Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-01-16

youth would be disposed Of, and the
king would take an esthetic pleasure in
watching the course Of events, which
would determine whether or not the
young man had done wrong in allowing
himself to love the princess. The ap-
pointed day arrived. From far and near
the people gathered, and thronged the
great galleries Of the arena. and crowds.
unable to gain admittance, massed them
selves against its outside walls. The
king and his court were in their places,
opposite the twin doors-those fateful
portals, so terrible in their similarity.
All was ready. The signal was given.
A door beneath the royal party opened,
and the lover Of the princess walked into
the arena. Tall, beautiful, fair, his ap-
pearance was greeted with low hum Of
admiration and anxiety. Half the audi
ence had not known so grand youth
had lived among them. No wonder the
princess loved him. What a terrible
thing for him to be there
As the youth advanced into the arena
he turned as the custom was, to bow TO
the king, but he did not think at all Of
that royal parsonage. His eyes were fixed
upon the princess, who sat to the right
of her father. Had it not been for the
moiety Of barbarism in her nature it is
probable that the lady would not have
been there, but her intense and fervid
soul would not allow her to be absent on
an occasion in which she was 80 terribly
interested. From the moment that the
decree had gone forth that her lover
should decide his fate in the kings arena
she had thought Of nothing, nigh. or day.
but this great event and the various sub
jects connected with it. Possessed OF
more power, influence, force Of character
than anyone who had ever before been
interested in such case, she had done
what no other person had done-she had
possessed herself Of the secret Of the
doors. She knew in which Of the two
rooms that lay behind those doors stool
the cage Of the tiger, with its open front,
and in which waited the lady. Through
these thick doors, heavily curtained with
skins on the inside, it was impossible
that any noise or suggestion should come
from within to the person who should
approach to raise the latch Of one Of them.
But gold, and the power of woman's will,
had brought the secret to the princess.
And not only did she know in which
room stood the lady ready to emerge, all
blushing and radiant, should her door be
opened, but she knew who the lady was.
II was one Of The fairest and loveliest OF
the damsels Of the court who had been
selected as the reward Of the crime Of
aspiring to one so far above him and
the princess hated her. Often had she
seen, or imagined that she had seen, this
fair creature throwing glances Of admira-
ton upon the person of her lover, and
sometimes she thought these glances
were perceived, and even returned. Now
and then she had seen them talking to-
gether it was but for moment or two
but much can be said in brief space /:
it may have been on unimportant topics,
but how could she know that, The
girl was lovely, but she had dared to
raise her eyes to the loved one of the
princess: and, with all the intensity OF
the savage blood transmitted to her
through long lines Of wholly barbaric an
cestors, she hated the woman who blus!
ed and trembled behind that silent door.
When her lover turned and looked at he,
and his eyes met hers as she sat there,
paler and whittier than any one in the
vast ocean of anxious faces about her, he
saw, by that power Of quick perception
which is given to those whose souls are
one, that she knew behind which door
crouched the tiger. and behind which
stood the lady. He had expected her to
know it. He understood her nature,
and his soul was assured that she would
never rest until she had made plain to
herself this thing. hidden to all other
lookers.on, even to the king. The only
hope for the youth in which there was
any element of certainty was based upon
the success Of the princess in discovering
this mystery and the moment he looked
upon her he saw she had succeeded, az
in his soul he knew she would succeed.
Then it was that his quick and
anxious glance asked the question ::
(Which ,"
1t was as plain to her as if he shouted
il from where he stood. There was not
an instant to be lost. The question was
asked in fash; it must be answered in
another.
i ~ -. - L., IN Tho cuahioned