Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1931-10-08, Page 6$a ' Pf? GE SIX THE SEAFORTH NEWS. THURSDAY, ,OIC,TOB'ER 8, 1931 v'1=1111.11111 (Continued from Last Week) 'And they smiled at each other. For there is that in most women which will never he civilized. They love not men who walk softly, and stili in their heart of hearts they prefer to be wooed by the primitive method of capture. For if a woman be not afraid of a inn she will never love him truly. And that is a true word among all peoples. So they came at last and the ,groups of wondering folks, thinly scattered here and there—women mostly_ For there had been such long delay at the summer palace that the When had gone back to their shavings and cooperage tubs or were quaffing tankards in the city ale -cellars. The great doors of the cathedral 'had been thrown wide open. As the cortege dismounted the organ began to roll, and the people within rose with a hush like that which follows the opening of a window at night above the Alla. The sonorous diapason of the great instrument disgorged itself through the doorway in wave upon wave of sound. The Princess Margaret found herself again on her feet, upheld on either side by brother and lover, She was at first somewhat dazed with the rush of accumulate disasters. Slowly her mind came back. The buildings whirled more slowly about her. With fresh -dawning surprise she heard the choir sing within. She began to understand the speech of men. The great black square of the open door- way slowed and finally s'top'ped before her. She was on the steps of the ca- thedral. What h'ad come to her? Was it the Duchess Joan's wedding day? Surely nol Then what was the mat- ter? Had she fainted? Maurice—where was Maurice? She turned about, The small glittering eyes of Prince Ivan, black as sloes, were looking into .hers, She remem- bered now. It was her own wedding. These 'two, her brother and her enemy were carrying out their threat, They had brought her to the cathedral to wed her: against her will, to the man she hated. But they could not. She would tell them. Already she was a. —but then, if she told them that, they would ride back and kill him, 'Better that she should perjure herself. con- demn herself to hell, than that. Better ,anything than that. But what was she to do? Was ever a poor .girl so driven? And there, in the hour of her ex- tremity, her eye fell upon a young man in the crowd beneath, a youth in a 'prentice's blue jerkin. He was pass- ing his arm softly about a girl's waist—slily also, lest her mother should see. And the maid, first start- ing with a pretence of not knowing whence came the pressure, presently looked tep and smiled at him, nestlin'g a moment closer to his shoulder be- fore removing his hand, only to hold it covertly under her apron till her mother showed signs of turning around. "Ahl why was I horn a princess? moaned the poor !:riven girl. "Margaret, yo co e a must with us m w into the cathedral." It was the voice of her brother. "It is necessary that the Prince should wed you now. It has too long been promised, and now he can delay no longer. Besides, the 'Black Death is in the city, and this is the only hope of escape. Camel" It w,as on the tip of Margaret's. tongue to cry out with wild words even as she had done at the door at :the river parlour. But the thought of !Maurice, of the torture and the death, silenced her. She lifted .her eyes, and there, at the top of the steps, were the dignitaries waiting to lead the solemn procession. "I will go!" she said. And at her words the Prince Ivan sullied under his thin moustache. !She laid her hand oh her brother's. sarin and began the ascent of the long, flight of stairs. But even as she did so, behind her there broke a wave of sound—the crying of many people, conf•used and multitudinous like the warning which runs along a crowded thoroughfare when a wild charger es- caped from bonds threshes along with frantic flying harness; Then came the clatter of horses' hoofs, the clang of doors shut in haste as decent burgh- ers got then in out of harm's way! And lol at the foot of the steps, clad from, head to foot in a cloak, the sick Princess Joan, she whom the Black 'Death had stricken, leaped from her foaming steed and drawing sword followed fiercely up the Stairway af- ter the marriage procession. The Cossacks of the Muscovite guard looked at each other, .not knowing whether to stand in her way or no. "The Princess Joanl" they said from one to another. "Joan of the .Sword Hand!" whis- pered the burghers of Courtland. "The disease has gone to her brain. Look at the madness in her eye!" And their lips parted a tittle as is the wont of those who, having come to view a comedy, find themselves unexpectedly in the midst of high tragedy. "Hold there!" the pursuer shouted, as she set foot on the lowest step, "Lord! Surely that is no woman's voice!" whispered the people who stood nearest, and their ''ower jaws dropped a little lower in sheer won- derment. The Princess turned on the thres- hold of the cathedral, with Margaret still between them, the belly of the church black behind them, and the processional marchers first halting and then peering over each other's shoul'd'ers in their eagerness to see. Up ties wide steps of the Dam flew the tell w'om'an in the flowing cloak. Her face was pallid as death, but her eyes were brilliant and her lips red. .At the sight of the nakeid sword Prance Ivan plucked the b'la'de from 'his side and Louis shrank a little 'behind her Sister, "Treason!" he faltered. "What is this ds it sudden madness or the frenzy of the Black Death " "The Princess Margaret cannot be married!" cried the seeming Princess, "To nae, 1J'argaretl IT will Slay the. elan who lays a hand on you!" !Obedient to that word, Margaret of Courtland broke from between her brother and Prince Ivan and ran to the tail woman, laying her brow on 'her breast, 'The Frinire of Muscovy continued caro and immovable. "And why?" he asked in a tone full of contempt. "Why cannot the Prin- cessafargaret be married?" "Because," said the woman in the long cloak, fingering a string at her neck, "she is married already. II am her •husbandl" (The long blue cloak fell to the ground, and the Sparhawk, clad in close- fitting squire's dress stood be- fore their astonished eyes. AA long, low murmur, gafhorin.g and sinking, surged about the square, Prince Louis ga's'ped. 'Margaret clung to her lover's arm, end fur the space of a score of seconds the whole world stropped breathing. Prince Ivan twisted his m'ou'stache as if he ,would pull it out by the Hoots. Se," he said, `the Princess is mar- ried, is ,he ;And you are her hus- band? 'Whom God hath joined''—'and the rent of it. 'Well, we ehall''see, we shall sees" He spoke gently, meditatively, al most caressingly. "Yes," cried the Sparhawk defiantly "we were married yesterday in Ike presence of the most noble Leopold von De'ssauer, High Councillor of Pl'as'senb.urgl" "And' my wife—the Prinloess Joan, where is she " gas'pe'd. Prince Lout's, so greatly hbwildered that 'he had not yet began to he angry, Ivan o,f Muscovy put aut his 'hand. "Gently, friend," he said; "I will 11nntask this play-acting •springatd.. This is not your wife, not the woman you wedded and 'fought for, not the Lady Joan of IIo'henste'in, 'but some baseborn brother, v1ho, h'aving her face, hath played her part, in order to mock and cheat and deceive us both!" 'FIe turned again to Maurice von Lynar. "'I think we have met before, Sir (Ala's!quer," he ,said with his usual !suave courtesy; I have, therefore, a double debt to pay. Hither!", He beckoned to the guards who lined the approaches. "`I presume, sir, so true a courtier w=ill' not brawl before ladies: You recognise that you are in our power. Your sword, siri" The S'parihawle looked all arboat the croiwided square. Then he snapped his s'wor'd over his knee and threw the pielce.s dio.wip on'the stone steps. "You are' right; I 'wiill not fight vainly here," he said. "I know well it is useless. Bu't"—he raised his voice—"be it known to all men that. my name is Maurice, Count von Loeti, and that the Princess Margaret is nay lawfully l wedded wife. She cannot then sherry Ivan o,f 1'hiscovryf" 'Thee Prince laughed easily ap'd spread his hand nvi'th gentle depreca- tion, as the' guards seized the Spar- hawk parhawk an•si forced hint a title space away from the clinging hands of the Priin'cess. "I am an easy man," he ,said gently, as he clicked :his dagger to and fro in its sheath.. "Wllhen I like a woman, I would as lief marry her widow as maid! CHAPTER XXXIV)I!II. The Return Of The Bride, "'Prince Louis," continued Ivan, turning to the Prince, "we are keep- ing these men nee'dlessly, as well as disappointing the good folk of Court- land of their spectacle. 'Ther'e is 110 need that we should stand here any longer. Vl'e have matters to discuss with this gentleman acid—hie wife. Have 1 your leave to bring them to- gether in the Palace? I1he may have something to say to them lucre at leisure." But the Prince of Courtland' made no answer: His late fears of the Black Death, the astonishing turn affairs had taken, the discovery that his wife was not his wife, the slowly percolating thought that his invasion of Kerns - berg, his victories, there, and his tri- umphal re-entry into his capital, had all been in vain, united with his ab- so'r'bing fear Of ridicule to . deprive Min of speech. He moved his hand angrily and began to descend the stairs toward's the waiting horses, 'Prince Ivan turned towards Maur- ice von Lynar. "You will cone with me to the Pal- ace under escort of these gentlemen of my staff," he said, with smiling equality of courtesy; "there is aro need to discuss intimate family affairs before half the rabble of Courtland," IHe bowed to Maurice as if he had been inviting him to a feast. (Maurine looked about the crowded square, and over the pennons of the Cossacks, He knew there was no 'hope either in flight or resistan'ce. I .11. the ap- proaches 'to the square had been filled up with armed men, "I will follow.!" he answered briefly. "The Prince swept his plumed hat to the ground. "Nay" 'he said; "lead, not follow. You : must go with your wife. The Prince of Muscovy does not precede a lady, a princess,—and a bride!" ISo it came about that Margaret, after all, descended the cathedral steps on her husband's arm. And as the cavalcade rode back to the Palace the Princess was in the midst between the Sparhawk and Prince Wasp, Louis of Courtl'ancl pac- ing moodily ahead, Isis bridle reins loose upon his horse's neck, his chin sunk on !his breast, while the rabble cried ever, "Largesse! largesse!" and ran before them casting brightly col- cured silken scarves in the way, !Then Prince Ivan, summoning his almoner to his side, took from 'him a bag of coin, He dipped his fingers deeply in and scattered the coins with a free hand, crying loudly, "To the health 'and long life of the Prin'ces's Margaret and her husband! 'Health an'd richesl" LAnd the mob taking the word from him, shouted all along the narrow streets, "To the Princess and her 11ti5'haltd1" (But from the hooded dormers of the city, from the lofty gable spy - holes, from the narrow windows of Baltic staircase -towers the good wives of Courtland looked down to sec the great folk pass. 'And their comment was not that of the rabble, "Marriecl, is she?" they said among themselves. "Well, God 'bless her comely face!" It minds me of my own wedding. But, by my faith, I looked more at my bus-. band than, she doth at the Maltscovite. T declare all her eyes are Pfor that handsome lata who rides at her left .elbow—" "Nay, heis riot handsome—look al his lace. It is as white as a new washen clout hung on a drying line. Who can he be?" "Minds me o' the Prince's ,w'ffe, the proud lady that flouted him, mightily he cloth—'I ,should not wander if he were her brother." "Yes, by ivy faith, rlame—hast hit l !So he doth, And here was I. rac- king my brains to think where I had seen him before!" "A miracle it is, gossip, and right pale Ise ,looks! :Yet I should not won- der if our Ma'rgare't loves him the aitost. Her. eyes seek to him. (Women among the great are not like tis, They say they never like their own hus- bands the best. aVhat wouldlst thou do, goad neighbor Bette, 3'f I loved your Hans better than mine own stn-. pid old Fritz! Tull the strings o'ff my cap, clams, says't thou? That shows thee no great lady. 'For if thou we's't of the great, thou woelidsit oo more wave thy hand and say, 'A good :id- dance and a hearts,otne c'h'ange!'—and with that begin to make 'love to the nest young lad that came by with his thumbs in his armh'oles and a feather in his ring l'^ "And what o' the child'er—'the' house bairns—What o' them'. With alt this. miixn.g about, what carnes o'. them answ:e'r'me that, good dame!" "What. Gossip Bette -have you never lheard?! 'The childer of the great are not dan'd'led in their °wet mothers' arms, :They learn not their Duty front their mothers' lips. 'When they are fractious, a stranger beat's tihem till they be goad—" 'Ali," cried the court of matrons all in unison, "I would like to catch one of the fremit lay a'han'd on my Karl- nny Kirsten—that I. would! 'I would comb their h'a'ir for them, tear the pin- cer off their backs—that I would!" "An'd I1" "And 1,!" "Nay, good gossip's all," out of the chorus the voice of the (lame learned in the ways o,f the great asserted it- self; "that again proves you all no better than burgherish towu-'folic—no't truly of the nob'l'e of the land, 'For a right great lady, When she meets a foster -nurse with a baby, will go near and say—I have heard 'em—,`Lal--the pretty thing—a poppet! 'Well -a -well, ''tis pretty, for sure! And whose baby may this be?' 'Thine own, lady, thine own!' " tAt this long and loud echoed the de rision of the good wives of. Courtland,. Their gossip laughed and reasserted. But no, they world not hear a word more. She h'ad overstepped the limit of their belief. So in little jerks of blessing and with much 'heacfshaking the good wives of Courtland' continued their congress, long after the last Cossack lance with its fluttering pennon had been lost to view down the win'din'g street. ,For, indeed, well aright the gossips be thankful that they were not as the poor Princess Margaret, and that their worst troubles' concerned only te'et'er Hans or Fritz tarried a little aver -long in the town wine -cellars, or wagered the 'fraction of a penny too much ,on a neighbor's cock -fight, and s,o returned hone somewh'a't crusty because the -wrong bird had won the main. * * * * (But- in !the Prince's palace other things were going !forward. IIitherto eve lave had to do with the Summer Palace by tate river, a building of no strength, and 'bu'il't more as a 'pleasure h'ouse'£or the princely family than as a place of permanent habitation. But the Castle of ;Courtland was 'a structure of another sort. 'Set on a low rock in the centre nf. the town, its wall, rose continuous with its foundations, equally massiv'e and impregnable, 'to t'bs heigth of over seventy feet. For the !first twenty -.five neither window nor grating 'broke the grim uniformity of those mighty walls of mortared rock. Above that line only a 'few small ,open'iirgs baif,clo'sed with iron bars .evidenced the fact that a great prince had his dwelling within. The stain entrance to The 'Castle was through a gateway closed by a grim iron -toothed portcullis. They a short tunnel led to another and yet stro'nge'r defence—a .deep natural fosse which surrounded the rock on all sides, and over whirls a drawbridge conducted into the courtyard of the fortress. The Spa -hawk knew very well that he was going to his death as the rode through the streets of .the city of ;Courtland, but sone w'ou'ld have :dis- covered, from -his 'bearing that (there was aught upon his mind of graver concern than the fit of a doublet or, perhaps, the favour of a pretty maid of-01'onour. But with the Princess 'Margaret it was different, .In 'these last' crowded hoursshe had quite lostr a 1 her old gay defiance. '(ler whole heart was fixed on 'Maurice, and the tears would net be bitten back when she 'thought ,of th,e (fate to which he was going will'. so Wanly a courage and so ,fine an air, They 'dismounted in the gloomy courtyard, and IMauri'ce, slipping quickly from his saddle, caught (Mar- garet in his arms 'before ..the !Muscov- ite could interfere. She clung to hien closely, knowing that it Might be for the last time. "Maurice, iMaurice," she murmured, "can you forgive ne? I. have (brou'gh't, you to 'chis!" "Flush, sweetheart," he answered in' her ear; "he my own dear 'princess. Do not let thein see: BeIshy brave girl. They cannot divide our laver' "Come, I beg of You," came the ;dul- cet voice of 'Prince Ivan 'behind theist; "I would not for all Coar11ancl break in upon the billing and cooing of such turtle -doves, were it not that their of Section 'blinds them ;to 'th'e (fact that the men-at-arms and scullions are- wit- nesses to these pretty dennonstrations. Tarry a little, sweet valehltinet—tittle and place wait for all things." The .Princess 'c'omm'anded herself quickly. In an'oth'er moment •she was once more 'Margaret of Courtland, . "Even the 'Prince of lIuac,ovy might spare a lady 'hit insults at sued' a tbnel" slhe said. T'h,e• Prince bared his head and bowed Low. ' "Nay" he said very courteously! "you mistake, 'Princess 'Margaret: 17 insult you not I may' regret your taste—but that is '0 diffierent matter. Yet even that may in thne amend. :My quarrel• is with .this genitlenian, and it is one Of some standing, it bciicv'e," 'My sword •is et your service, sir!" said Maurice von'•Lynt'ar !firm'ly. "Again. you m'istalce,".returned the Prince more 'suave'ly than ewer; "you have no sword..A 'prisoner,' and (if I may say so without offence) a 'spy taken. red -4 -rand, 'cait•ntat 'fight due'l's, The Prince of 'Courtland most settle this matter. When his IJusticiar satisfied, :I Shall tsps '. wil'l'ingly take tm my' quarrel 'with -whatever is left of 'the most noble,Gonn't \'fatuice von Lynar." To this :Maurice did not reply, but with Margaret still beside 'him he fol- lowed' Prince Louis up the narrow an- cient stairway :called 'irony Its shape the couch, into the gloomy audience chamber of the (Castle or C,ourtiaud. They reached the hall, ii nd then at last, as though 'restored to :power .by his surroundings, Prince Louis found his tongue. - "A guard!" he 'cried; "hither Berg- hoff, d'Iampenfeld't1 Conduct the Prin- cess to her privy chamber and do not permit 'her to leave it without my per- mission. 1 w'ou'ld speak with this fel- low alone." Ivan hastily crossed over .to Prince' Louis and whispered in This ear. ;In the meantime, ere .the soldiers of. the guard could apgjoac'h, Margaret cried out in a loud clear voice, "I take you all to ,witness that 7, Margaret of 'Courtland, am the 'wife of this 'man, Maurice von ILynar, Count von Loen. II -Ie is my wedded husband, and I love 1utit with all my heart! According to 'God's holy ordin'ance he is Mittel" "You 'have forgotten •t'he rest, fair 'Princess," suggested ',Brine Ivan subtly—"till death you do .part!" (To Be Continued) CANADA DEFERS THE GRAIN CONGRESS 'The 'World's Grain Exhibition and Conference, which was to have been herd in Regina in 1932, has been post- poned until 1933. Announcement to this effect was made by Hon. Robert 'Weir, Dominion Minister of Agricul- tore and chairman Of the n'a'tional committee of the grain show. He had received resolution from, the council of the Regina Board of Trade and the board of directors of the Re- gina Agricultural and Tndustriia'i Ex- hibition Association, urging postpone- ment for a year, rather than its can- cellation. LIINDB;ERGHiS GET.A DUCKING. The monoplane of Colonel:and Mrs. Charles A. Lindbergh capsized in the Yangtse River throwing the famous niers into the water blit they were rescued quickly by sten from the Bri- tish _aircraft carrier Hermes. Oohonsd and Mrs. Lindbergh had just climbed into the plans and had been lowered from the deck of the Hermes preparatory to shaking a sur- vey flight to the vicinity of Tung'ting Lake, 7S ,miles southwest of here, with ,Dr. King of the China Famine Com- mission as a passenger, One wing struck th'e water as the plane turned about, :capsizing the craft and throwing the Lindberghs and Dr: King into the river. Let us have the names of your visitors PROFESSIONAL CARD Medical DR. H. HUGH ROSS, Physician , and Surgeon. Late, of Landon !Hos- pital, London, England, Speeiaf attention tp diseases of the eye, eat,. nose and throat, Office and red - (fence behind Dominion Bank. Office Phone No: 5; Residence Phone LLQ DR. F. J. BiU1Rl1b0IWS, Seniortfc. Office and residence, Gocicrielt street, east of the United Church. Cosnases for the County of Huron. Telephone.: No. 46. 'DR. C. M1AOI9AY: C. Madcap: honor graduate of Trinity University and gold medallist of Trinity ItZedicatl College; member of the College a Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. DR, F. J. R. FOIRSITER—Eye, Ear Nose and Throat. Graduate in Medi- cine, University • of Toronto !S97. Late Assistant New York O'plhtha",r- mic and Aural Institute, Moorefield.c Eye, and Golden Square „throat (toss• ta'ls, London, . England. At Comm- ercial Hotel, 'Seaforth, 3rd Monday is each month, from 11 a,m. to 3 p.rn. DB. W. C. SIPROArT.—Graduate e8'r Faculty of Medicine, University rail Western Ontario, London. Member of College of Physicians and Sur- geons of Ontario. Office in rear of Aberhart's drug store, Sealoctlr' Phone 90. Hours L30-4 p.m., 7.:if) -9 p.m. Other hours by appointment. Dental DR. J. A. MUNN, Successor to Dr. R. R. Ross, g:aduate of North- western University, Chicago, Ill, F:i centiate Royal College ,of Dental Sue geons, Toronto. Office over SIE hardware, Main St,, Seafortb. Pisano 151. DR. F. J. BIECHIELY, graduate Royal College of Dental Surgeons, Toronto. Office over W. R. Smithn's. grocery, Main St., Seaforth. Phones, office 1&5!W, residence 1S5f. Auctioneer. IGEOIRGE ELLIOTT, Licensed Auctioneer for the County of Huron. Arrangements ,can be made for Sale Date at The Seaforth News. Charges moderate and satisfaction guranteed. WATSON AND REID'S REAL ESTATE AND IN'SU'RANCE AGENCY (Succssors to James Watson 'MAIIIN ST., SEALEO'R'I' HI, All kinds of Insurance .ris'ks effect ed at lowest rates in First -Class „Companies. THE McKILLOP Mutual Fire e InsuranceCo. 1IAIRhM AND ISOLATED TOWN PHI OIPIE'RI T Y, 0 'N'L Y, I!N'S'UmEID Officers — !John IBe'nnewies, tBrot�- hagen, 'Pre'siden't; IJ'as. Connolly, IGod�- erich, Vice -(Pres,; ID. IF. iM'cGregar, 'Ssaforth 'No. '4, (Sec,-Treas. IDireotors—iGeo. IR. McCartney, Sea - forth No. 3; Alex. Broadtioot, Sea-• 'forth Nio.:3; :fames Evans, Seafortlf 11Jo, 15; iRobt. jFlerris, B4yt'h INo. 'f; ,jus. 4Slhlobdice, Walton No. '4; john 'Pepper„ fBrucefield; iWiilliatn Knox, .Ltmtles- borough. Agents—+Jas. Watt, IBIy'th No. 'f; W. E. lHinrchley, 1Seaforth; 3. A. 'Murray, (Seafiorth IN'o. 3; W. j. Yeo, 'Clintotai 'N�o, .3; ;R. IG. ijanmuth, /Bornnholhn. tAuditors Jas. Kerr, lSealorth; 'Th'os. Moylan, ISela£ortlh No. S. Parties desirous to effect insurance or transact Other business, will be pronilp!tly attended to by appli,eatians to any of the above named officers ad- dressed to their respe'ctive post. offices. - High Class Pnting We can give you prompt and satisfactory service at price in the following lines of printing:_ Letterheads Envelopes Statements. Bill -heads. Private Cheques Circulars Tags Cards Tickets Sale Bills Dodgers Menus Factory Forms" Society Stationery a moderate. Blotters ' Booklets Business Cards Visiting Cards Wedding Station- ery Invitations The News has an up-to-date commercial printing plant and we are equipped to turn out all classes of job work. Give Its a call. We have a new automatic press with great speed, 'recently installed to produce printing, well done, with speed, and at mod- erate cost, THE &MOW E S .•