The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-08-18
Out of the
Dungeon
A Story of Ancient
England
By F. A. mitchell.

one government there were many kings
there. These kings ruled little tracts
mat afterward became counties, and
their rulers became mobiles. The full
regalia of a peer Of England includes
a coronet and the fact that these petty
kings were in time reduced from roy
atty to nobility is the reason why the
higher British mobiles wear a kingly
headgear.
The residences of these kings we're
not called palaces, but castles. They
were usually built on an eminence and
were surrounded by heavy walls and q
moat and the entrance was protected
Dy a draWbridge. The reason for this
was that the sovereign of all England
mad very little power, and in conse-
quenee the subkings were usually fight.
Ing with each other and needed to live
in fortified homes.
Away back in early times when this
feudal system was the only English
system of laws known there was a
king of Gloucester. He had been a
powerful sovereign In his day and had
won many victories over the neighbor.
ing potentates. He and the sovereign
OF Warwick had been in perpetual
warfare and Gloucester had conquered
his enemy, who had fled, no one knew
where, with his wife and child, the
latter boy only few years old. Aft.
erward one of Warwick's subjects
named Conrad led an army against
Gloucesters forces and, achieving his
independence, made himself king.
In this contest young man not over
twenty one or twenty-five years old
distinguished himself fighting In the
ranks of Warwick. He was captured
and imprisoned In one of the dungeons
under Gloucester castle. There he re-
manned for long while forgotten.
Meanwhile the new king of Warwick
was becoming daily more powerful and
his former enemy, Gloucester, was
. growing old and the number Of his
armed retainers was diminishing. AT
last 1t occurred to Conrad that he
might overthrow his neighbor and add
his kingdom to his own.
In order to pick quarrel with
Gloucester, Conrad went to Gloucester
castle to make upon the old king GER
. tain insoent demands that he knew
would not be granted. While there he
, saw the kings daughter, Eleanor, a
+ beautiful girl who had just come to a
manageable age. Upon beholding her
he agreed to withdraw his demands
provided the king would give him his
daughter to wife.
Now, Conrad was not only a bad
man, but he was very repulsive physi,
cally.
The old king of Gloucester. aware
that he no longer possessed the power
to resist a strong enemy, knew not
what to say to Conrad's proposition.
i Eleanor understood her fathers posi-
i ton and the terrible alternative be-
7 fore her Either she must become the
wife of her fathers enemy or he would
1 be oyerpowered, and they would meet
:. the fate they had inflicted on the real
king of Warwick. She had often heard
the story of his flight with his wife and
child and regretted that her father
had been instrumental In bringing
!. about his fall and the rise Of the
|. usurper. And now the latter had come
70 revenge the man he had driven from
A his kingdom.
. Eleanor had never seen the usurpeT
and before deciding consented to meet
him. When he came into her presence
: he bent bis long body on bis handy
legs. the plume Of his hat sweeping
the floor expressing at the same time
: his admiration in leer. She could
not conceal her disgust. Turning from
him she swept out of the room.
e The hot blood mounted to Conrad's
cheek. He scowled, half drew by
g sword. then thrust it back Into Its
/ scabbard and. stalking out into the
COURTYARD, mounted his horse and, fol
o lowed by his attendants, rode ou'
through the castle gateway, crossed
It tba drswbridge and went down the
r decllvity.
IS Nothing remained for the OLD klne
]. of Gloucester but to put his castle IL
:; az good a state for defense as possible
arm his retalners and sell bis kingdom
as dearly as possible. His daughter
d d,d what she could to assist In the
A mona rations but her efforts were con
aned principally to getting together
1. Material that would be needed by the
wounded She knew that there were
l. prisoners in the dungeons below anC
" she went down there to see II any o.
g them could be persuaded to ngnt io'
,r the king Of Gloucester.
1t A Young man, pale from confinement men.
ros lad out to her 1t was some Time
before he could see her in the strone
%Who are your she asked
90 was taken prisoner. | know mo- 10,
= how long ago. lighting in the army o.
:" Conrad the usurper." .o,,.
d "why do you call him the us ,l, :,
n aRecause there is but one klng .,
- warwick and he is not on the throne, ne.
.~ro arc 70 be attacked by TINS pre-