The Mineral argus. [volume] (Maiden, Mont.) 1883-1886, 1885-01-15

that grand, easy way of his, and looked
into her eyes and asked her, "Princess,
will You do me the honor of becoming
my wife," And she had blusled and
looked down, and, holding her hana to
her heart to still its wild beating. had
answered him, "Yes, sire;" while the
Tzigones' violins suddenly crashed ont
the first note of the "Tcheque March"
that sublime song Of triumph and en-
thusiasm.
Alas! how soon that happiness had
fed Six months of error and illusion
scarcely six months-and then one day,
before her baby was born, she found
out by cruel chance that she had
been deceived, that the king did not
love her, that he never had loved her,
and that the very day after his mar
riage he had supped with Gazella, the
first dancer Of the Prague Theatre,
light woman. And that WAS not all
Sho had found Out-what every one
but herself knew-OttOkar's old liaison
with the Countess Pzilorann, by whom
he had three children, whom he had
never abandoned, in the midst OF
hundred capriccs, and whom lie had
actually dared to make first lady IN
waiting to his wife. The Queens love
was killed on the spOt-the delicate,
shy love she had never dared to confess
to her husband, the love that she now
compared to tame bird she had killed
when she was little girl, squeezing it
suddenly in her hand when she had
been startled by the noise Of servant
breaking q vase.
She had son certainly. and she low
ell him, but it was terrible sometimes,
when she was sitting by the gilded and
coroneted Grad, of her little sleeping
Wlalislas, to feel cold SILVER pass
over her heart at the sight of the child,
the offspring of man who had so wick
edly and cruelty outraged her. Besides,
she never had him to herself-ney er all
to herself. 1t was not at all as 1t had
been in her kind parents court-and
that was another grief that had been
driven ont by a revolution. Here in
this ancient and naughty court OF BOhe-
mia everything was done according to
the laws OF the strictest etiquette. A
whole host of governesses and dry
nurses, stiff old ladies with grand man
ncrs and lofty airs, surrounded the roy
al cradle, and, when the Queen came
to see her son and kiss him she was
told with solemnity, "His highness
coughcd . little last night" or "his
highness is cutting q tooth" And il
seemed to her as il the chilly breath of
these women blew over her mothers
heart and quenched and frOze il.
She could really bear it no longer,
poor Queen-her life was too hard.
And SO sometimes, when she was over
| ...:Al, :.,f cu,rs o1,o ,soo.1
to get leave from the king to pay
visit to the Queen Of Moravia, who had
taken refuge in France. She would
fly away and escape, as from prison
alone, for it was contrary to the tradi-
tons that the heir-apparent should
travel without his father--to weep out
all her griefs on her gray-haired moth
er's neck
This time she had left without asking
permission. suddenly. only staying to
leave a rapid kiss on the slceping
Wladislas's forehead. for she was mad
with disgust and shame.
The debauchery Of the king became
more notorious daily. He had wives
and families now in every town in
Bohemia. in every one Of his hunting
boxes. He was laughing stock every
where, and in the streets OF Prague
they sang satirical verses, asking what
was to become of all this illegitimate
race, and whether Ottokar, like Angus.
tus the Strong before him, would enroll
his bastards in a squadron Of guards of
honor. 10 provide for the wants of
his numerous progeny, the king turned
everything into money, and drained and
indebted the State. The trade in
decorations was especially scandalous.
There was a tailor at Vienna who was
quoted as having made his fortune by
selling to amateurs of foreign orders, o
certain dress-coat at 500 forms, with
the ribbon of the most illustrous order
of Bohemia. military order that lated
back to the Thirty Years War, in its
buttonhOle.
What is wrong? The train has
begun to go more slowly; it has
stopped. What is the meaning of
this stoppage in the open coun-
try in the middle Of the night? The
General and the Baroness have awak.
ened very anxious; the lord in. waiting
has let down the glass and is leaning
out into the darkness. and suddenly the
guard who is running along in the
snow beside the carriage, stops and
raises his lantern. lighting up the brist.
ling white mustaches and fur cap of the
| General.
"What il the matter? Why are We
stopping?" asks old Horschowitz.
THE matter is that we shall have to
stop here for an hour a. least. The
| Parisians will have to do without their