The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1880-11-26

uncertain light to see only the tall form
of Ludwig. He flew toward him, with
paper futterink from his hand.
"Your Majesty r he gasped, "the Queen
mother is taken suddenly Ill at Ho
henschwangau Bah the jealousy o
my enemies They know always where
to find you She desires your presence
at once" Then, for the first time
he saw Marie, and stopped short in con-
fusion.
Stark and stiff she Stood her dilating
eyes fixed on Ludwig.
Speak, for the love of heaven p she
cried-"who are your"
And he, staggering back step, answer
ed, in voice of intense agony:
II am Louis, King of Bavariaw
In silence she stared at him one mo-
ment. Then a wild, piercing shrek
broke from her lips. She fell senseless
into tine arms of Wagner.
"Go, your Majesty" groaned the old
master. you have had your play out,
but you haye broken her heart"
The King picked up the dispatch,
which had fallen to the floor, and read it
with shaking hand.
"Would to God l had been born a
peasant~ he cried wildly. off her heart
is broken, so also is mine"
II entreat your Majesty to go before
she revives," urged Wagner; "and to
come near her no more, for her souls
sake"
Louis H., the betrothed of the Princess
Sophia, snatched the unconscious girl
from the old master, strained her wildly
to his heart, kissed hair and eyes and
sad, sW eet mouth with bitter anguish,
and then, covering his face, rushed off
and away, with his one servant. into the
night.
And Marie Wagner carried her to her
chamber, and called the woman of the
house to attend her. She opened her
eyes after time, and looked up in his
face.
leave me alonep' she prayed, with
white lips. Send them all away-leave
me alone
He oheyed her sorely troubled in spirit,
and re rei himself to seek consolation
in his divine art. But the storm beat, and
The wind roared in the gables and Chin
neystacks; and, being i'll at ease, the old
composer arose at last, and assembled to
his pupils chamber, knocked at her door.
Marie p he cried-"child ofmy heart,
open to me-
There was no answer. He listened, but
heard nothing
Marie" he prayed again, "do you
not know my voice ? The King has gone.
you will see him no more You will
soon forget this unhappy passion. will
not leave you alone. Open-open to me !"
No reply, The clock struck midnight
in the hall below; then all was still.
Thrilling with indefnable terror, Herr
Wagner flung open the door violently,
and rushed into the chamber of his pupil.
A cottage piano stood in one corner,
over which bronze lamp burned. At
this instrument she sat, her head fallen
forward upon the keys. On the edge of
.he music she had written in pencil the |
words:
Sire, bless you'll love you. Had loved you
ess. might have lived"
Wagner sprang and raised her. He
urned her face to the light-he called
er by name. The lashes clung wearily
0 her colorless cheek. Her head fell
ack against her breast. Her young life,
mapped in a moment at the root, per
APPS by the work of the year, had yield
d to this first great shock of SORROW
mapped in a moment, like thread over
rawn. Marie lay in his arms, beautiful |
nd still and dead.
A week after, the betrothal of the King |
# Bavaria with the Princess Sophia was
penly annulled. The latter has since
married the Duke d'Alencon, a prince of
he House o. Orleans. But Louis II, the !
landsomest prince in Europe to-day
'oung, gifted, the patron of Wagner, and
# all things great and good, consumed
# mysterious and hopeless melancholy
goes upon his royal way alone Frank
Iestic's Magazine.