The Argosy, March 1907 — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

KING OR COUNTERFEIT ? that he did not even know his own name. So the Frenchman surveyed his old- time enemy from head to foot with a half-smile upon his evil face. Willis returned the Frenchman’s look without a sign of recognition in his eyes. It was true that he fastened upon Duval a concentrated gaze; but appar- ently it was the meaningless stare of a person of weak mind. — “Do not mind him,” whispered the princess to Duval. “ This is the young man we found in the cave. His reason has gone. I suppose you have heard about the poor fellow?” ‘Yes, your highness. The king spoke to me of him. How he stares at me! One would almost think he knew me.” “It is merely his way,” said the prin- cess gently. ‘‘ He is like a little child.” She turned to Willis with the intention of gently ordering him from the room, when suddenly the unfortunate young man uttered a wild cry and rushed at Duval. Before the surprised Frenchman could raise a hand to ward off the attack, Wil- lis had seized him fiercely by the throat with both hands. In a second the mild-mannered imbe- cle had become a dangerous maniac. The princess uttered a scream of hor- ror as the two men, struggling desper- ately, staggered, swayed, and fell to the floor, the American uppermost and still maintaining a strangle hold on _ the Frenchman’s throat. Duval made desperate efforts to free himself, but in vain. The savage, re- lentless hold tightened and he began to cough and gasp. His tongue lolled from his mouth. His eyes protruded and his complexion began to assume a blackish hue. “He’s killing him! He’s killing him!” screamed the princess. “ Help! Help!” At her call frightened lackeys rushed into the room and fell upon Willis, dragging him from his victim by main force. All. the while Willis was laughing wildly. “The Frenchman! . The French- man!” he cried exultingly. “ At last! At last! He tried to kill me three times, ‘else. we ae : - ars 703 and now I’ve killed him. MHurrab! Hurrah! We'll win out yet. We'll throw the fakir from the throne he’s stolen and save the Princess Cornelia. Hurrah! Hurrah!” He struggled furiously as they tore him from his prostrate victim. “Get doctors, quick! Get doctors, quick!’ cried the frenzied princess. “See! The baron is unconscious. Oh, what a terrible sight! I should have listened_to the doctor and had him put away in an asylum. I didn’t think he’d get violent like this. Oh, how terrible! Look to the Baron Duval, some of you. Don’t stand there like dumb fools. Get doctors at once, before it is too late.” But it was already too late. Pierre Duval was dead. CHAPTER XXI. SANITY. Tury took Willis below and locked him in a stone-walled cellar. He was quite quiet now and seemed dazed at the realization of what he had done. By the time Baron Zilla, the king’s surgeon, arrived, the Princess Cornelia was violently hysterical and _ prostrated by the shock. Being too late to save the unfortunate Duval, the king’s surgeon went up-stairs to minister to the princess. ‘Oh, baron! baron!” cried the terri- fied girl, as the physician entered her chamber. “If I had only listerfed to your advice. JI ought to have had the young monster put away as you sug- gested. Then this could not have hap- pened. Oh, it was terrible to see him choking the life out of the unfortunate baron. Duval is not a weak man, but he was powerless in that madman’s grasp. He seemed possessed of the strength of ten men. Oh, it was terri- spiel = “Calm yourself, your highness,” said the surgeon gently. ‘“‘ You must not al- low that sight to occupy your mind. You must think of more pleasant subjects.” “Oh, but I cannot think of anything That sight is always before me. I shall never be able to get it out of my eyes. He entered the room so quietly Eomichboo Se EE ON I FOIE Pi, Ne ~— a eee ee ey a ey Ne ee Oe ee aa pao oe Oe ee . PR OR o's Rew gt tat aes > cS ye _* i + Ie = a e i <SiiGO m