Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-09-28
limit she had placed upon their approaches;
they should at least regpect heri

rare penetration, recognized beneath the
brusque exterior the true worth and loyalty
of this girl, SO beautiful yet so unfortunate,
but bearing her troubles and her mortifca-
ton with the courage of a strong, reserved
nature.
Did he wish to marry herl Yes, and to
take her from a life so full of peril, to carry
her to his mother, q tender, loving woman,
who would surround her with the peaceful
atmosphere Of home; in word, his love
should save her. Nay, more than this, he
dreamed that Olga OWNED his hopes, and
that at those ~ to 6 teas" Of the Countess
Barbarine's, where ell Of her adorers were
treated with the careless frankness of ''bon
camarade," her eyes met his with a look in
their depths that responded to his generous
pity, his infinite love
eyes, Mile. Barbarine, my leave Of alb
sence expires in ten days. I leave Pau to-
morrow to spend few hours with my sister
in Touraine; after that depart for Brest as
aide-de-camp to the Marine project. In a
year, or eighteen months at most, shall
again be at sea-"
They were alone in a corner Of tho Cas-
sion's reading room, standing at an open
window looking out upon the night and a
sky that sparkled with millions of stars.
"Adieu, then, mon ami" replied Olga, in
her clear, frank voice, ''and bon voyage;
but I've something to ask Of you, Mons. dc
Rhe, before we part. Give me the Liens
Claw which you wear upon your watch
guard as trinket. / want it. 1t came from
a lion which you killed while in Africa, did
it not? A sort of wild beast myself, the
trinket suits me. Give it to me, pleasefn
eyes" said Julian, slipping the trinket OF
the ring and laying it in the young girls
hand Something in the touch of those little
fingers ran through his veins like fire. He
could no longer restrain himself, but cried
aloud:
81 love you, Olga; love you-wiu you be
my wifefo
For moment Olga did not answer but re-
manned with her hand in his, her dark eyes
fixed upon his face.
"No!" she said at last, slowly and without
trace Of emotion; "no, and yet you are The
frst-the only one-who has ever loved me
sufficiently to ask it Of me; for that reason !
refuse you'll"
"Olga"-- began Julian, in strangled
voice
"StopI' she continued, with decided ges-
ture. "You must listen to me and under
stand Alright why it is that / say to you, No
"a thousand times no! if necessary to con-
vince you 1t is-that / arm not worthy Of
you, and that | should make you unhappy.
Do you remember" she went on, her words
sounding cold and firm through the stiffness
of the night, "the letter that you thought
you had lost from your sister! All, we'll my
friend, you let it fall here; picked it up and
read it. 1t was her reply to the confidence
you had made her of your sentiments for me,
sentiments which / have known for many
weeks. She rejoiced, artless and tender child
that she is, but in terms that showed me as
nothing has ever done before what pro-
found, what humiliating difference exists
between a pure young girl like that and one
brought up ikemyself In reading that let
ter, full of intimate and touching plans and
details, saw that your family was an old
and noble one, of honorable and un-
stained pedigree and of honest wives
and mothers Thank God, Mons de
Rhe, thank him hourly, that the
woman who brought you into the world is
one of whom you can never think without
feeling something indescribably sweet throb-
bling in the depths of your soul. l also have
mother-I, Olga Barbarine. You have only
seen her frivolous, perhaps ridiculous; l have
been forced to judge her. If you were to ask
her for my hand she would refuse you You
are not prince; your fortune is only mode
rate My mother has determined - my
mother has brought me up--to make an ex-
allied marriage-or otherwise. Truly, my
friend, have had bitter experience for a
girl Of 10 years! 1t is horrible, is it not!
Nevertheless, it is true. Behold why we
were last winter at Nice, last summer at
Skeweningue, why we are now at Pau, and
why we roll like baggage from one end of
Europe to the other. My mother, you under
stand" spot Of crimson burning in her
cheeks, "rny mother has been almost royal
princess; she has made me comprehend, and
to comprehend it from the hour l was Is
years Of age, that was destined to become a
duchess at least, Inorganatic one, if neces-
sary, but still duchess! 4 marriage with a
gentleman almost simple citizen would in
her eyes degrade me. l know that inspire
You with disgust, Mons. de Rhe; I shudder at
myself" continued Olga, the even tones of
her voice for the first time breaking into q
sob, ''but do not speak, do not protest; it is
npossiblc that you can present, impossible
that you can truly wish to present, to your
family as your iancoe or your wife one who
has such memories and such dirt in her heart
as l. Besides, am only an object of luxury,
costly and useless, which you do not need,
and which would not bring you happiness.
dare not, l do not, / viii not love you'll /
love no one; it is forbidden mel Do not
speak, implore you; It's useless; but love
me forever and-goI"
Three years later, on q rough and stormy
night, the transport Couedic, returning from
Senegal, put into port at the Canaries to take
up the mail, then continued on her way.
Shortly after her departure the baggage mas
ter entered the officers room and placed upon
the table package of letters and papers; and
Julian Rhe, opening Paris journal, already
a month old, read under the heading of
News OF the Day" the following lines: His
royal highness, the king of Suabia, travelling,
as all the world knows, in the strictest incog-
nito, under the title of Count of Augsburg,
has been at the Hotel Grande Louvre since
yesterday morning. A very disagreeable in
cident occurred at the railroad station at the
moment of his arrival The baroness Of Hall,
who, accompanied only by her mother, the
Countess Barbarane, has made the voyage
with his majesty, lost a trinket of little
value, but to which it appears the lady at
taches the greatest Importance. 1t was a
simple lions claw mounted upon ring Of
gold. Nine. de Hail has offered reward Of
1000 francs for the recovery of the same
"Wake up, Julian; wake up, my boy; isn't
this your watchsn cried a voice at his elbow;
they are piping from below"
"Thanksr said De Rhe, throwing aside
the paper and answering the call like NAN
reused from dream.
That night the lookout, who was alone on
the footbridge with the officer of the watch.
saw tho latter more than once carry his
handkerchief to his face; although the wind
was high and the ocean rough it seemed In