband and |
held him for ransom. When the pris- |
oner wrote me that II ] did not pay |
the ransom by certain date he would |
hang himself IN the chimney | knew |
that there was n chimney in the room |
where be was confined and that be |
meant that / should on a certain night |
send some one or go myself get ON the |
roof and let a rope down by which he |