The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-04-20

But she soon came to her sober
senses.
1t was well known that King Gus
tayus had been holding negotiations
with the maiden Queen Of England, to
induce her to bestow her jeWe1ed hand
upon his elder son, and it had reached
Rika's ears.
Such thing had been known as a
maid OF low degree being wooed and
won by royal sutton. The tale OF
Griser happiness, and of her woes as
well, was favorite one among the
folk-stories told around the humble
hearths of the peasantry; and if fate
had ordained it to happen to her also,
Rika would have been as glad and proud
a maiden as ever the sun had shone on.
But she would listen to no words of love
from one whose hand was as good as
given to another
Thus she thought as she walked slowly
homeward.
So the next day little barefooted
boy the child of a neighboring farmer
was sent to the palace by Rika with
Prince Eric's gift, carefully tied up in a
piece of linen cloth cut from the corner
of web which she herself had woven
from flax raised from the seed, and pre-
pared by her own deft hands.
Could the unconscious trinket have
told Eric that Rika's bright eyes had
fingered lovingly and respectfully upon
it, and that she had pressed it to her
lips again and again, it might have les
sened his chagrin in receiving his pres
emf back again.
AS it was, it only kindled anew his
determination to win Rika for his own,
be the consequences what they might.
1t should not be said of him that low
peasant girl had given him, the Crown
Prince of Sweden, such rebuff.
He threw large cloak over his rich
court suit, and thus disguised he mount
ed Olaf, his fayorite hunter, and hast
ened towards Rika's home.
Hot anger was contendino with his
love for the rustic beauty as he rode
along.
But when he at last reached the Dor
ders of the cleared patch of land in the
forest which held the little cottage, had
dismounted from his horse and tied him
to sapling, and found himself stand
ing at the door, awaiting his answer to
his rap, allwas forgotten but the thought
that he was soon to gaze upon the beau
tiful face which had haunted his fancy
so persistently since fate had first
brought it before him.
Rlka opened the door and stood for
an instant in glad surprise, gazing up
into her lovers face in utter forgetful-
ness Of the difference intheir stations.
"Ah! little one, thy face for once tells
me all that | wish to know Thou lowest
me-! | see it in those eyes.
And before Rika had time to retreat
he caught her to his heart and imprint
ed passionate kisses upon her trembling
! lips. ?
She drew herself from his encircline
arms, and stood painting like a fright
ened fawn.
Then she threw herself at his feet,
and, clasping her hands entreatingly,
she said:
con, most noble Prince, let it not be
put against thy record that innocence
and virtue received no respect at thy
hands! Go, entreat you! Should my
father return and find thee here, he
would surely first kill me and then kill
himself, in shame and despair! Oh,
go!''
" mean thee no harm, Rika. l love
thee; and when one loves he hurts not
the object of that love. To win thee
will give up my heirship to the crown
to my brother John; and while he wears
the diadem upon his brow I will con-
tent myself with love and happiness
with thee"
Not so. noble Eric" said Rika,
firmly; eff thou wouldst make such a
sacrifice, |, for one, will not be party
to it. After such marriage entailing
as it would, so much loss-love would
prove but a transient guest within our
home. Reproaches would drive the tickle
god away
/" Tell me the truth, Rika, !" interrupts
ed Eric, with passionate earnestness;
''do you love mep"
| $50 well that / would rather die
than know than harm would come to
one so noble through any influence Of
mine.
and yet you refuse to make me
happy"
81 refuse to work your ruin, noble
Prince. The present is not all of life.
But see-the sunlight has already
reached the middle point of your dial!
In ten more minutes my father will be
here. If thou wouldst shield me from
harm, 60"
g will obey now; but I will not
promise to give up the hope which lured
me hither. Farewell for a time, most
obdurate maiden
Then, with long, lingering, re-
gretful look, the Prince turned and de-
parted.
Days and weeks passed on.
At last came time which was to
plunge the nation into mourning. The
good and great Gustavus was stricken
with mortal illness.
He died and was laid beside his KING
ly progenitors, and Eric was the reign
ing sovereign in Sweden.
Young, impulsive and his own mas
ter, with his heart filled with but one
image, is it to be wondered at that he
suffered no obstacle to delay his union
with the maiden of his love, after the
days of his mourning weresfully &C
complished, and that the pretty nut
girl of Sweden became its crowned
Queenp
Search the annals of history, and you
will find the romantic story of the mar
rage on record, adding still another folk
tale to those the country maidens tell
over to each other at that witching time
between daylight and starlight. when all
nature is going to rest and young hearts
are attuned to sympathy with all true
lovers.
"A letter from Truckee, Cal, saws:
'SThe people of this place were aston
ished at an early hour one morning re-
Gently by the unusual sight of a crowd
of boys, numbering in all fifteen or