Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1916-07-20
CHAPTER KILL.
Tho Torture Chamber.

Tho Torture Chamber.
As for the young American herself.
she had remained these hours alone in
the palace Of the king.
The palace, as she now reflected.
was more nearly deserted than ever
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
w%onder!"
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?'"
II so. where was that torture cham.
Der? Was 1t 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. I
have travelled far and am weary. I am
distressed-nervous perhaps. Talk to
me-"
"We are all distressed. e%xcellency,"
said the woman. 1--WE 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 a ~favorite Of the king.
Tell me Margot," demanded Kitty
Gray, about this country here. am a
stranger from a far country, and l
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 al this little one."
Does the history Of this country
date back so far as the middle ages?"
"Oh, 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?"
Not only prisoners, excellency, but
many others. II a king wished news
or money, If an official wished confess
sion of a crime-if a bishop desired
confession of faith from a h~eretic--the
torture chamber was the place to get
such results"
But not here. Margot-surely not
here?"
These very walls law it, excellencx
yes!"
But that was long ago-those places
were all wiped out and forgotten ages
since"
Destroyed? Indeed, not. Do not
the people Of this country always pre-
serve their monuments, their museums
Of weapons, their chambers OF horrors?
Do they not take a certain pride In
that? Monarchs eve Of today know
the secrets Of the old torture cham.
bers in this land, and perhaps in many
another"
II could not have believed 1t! And
so there was such a place here, In this
p~alace?"
Surely. I can give warrant for ev'
cry word I have told you, excellency'
The tradition is that the old torture
chamber Of Gretzhoffen was over yon.
der-under the corner tower Of the
palace-where the embellishments ran
in. There is a corridor which leads
yonder, down below, into the vaults.
I would not go there for all the world.
Few sof MS know the way, indeed
have never been there. We folk 'oi
Gretzhoffen %palace-we are wise
enough not to ask too many, questions,
or to learn too many truths. Besides,
I should die with terror to think OF
what spirits must haunt such a place.
But, excellency," she concluded, "let
US speak Of more pleasant things"