Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-05-19
the dusty road her poor little brain was
pudding itself over question to which

CURED it; 30, perhaps, 1t 10 not 80
strange that the obvious solution never
occurred 10 her. And then she Thought
again sadly Of the carriage that had
paesed her-of its two occupants.
The next morning she went about her
tasks with throbbing temples and hands
that were dry and feverish. But the
poor must work, work--always, even as
the very beasts OF burden they own. 80
she went on 10 the city.
As she stood beside her fruit in the
street. an exquisite, 1.-the figure, with the
square OF snowy linen on her hair,
some one cried:
"There goes the King
Looking eagerly into the quietly-ap-
pointed carriage that passed she saw On
old. feeble man, whose gray head rested
wearily against the cushions, but with
an amused smile on bis lips. On the
seat before him. eagerly talking. win
his dark face bright and animated, she
saw the Kingl Nes, it was be Tessa
face glowed like q rose just ralned on by
q long-needed summer shower. She had
seen him, and she forgot to try TO explain
why they had called him "old.'
The wicker psnniers went home empty
that night, for many stopped to buy Just
TO watch the girls brilliant face. Per
fectly happy faces are not 80 common
that one can pass them by without Sc
cond look.
A week after that Victor Martini and
Marie DORA, his bride-betrothed, we're
driving slowly through the streets. Sud
denly the woman said
"What an exquisite face victor.
stop, and let us buy some fruit OF her.
Tessa saw "that carriage stop at a
little distance and two people de-
scend and walk slowly toward her. For
n moment her heart stop beating, and
then went on wildly, for the King YVES
coningl The King, with blinking
spurs and in his blue coat, black-braided
and gold-laced, and with a small cap
half off his dark head. Coming, his
face bent toward his companion, the
careless swing in his gait-all his GLAD
presence. They had reached her aud
stopped and bought figs, and large
plums, and purple and red grapes, and
fragrant peaches had called the foot
man to take them to the carriage.
"Where do YOU bring them from, cara
mia ?" the Marchess had asked her but
she could not speak. Then
How much, child ?"
But Tessa had no voice. The hand
some ouestioner had turned away in i'm
patience. Glow Disappointing A per
fectly stupid expression-nCt worth the
trouble of stopping and had gone to-
ward the carriage.
But Martini stopped to give her n
piece of money, and Tessa had found a
little voice to falter:
&" II lie "
"The King !" hehad laughed. "What
of the King? Child, do you know bow
lovely You are ?" Suddenly arrested by
some expression in her face he had lifted
his cap as if she were a grand signora,
and. with muttered apology, had
turned slowly and rejoined his COM
panion. The story her eyes told was
unmistakable and pathetic IN its uncon-
seriousness.
The long days OF summer wore away,
and autumn and winter get III. Iessa
went very rarely now to Rome. There
was no more fruit to sell, and there was
work to be done within doors. Then,
too. the old grandmother had sickened
and needed her care. But one day she
had heard, 1.-The King is dying"
1t was a cold day in January, and the
SiraccO had brought long rains and
clouds, and the wind blew bitterly.
Tessa wrapped herself in an old cloak
that had been her fathers and started
for Rome. The poor child hardly knew
what she was doing as she struggled
along through the storm with all her
strength. and at last came opposite the
great barracks near the colosseum. Be
hind her she heard the clatter of horses
hoofs but only vaguely realized theiE
significance. Right in the way OF his
terrified horses, madly rushing along
the streets with a wrecked carriage be-
hind them, the little blue-cloaked figure
was walking calmly, unconscious OF 1t:
peril. A tsrdy shout from some passer-
by, "Take care
Too late. The horses rushed past,
leaving small, still heap OF blue and
white in the muddy road.
Victor Martini, inst emerging from
the great gateway, seeing that some one
was hurt, brushed aside the group, and,
lifting her in his arms, carried her with
in. Then they saw the terrible injuries.
Her coarse white bodice was fast Grim
soninc from the cruel wound in hel
chest, whence her life-blood vas flowing
The soldiers gathered about and some
one hurried for the surgeon. but 1t was
plain that no skill known to man coulC
avail to save that young life ebblng away
before their very eyes. Victor, horrihed
held her against his shoulder-a small
white face in its frame OF dusky hsir dis
torted by the suffering she could not en-
dure. Presently light of intelligence
dawned in her eyes and sudden bright
ness glorifed her face.
1.-The King she said, in q sweet
strong voice. "They said you were
dying, so l came"
=" The King p" He was bewildered
"Ah. the King is dead but what do yoI
care? Ny poor child, you are frightful
" hurt. Why cannot some one hell
her ?" he cried, looking about in furious
helplessness, as a spasm OF agony
wrenched her crushed little body. Blu
she Eas speaking again
"Why, you-you are the King. The
King Is not dead
lie thought she wandered. Once more
she spoke:
"Why did they call him odd ? All
I kncw it was the King and they sale
he was dying, and / believed. The.
were wrong-all wrong"
And then, III this supreme hour
ignorant and bewildered as she had beer
all her little life, she leaned her heaC
back against his shoulder. and, looking
into the face of tho King, died.
Sir Richard +. Webster. Attorney
General.
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