The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1878-09-29


isn't so well to-day"
"Yes," she said quietly raising her
head and looking at me, ~ am better
to-day"
"Tell us one, then" cried Cissy ca
gcrly, zone you've never told us be-
fore"
There was silence for n few min
utes, and as | gazed up in Kate's face
| saw her eyes close, and sort of
spasm twitch her lips but the next
minute she was quite calm, and then
with the leaves whispering round us,
and the twittering of the birds COM
ing now and again from the distance,
she said in low, sweet, musical
voice:
"Once upon time in the days of
long ago, when people were very,
very happy on this earth, there lived
prince who was young, and hand
some, and true. Nearly every one
loved him, he was so manly and yet
SO gentle"
"And he loved a beautiful prin-
cess" put in Cissy.
saw saw the spasm cross cousin
Kate's face again, but ii was calm di-
rectly after, and she went on.
.'No, dear" she said, che did not
love beautiful princes, but q poor
simple girl who loved him too, with
all her heart, and they were SO, so
happy"
ayes, and they were married, and
lived happy ever after" cried Cissy.
eco on"
"No, Cissy, they were not, for the
poor, handsome young prince had en-
emies-cruel, bitter enemies-who
slandeIed him, and said that he had
made false keys and opened the
treasure chests of great man, and
stolen away his gold and precious
stones"
"Ohw whispered Cissy, now deep
ly interested.
"And," continued Kate, "they
took the poor prince, and there was
a great trial, and though he declared
he was innocent, the wicked people
who slandercd him and bare false
witness against him prevailed; and
the great judge said that he was to
be cast into prison, and wear heavy
chains, and be kept there for twenty.
one long years."
"OhW cried Lii.
eyes" said Cissy, 81 know, and
then the simple young girl who low
ed him went and unlocked the prison
gates, and struck off his chains, and
set him free"
"O-no," cried cousin Kate, and her
voice altered terribly, so that | was
alarmed, though could do nothing
but gaze up in the wild face before
me, for now a change came over it.
NO" she cried, "the poor girl could
do nothing but sit and weep, and
feel her broken heart beat-beat-
beat, in its own prison, wearing IT.
self out till-till she died, and -
Oh, Frank I! Frank what have we
done that we should suffer this 2"
] leaped up TO throw my arms
round her, while my sisters shrank
away alarmed; for cousin Kate turn
cd from us with bitter wall, buried
her face in her hands, and threw her
self half over the arm of the garden
seat, sobbing in an hysterical way.
'Kate, dear cousin Kate" sobbed ;
but even as spoke there waS 4 has
ty step on the gravel, the bushes
were dashed aside, and the shadow
of tall man was cast over us.
"Katc-darling" he cried, catch
ing her in his arms, as / was thrust
rudely aside, 81 am innocent and
free"
She did not hear him, for she gave
a faint gasp and sank back insensible.
We three girls were almost stunn-
ed; but we saw the tail, thin, pale
looking Stranger hastily lift poor
Kate from the seat and literally run
with her to the house, while we fol
lowed more slowly.
As we reached the porch II was &c
meet papa running out, and in very
short time he returned with the doc
tor. But this doctor was the wrong
one: the right one had come to us il
the garden seat, and it was his word
that brought dear cousin Kate bacl
to life, and in the course of few
months to health.
For Frank Roberts was reinstated
in the Government offices from whicl
he fell-in a higher post, one whicl
gave him the confidence of the high
or officials ; while the man through
whose treachery, poor Frank ha'
suffered year and o half before
died confcssing that he had been TIN
guilty party alone. =,
Oh! those happy days when tn
roses were coming back day by da.
into cousin Kate's cheek, and wheI
Frank, who was down at the ole
place every Saturday to stay till Mon
day, used TO be sent to play and rom
with us girls. l can hardly believ
that thirty years have glided by sine
then, but so it is; and to this day W
call dear old gray-whiskered Frank
) "Kate's Prince"