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Â¥ _ ‘The rope was quickly taken off, _ and then the youth embraced his deâ€" ‘Warliverer. No questions were asked _ Ahere. Only a few sincere thanks e uttered, and then attention _\ was turned to the two villains, who _ wet stood trembling near them. 2 d had not attempted an escape, _ for the n{ was blocked up. They â€" qwere quickly secured, and then the "mly turned away from the place, n as they went Ruric gave the _ monk an account of the manner in ‘â€" _ which he had been entrapped and of ‘â€". the events which had transpired * aince. .. _ _"Merciful heavens!" ejaculated Viadimir as Ruric closed his "*** count of the manner in vhich:g â€" ad overcome the two men who _ _ thought to murder him. "It was a _ BArrow escape." _ x _ _ "But I might not have escaped > withou coming," 't'ho youth ':}- "l'.'”g# vonfl surely have a found me. With my hands lashed behind me as they were I could not U paveescaped." _ =_ _ = ~â€" e ond man uttered an oath t hok Thanle canily ddgey the 3 easi t n as the thought for feried io where the Inntein stood he where the lantern s and overturned it‘.o“ He had noucodh i an open ge close at hand whic seemed ‘: lead to some sort of a dressing room, and, guided by his mej alone, for it was now dark a8 Ifl:ztll there, he glided swiftly into it. ‘When he knocked aver the hiz‘” he had upsct column and all, md“ be reached ?mru- sage he a heavy fall, he knew that his enemy had stumbled over the fallen column. He heard the. curses, loud and d”lf’ which dropped from the lips of the baffied man as he picked himself up, and in a moment more he was edified by a conversation between the two, for villain No. 1 had revived, though the tone of his voice plainly indicatâ€" ed that he had a severe pain still lingering with him. . "Michael, Michacl!" groaned No. 1, and as he spoke Ituric could hear {‘fiu scrambling up on his feet. "Hi, Oriel !" returned No. 2. «"Have you dropped him?" "No! eried Michael, with a curse which we ‘do not choose to tranâ€" scribe. "ITe‘s a perfcct devil!" "But where‘s the lantern?" "He put it out." "But you ought to hiwe knocked him down, you clown." "So had you." "Me? Why, he kicked me over." "Well, he Jodged by me and kickâ€" ed over the lantern." ***But where is he now ?" ‘"He‘s gone. Hark! Ia, I guess they‘ve caught him.. Don‘t you hear ?" "Yes; they‘ve caught somebody." "And of course it‘s him. He went that way. Let‘s go and find"â€" . _ He did not finish the sentence, for at that moment a voice came up in thunder tones, and it said : "Ruric! Ruric!" Nsin X "Good God!" gasped villain No. 1. PWhat is that > _ _ "Ruric! Ruric!" "By the living gods, that is not from any of our men!" uttered the second ruffian. "IHa, they are comâ€" ing this way !" "Ruric! Ruric!" *‘There is but one place," retarnâ€" ¢d Oriel. "Here in tfie little drawâ€" ing room. Come, let‘s find it. Oh, eurses on that gunmaker‘s head! If he be not the very devil, then he‘s a bound partner of his. Have you found tfi:rentrance, Michael ?" "No. It‘s near ‘vou somewhere. Can‘t youâ€" Ha! In, in!" _ At that moment the glare of a flaming torch flashed through the flr:-m of the place, and the two vilâ€" stood revealed. A dozen stout men, all well armed, appeal?d in the only passage by which they could gpe, for to have fied into the drawing room of which they had spoken would avail them nothing. "Ho, villains!" shouted Vladimir, e monk, raising his flaming torch igh above his %end with his left hand, while in his right he waved a helrv’; sword. "Where is Ruric Ne wel $ "Here, here!" starting forward _ ."What! Safeâ€"aliveâ€"well?" ut #ered Viadimir. â€"."*Aye, mfly noblest of friends. But, wh, cast off this accursed bond from @’_nmn. It eats into the flesh." â€" _ £ true," returned Visdimir m "It was a narrow E 'Mb’:mww:;hwl- wdge of my vh-mhf' asked _ "He came to my dan, the rest, and 'tmhyclhtm down. > Havo you not found him ?" â€" *IPll explain it to when m fim‘? Buat did ?‘nd-mn to u{ that the humpbacked was hor’?’ t eâ€"* t 4+ By Sylvanus Cobb, Jr. cried our hero, into the larger 'cow / «F "They have stopped in front of the house," uttered Paul, whose cars ; were bent. "Goâ€"goâ€"open"â€" Paul ltute(fe The widow heard the door opened, and she heard voices in the ball. In a moment more the inner door was opened, and she looked up. She saw a manâ€" ly form; she beard the magic word "Mother!" trembling upon the air. With one low cry of joy she started to her feet, and in the next moment she was clasped to the bosom of her son. n BPem tae cie ait se Aeraprena nc w S through Tor the flhfll:fl he could not be found, and when Vladimir was assured that the arch villain had made his escape he prepared to leave the building. ‘The prisoners, four of them, were led out first and taken away by the monk‘s followers. â€" When Ruric reached the street, the stars were all out, and the cool, frosty air struck fnuefull{. upon his brow. â€"He turned toward bis mysteâ€" tious companion, and under the gratefs! impulâ€"e of the mement he etopped lle raised his hands toâ€" n'-l heuven, uttered ong fervent sentence of to Lod and then movc:;:):n8i .gnh.fln‘ CHAPTER XVI â€" THWARTED, BUT NOT SUBDUED. i It wal 1 after midmg‘ ht, an yet the afifio- Nevel d not sought her bed. She was now r«.\ ing to and fro across her kitchen, nu%thoboyl’lnlatnoddhginhia chair. Suddenly the woman stopâ€" ped, and Paul started up. _ _(‘Do you think that message was a false one?" she asked, looking the boy in the face. _ â€" "I don‘t know," he returned. "If he came from the black monk, as he said he did, then I think he spoke the truth." "Oh, they would not have deâ€" ccived me." "No, my mistress; I am sure they would not." "But it is very late." "IHark! There are bells." The widow heard them, and, with a wildly fluttering heart, she sank into a chair. "Did I not tell you 1‘d bring him back to fiou ?" cried Vladimir, rubâ€" bing his hands with joy. _ _ _ _ "So, so," returned the strange, man. "The blminf of an honest soul is reward enough for one night, so l”ll take mysel{ off for the presâ€" ent.‘ "Oh, God bless you, sirt" the widâ€" ow murmured, gazing through her tears into the monk‘s face. "No, no," cried Ruric. "You‘ll remain here till morning." _ But the monk could not be preâ€" vailed upon so to do. He had busiâ€" ness to attend to, and he could not stop, and ‘he hurried away as quickly as possible to avoidâ€" the tbanks that were showered upon him. es After Vladimir was %one Ruric sat down and related to his mother all that had oceurred since that day on which he left her to go and see the count. She trembled fearfully as he rclated the diabolical attempts that had been made upon him, and when he had cotxcludmrsbe sat for a few moments like one in a painful trance "And do you think," she said at Iongth, whife a cold shudder ran through her frame, "that the Duke of Tula was the cause of all this ?" 1 am sure of it, my mother." . "Then you are not safe yet." "But 1 shall see the ¢mperor." "I have seen him, my son." "Ah! And what said he?" "Why, be said if we could find out who had done yrou harm he would B\smish them. Then I asked him, ugpoee it was a duke ?" and he said in that case he should hare to look into the matter. Oh, 1 fear be would not dare to punish the powerful Olga." _ â€" _ Mrs. Wrysiow‘s Soorhi®c SrRur has been waed bynlmongq hu“.* rale epvear O ooenior tat f Kheknd bro. "Perhaps not, but yet, my mothâ€" er, 1 will give him eredit for better things. Yet," the g:;th continued in a sad tone, "t is one for whom 1 care more than self and who is now within the wicked duke‘s power. Oh, she is his beyond any power of the emperor|" _ _ _ "Not absolutel ond his powâ€" er, is she ?" the mzt::guked.' m "Why, of, course, Peter has the power to set aside any nrdohialnt twould ‘not be policy for him to inâ€" terfere in the domestic affairs of his rvcrfnl nobles. I feel sure that bh I;art would bid b;xdn illhdq;: ut his judgment would oppose You have seen Rosalind?" f FOR OVER SIXTY YEARS / / v‘ 7 Cobb, Jr.‘g mm manme s { "1 have not, an C P "But is it not strange?" * "It is." And so they cemversed until theirs drooping lids would no longer reâ€" main apart, and then, having first rendered n: their thanks to God and asked his elp for the future, they retired to their respective places of rest. Ruric had strange dreams, and for the life of him he could not tell whether they were fiod or bad. Once he dreamed that he was a duke himself and that he h:r: wife whose face he had never seen. She would not raise her veil until the ceremony was Eflormed. Then she removed the obstruction, and Ruric started on beholding the: face of Viadimir, the monf 1 And then Vladimir seemed to u{io“AIl this L have done for thee. you like it?" And Ruric dared not object, bccnl:ue Vladimir had done so much for him. .u?z ndn had it mind to 1 & Aranspirâ€" mfth zfii info the ‘s presence wi.â€"n she was there, but M&h‘h second time ere she and thepseonciudâ€" ed not to speak of it at present, for she knew ‘twould only serve to give her son additional pu{n without be stowing any benefit. . . _ â€" when she knew "RBy hearens," uttersd Ruric st the end of a troubled 1@rerie and at the same time clasping his hands rehemently her, "was ever man so surrounded E impenctrable mys tery before! monk is surely a good man. . H{e has served me well, and 1 am sure he would serve me more if qnfio:tnlty offered. But who is he? lave you found out anyâ€" It was carlyâ€"morning, and the Duke of Tula was once more in his ownâ€"privaterpartment. He had not slept well,. for he, too, hgd had dreams, and they were troublesome ones. They hung about him even now, and they flfiod his mind with dark and gloomy forebodings. He paced to and fro across the anfi- ment, sometimes stopping and bowâ€" ing his becd and then starting on again with new clouds upon his brow. Thus he walked and pondered until he was arousod by a stealthy footfall close by the door. : He stopâ€" And now while m awakes from his dreams and wonders what they mean let us look in and see what is going on in the ducal palace. who is he? liave you fo thi_p_g;boeorglagn-?'_ ped and listencd. He knew the step. Twas the one he had been witinfi for. He moved to the door >~ opened it, and the humpbac««d priest, Savotana, entered the apartâ€" went. "By St. Paul, Savotano, I feared you would never come," the duke uttered as his workman closed the door behind him. "1 would have come sooner if I could, my lord, but eyen now it is early morning. _'_I‘h__o/:un is bardly above the citly: walls." *â€" _"Well, it is early, I know, but I have not slept well." "I have not slept at all, my lord." "No, Savotano. You look worn and weary. But you have been at work." "Aye; I have." "And you have come to tell me 1heresu.(tofthtnrk. Does it more you so to do such work? I thought you were used to it ?" The piiatdfned into his master‘s face, but he did not speak. "Bah!" uttered Olga contemptaâ€" ously. "What is the killing of a man? But tell me, did you conceal the body so that no one will find it ?"" It was some gomenh before Saâ€" rotano Toke. is frame trembled, and his hands worked nervously toâ€" fi:her. Rut at length he said in a itating tone: "Ile is not dead, ng lord." "Not dead yet? But you promisâ€" ed me he lhOfl{d be." . * 1 know, but we could not do it." "Bah! i,{";i{'w credit for more firmness, Nrt a man? What is there so terrible in that ?" him, but he eseaped us. "Hold!" cried the duke, starting forward and .n:\ying the priest by the shoulder. "You do not mean that Ruric Nevel has escaped you ?" "He has, my lord." "But not entirely. You do not mean that he 1 from out Fnr blfidlw fairly goue "He has, my lord. But listen"â€" o on n on saints, w ean 0 l‘l’nkcht‘h:‘m .{JK and r’:d.::bl.r on Mm you should have kept him." â€" _ _ _ â€" "But, my lord, the devil himselt is wotkln{ for that than. We went last night to kill the fellow, and I waited all of two hours for Totma and Visks, but the rascals did not come, and I others." "And did prove treacherâ€" om."ahlm “-‘:hs "Xo, my lord . shey did best, but_they were interrapted by that monk, who came by c hi Do io mir ‘And with a band «of 1 would like to know the man! And di:hth.ln monuk carry oflufi.o gunâ€" maker i" "That is fort unate"â€" "1 mean that the monk did not see me, nor did any of his followers. But the gunmaker saw me." "Te did. ‘And he captured four of our men,. 1 eseaped without beâ€" c had any hand in the matior of h:gog'uomuu?‘ s f "I should judge so," returned the priest, with a peculiar twinge of vengeance about the lir. "The vilâ€" lain knocked me down. "Ha}" *"Aye; the moment he saw me." "But do you think he knows anyâ€" !bij:# about it ?** x Â¥ LCOu4 unX t. 3000 sey . "No. I do not think he does. He can only suspect." l e "‘Then most surely I will remain, my lord, for I much wish to gertorm thatâ€"ceremony for you. But who is this black monkâ€"this Viadimir ?" The duke started across the floor, and for some moments he continued pndng to and fro. When he stopâ€" ped, he brought his hands together with an energetic movement, and, looking the priest sternly in the face, he said : "Let that monk be who he may, whether man or devil, God or saint, I‘ll destroy him! I have the powet, and I‘ll use it. As warden of tE: city I huzithe power to mt{l’ilmd:po'l} suspicion of conspiracy. it Where is he no:;km "I know not." "Never mind; I‘ll to the emperor first. T‘ll study my plan, and ere the sun sets it -h-{l be carried out. By heavens, I‘ll be baffied thus no more. I could have wished that this gunâ€" maker had been quietly out of the way, fkr then all would have been clear and plain, and I should not have fet_nretf the trouble of his clamâ€" oring about my ears. But let him go. 1 would notfh- much for the iife he has left. T1 dis of him soon. But that monk! muvens, he dies at once and without consulâ€" tation with the emperor, for I can swear he is a conspirator." "Good!" cjaculated the priest. And thus the business was arâ€" ranged for the present. Passion helped the duke wondrously in his conclusions, and the wish was made into the power, But even before the priest left the stout nobleman began to wish that he had a very litâ€" tle more power. in fact, as he came to reason he began to doubt, but he g:vo up not one idea of the plan he d formed for the vengeance his soul so madly craved. TRANSACTION$ OF A NIGET, :IBQ? not! Oh:xll dfire ngtl" ut it is your 0 ope. "And whither shd{ we go?" "Anywhere rather than remain here. Oh, my mistress, if you do stay here you know the fate which awaits you. There is no other means of escape from the wicked duke‘s power." "And I must thus cast myself among strangers, lose my nl{u of "Hold, Rosalind! % St. Paul, there is surely one in Moscow who will help you! Let us go to the emâ€" m. 0{1. if he be the man I have ard, he will surely listen !" | "Ah, mdzmn' hbii.' h:g'e dukdi.ii high in power, uence t at conrt.' Peter would not 5:: to thwart him." "It may be #o, but I do not believe t And yet, my mistress, just think tb:tm llomtl;! bobv. you stand in res ou have no to lose. Tmtlifcotnflh,vimih pains and sorrows and with its most exquisite tortures, holds nothin’ worse for you within the bounds o s‘:"ibflity than to become the ‘s wife. If there were but one chance in the thousand, you had better try it. Remember, you canâ€" : lose anything, but the are for you. Let us go to &ul:rcw.' "B bv,lnobhf'm dmmdomthdzy. let us go. lt:lunlbmhhn the emperor will deliberately suffer t to be done 1 :.fl?«‘,m,!.g"" the Jn fe es more noble than it t ma k w "Aud do you think h4 mistrustéd The young countess did not wnâ€"| =Ab, yes=â€"the one who took my CHAPTER XVIL ‘Tmthtg'ueuht to marry with Olga, and harm would be as nothing c with that." ~ The more Rosalind pondered up~ mfihm%mhz did she derive from it. Ere long s conversed more freely with her atâ€" youll srugge jor® manont ‘upod w a her face. Yet she had gloomy moâ€" ments too. Hnrfurmtoolnply fixed to be swept away so eagily. _ _ The afternoon passed away, and as the shades of night gathered over the great city the t::..{irln were astir. â€" Zenobie gath together such articles of clothing as would be needodmdthen;roeudedtopm pare her mistress for the adventure. "Ave Zenobi \" oys aith es _ "Fear not," she said as she drew on Rosalind‘s robe of fur, "for there can be no worse than that we flee from. unl{hto remember that you flee e duke‘s foul embrace." This served to nerve the fair oung countess up to the task, and ier franie ceased its trembling. "I shall not falter nowy® she said. "«But shall we find the emperor at this late hour?" "Bless me, ‘tis not late! ~But even if we do not see him tonight we can do it in the u?wming. We shall fl:d plenty in the imperial palace who will l{elter us till ghan.” The girls were now ready, and all that remained was to start on their strange mission. With noiseless steps theg left the apartment where they had dressed and ~proceeded along the corridor to the great stairâ€" case. Zenobic knew there would be lessâ€"danger there than to go down the other way among the servants. Having descended these stairs, they came to the great hall which opened one way into the saloons. ‘They took the former course and were soon in the court. ‘The only trouble now was in passing .the porter‘s lodge at the gate, for they knew the great gate was not open, and to gain the street they must pass through the room where the porter dwn{l staid. Zenobie went ahead and lookâ€" ed in. ‘The porter sat by the fire playing with his dog. _ _ _ _ _ "My mistress," v;hilgered the girl as she came back, "old John is in the lodge, and we need have no fear. He is a simple, good natured fellow, and I am sure I can get by him. Do you sv in advance; cover up your face; on‘t look at him, and be sure you don‘t tremble. Leave it all to me. Remember, new, you have"â€" "Fear not, Zenobie. Go on." Bo on tha{ went, and when"they reached the lodge Rosalind went in first and stood by the wicket, while Zenobie followed and opened the door that looked into the porter‘s "Good John," she uttered in anxâ€" fous tones, "come and open the wickâ€" et for me, quick. My good mistress is very ill, and Tilda and I are ?ing for the doctor. Come; be quick." "But why don‘t some of the men go?" asked John as he started up and forced his dog back, "Because ‘twould take them lonâ€" %er to do the errand than ‘twill us. ut don‘t detain us. We shan‘t be long." â€" J R The honest portér had orders not to allow the countess to out, but he thought not of tm:' now. He had known the gentle girl from a child, and so well did he love her that he might not have stopped her even had fl known she was then waitinfi to pass out. At all events, he could not refuse the present reâ€" &nut. so he came out and opened e wicket without further quesâ€" tion, and the girls passed through. "Sire," commenced the da>s "you remember the gunmaker who was before you not long since t" "Now, now," uttered Zenobie in nervous haste, "we are clear of the palace. Here is the street. Our walk is not long."~ _ ~_ _ Rosalind answered not ; but, drawâ€" ing her robe more closely about her to keep out the cold, biting wind, she hastened along by the side of her companion. Hope was now alive within her. Shc turned one glance behind her, and she could see the light which she had left burning in ber chamber. It seemed at that moâ€" ment to be the fiery eye of a demon gazing after her, uur instinctively she quickened her pace. â€" Twice during the day did the Duke of Tula call at the imperial palace without being able to find the emperor, but in the evening he was more fortunate. The em was in, and Olga was ndnittm once to his presence. "Well, my lord duke," said Peter as Olga lmuhod, "what business calls you home at this hour ?" "Business of importance, sireâ€" business of less moment to me than to the state." "Ah! Proceed." Only two attendants were with the emperor, one of whom was Deâ€" metrius the Greek, and the place of audience was in one of the private apartments near the bedchamber, "‘m only privileged ones were ever We Casa rigat stout nave""~ ~*~ .~~ "Aye, and a dangerous mbfi sireâ€"a dangerous m:i;ko the duke, with a dubious of his i marramn s , he v&â€" m in im meapegs , and only a he knocked ({o_v_n one of our holy K:.u and robbed him of all he mj:!.dnhchuiosnnnm ous band esperadoes. "Is it possible ?" f f "I know it, sire." 5 "By St. Paul, I should not Have believed this !" "Nor would I have believed & sire, had I not received proofs to be questioned. I, as is my duty, have long been anxious to ferret out this gang of robbers"â€" _ "But I never heard of them, Ol« ga," interrupted Peter. | *A "Ah, sire, because I gvo direcâ€" tion that you should not be troubled with the affair. But I have them now. It is only last evening that I got a clew upon them. We found them in ap old building near the river here in the Kremlin, and this same Ruric Nevel was with them. But he made his escape." _ _ "I do remember me now that the fellow had a bold bearing and a fearless look," said the emperor half to himself, "and if such a man turns villain there must beâ€"danger in it." _ "Aye, sire, you speak truly, and now, with your order, L â€"can appreâ€" hend the fellow at once." "I can send and have it done, my, dear duke." "But your officers mi not find him. I know where he is and can have him taken at onee. He has several hiding places." _ _ _ "Well, then you might do the work with more advantage." "Aye, and I can have him tried and disposed of without further trouble to you, sire." _ _ _ > "No, no. I wish to see him," reâ€" turned the emperor. "I will give you the negessary order, and you "Tas Renamca turned to his secretsâ€" :Lllnl bade him fill an order for Ruâ€" Nevel‘s arrest. The stout masâ€" ter at arms looked on with a trouâ€" bled countenance, and his glances toward the duke were anything but loving. He did not seem to relish the business at all, and the expresâ€" sion of his countenance would seem to indicate that he did not believe all that the duke had said. Th« readars of this pa will be léarn that in at one -":-tn‘l. known .‘]::' Ry Untarrh buing a utional However, the order was soon made out and in the duke‘s possesâ€" gion. ~ "Remember," said Peter, "you‘ will bring him before me." «"You shall be obeyed, sire." If the emperor did not notice the strange, Krk look of the duke, as he turned away, the Greek did, and he fancied, too, that he knew. what it meant. But he said nothing‘ then. "Goodâ€"as good as I could even hope," returned the duke. "I have the power for arresting thg. guanâ€" maker." * "And for executing him ?" "It amounts to the same. I am ordered tomhim before the emâ€" peror, but easily managed." .. (To be continued.)} It needed but a single glance in the dim starlight to recognize the form of the humpbacked priest. He walked quickly to where the duke stood, and the two moved off toâ€" gether. _ _ â€"_"Now what luck?" Savotano askâ€" ed as the gained the street once more. Olga bowed low as he clutched the Made by IMPERIAL OIL CO. $100 REWARD, $100, Sold Everywhere. that runs on wheels. to Oftics : _opposteC Oflc _u.&mm W «gEAfX Epecialist on diseases of the nose haiinien t fln oo o e and John Ste, Herlin. Medallist of â€" sn tm oo a geous and of .A,l.h.find.r tr;ud. Ofla_ of the late Dr. Walden‘s residence. residence, cctner of Queen and Princess Sts., NE Painter and Paper Hanging. Will «n dertake contracts for painting and paper hang ing in Town and Country. First.class work guarantsed. 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