The All-Story, March 1914 — page 155: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

628 TIE to his horse and rattled off down the street. For a couple of blocks he kept to the main thoroughfare, then turned a corner and made lis way by less frequented avenues, taking a devious course to make tracing him more diffi- cult. By and by the rickety hack was jolting over rough cobblestones, and the squalor of the poorer quarter of the city was all round them. Dusk had fallen. The denizens of the tumble-down houses shuffled along through the gloom, apathetic, sinister, furtive. There was only an occasional] street-lamp, and its sickly yellow flicker but emphasized the dinginess of the meighborhood. Dirty brats played and squalled al- most under the cab-wheels. Frowsy women leaning out of windows called to each other in patois, or jeered at the passing vehicle. The jehu let his horse ainble down to a walk, and proceeded so until they came to a street-corner that seemed to be darker than the others. through the darkness, the cabman could see no one who might watch him. He tugged sharply on the reins, brought his vehicle to a groaning standstill, and swung down from his seat.” _ He opened the hack door and called in a hoarse whisper: * All sate and quiet now, fraulein. You can come out and thank your lucky stars that you had a man of discretion on the carriage-box.” There was no answer. The fellow scratched his unshaven chin in perplexity, cleared his throat noisily, and poked his head into the black interior of the cab. Fle felt about «in increasing amaze- ment with his hands. “ Donner!” growled he. “ The girl is gone!” —————— SENTENCE OF LIFE. THE public trial of so well-known a man as Florenz von Regenstein nat- ALL-STORY Squinting MAGAZINE. urally attracted much attention from all classes, and the sensational nature of his crime drew great crowds to the Gray House, which sobriquet is Viennese vernacular for the imperial court-house in the Alserstrasse. Addi tional policing precautions were res quired to keep order during the pro ceedings. The bizarre and extravagant esca- pades of milord’s wastrel past were bandied from mouth to mouth and inade juicy comment, par c.renplicis, for the socialists. Only the pressure brought to bear by certain exalted per- sonages in court circles kept the name and scandal of Von Regenstein out of the avid newspapers and comic week- lies. It was bad enough as it was, though. Count Florenz was epitomized as prof. ligate, degenerate, murderous. Rv- mor asserted that he had slain Von Lehmann out of jealousy for interfer- ence with his intrigues. The vicious character of the deceased was forgot- ten in vulgar eagerness to discuss the’ notoriety of the living. A beggar, who ordinarily squatted on the steps of the Moelkerhof Cathe. ral, told how young milord had con- temnptuously tossed him a purse full of gold and then pummeled him nigh to death because he took it. A worthless little baggage from the Bal Tabarin circulated a tale of brutal- ity, the pathos of which was only ex- ceeded by its falseness. No matter how incredible the story, it found ready believers, all eager to repeat it with exaggerations of their own. Thanks to the vigorous intervention of titled friends, Count Florenz sutf- fered no real hardships nor indignities during his incarceration previous to the trial. The warden’s own private apartments were made his; it was permitted that faithful old Heinrich should attend him as of yore; he dined sumptuously, according to his fancy, and could receive messages or even Vis- itors on certain days. Adversity. as hatoheerireeprkedo