Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-29

LII tdOSO AoAO hAoeSA~S ~~SS
where some such human union has existed,
crowned and throned, should say that the
possible sacredness and dignity of king.
have found their sole true medium OF ex
preston. You have seen DR.. Wouver
mann?"
Yes, monsieur. Luckily met him Just
as he was leaving the ball room, which he
smilingly told me was no fit place for 9
clergyman.
1--WE may count on him, then7''
Oh, yes, monsieur"
"The signal from Lispenard is to Be sfew
tinkles of that silver bell on the altar"
you mean, if she consents?" -.
''If she consents-yes. If not, he Will
simply come to me and tell me of his fail.
ure, after having conducted her back to the
tinued, 'that she will consent to let DR..
Wouvermann marry them tonight. They
have both been through so much heart
breaking tribulation! And if, as you sug-
gest Madame Kennaird. has certain more
ambitious views for her child, that lady
will doubtless oppose their marriage in the
future with new zeal born of chagrin. She
appears already to have brewed for both OF
them q prodigious amount of misery. From
all that I can learn, her interference has
risen between them like q column of thick
fume, through which they have viewed dis
tortedly one another's acts. Her influence
has been that of malignancy, and shall
regret if she remains in Saltravia, provided
her daughter Gas the wife of Lispenard)
shall so choose. But what am I saying.
dear Eric? Lispenard may choose to resign
his ofice-who can tell?"
s'T am certain he will not resign it, mon
sieur!" cried Eric 81 am certain, too, that
he feels. this hour, as feel. am certain
he realized, as do, that you are the soul
and center of all that is self-abnegating,
grandly generous!"
Thanks, Eric; those words are surely
rich in encouragement You know / do mo-.
care for eulogy; but when one strives to-
ward an ideal of conduct as Istrive now, the
cheer of loved friend is like Q warm hand
clasp in darkness
Just then a little silvery sound reached
their ears. Clarimond sprang to his feet.
Eric saw his lips twitch and his hands for o
brief instant clench themselves at his sides.
'"The signal" he said. She has consented.
Go for DR.. Wouvermann. You will be wit
ness, you know, Eric, and L" he smiled,
but to his observer the smile teemed with a
terrible melancholy-'I shall give the bride
away"
In the ballroom they had begun to miss
the King. When at last he appeared it was
in company with Kathleen, Eric and Alonzo.
The floor was full of dancers: conversation,
by rare and copious wines,
reigned in merry babbles that almost threat
ened to drown the music.
Clarimond went to his mother, who sat
talking with several gentleman. Blanca
d Este. also seated. was at her side. The
gentlemen slightly withdrew as he ap-
preached, making lane for him while he
to the low estrads where these
ladies were placed.
'You are not looking wellr' murmured
of it; 1 do SO hope, however, that your
looks mean nothing serious. Blanca, here,
has been quite anxious. Is it not true, my
darling?" And the Princess, taking the
Italian girls hand, drew her forward lit
tie, the marvellous corsage of precious stones
giving forth jets of multi-colored light as
she moved.
Eyes, yes," fell from Blanca "we were
both greatly worried"
Clarimond sent kindly glance straight
into her blue, solicitous eyes. As he did
SO, it flashed through his mind:
'1 will never love any other woman As
long as I live. But this maiden might
make me the worthiest of queens, the truest
Of wives. One day may ask her hand
provided my mother preserves her present
change from arrogance to kindliness. But
not now Now it would be a horror!''
Mrs. Kennaird, during supper, had re-
,eived with furtive tingles of delight the
of an Austrian archduke and q
Russian ambassador. She had not noticed
kathleen's absence. The Archduke, who
was past 60, but still handsome and Of the
suavest manners, had whispered in her ear
hat King Clarimond, who did Whatever he
hose, might perhaps do himself the honor
% request the hand of her divine daughter.
The elderly Russian Ambassador, over
hearing this remark as be presented her
With an lee and a glass of champagne, de-
Jared that his royal master would never
lave gone to Denmark for a bride if he had
lad the delight Of seeing "Msdemoiselle,
retire file"
"Ah, Prince" cried Mrs Kenna1rd, in
Ter most genial trebles and with her very
acceptable, if imperfect, French, ''there has
lever yet been an American queen, and
imagine there never will be! My poor,
innocent child has never dreamed of such
IN honor, and really if it were
'fered her, she would hardly know how to
year it.
The Austrian and Russian exchanged
.lances. They were both men of very high
ank, and it is probable that they abhorred
he tenets of Clarimond while respecting
md perhaps loving his character. That he
hould marry an American girl, though her
'eauty were brighter than the Spartan
ielen's and her breeding beyond Recam-
er's, no doubt struck them both as the
ssence of the ridiculous. But while they
nay Cor may mott have thus quickly and
acitly told one another their mutual con-
enly appeared, with Alonzo in her wake.
the wife, felt far bolder than if
he were Kathleen, the unwedded. Or
erhaps, because she was herself so intoxi-
ated by JOY, it seemed to her as if few
7ords, delivered aside to her mother,
night soften the sense of calamity they i'm |
arted.
This, however, was not true. Mrs Ken |
aird heard her low-voiced tidings and |
hivered, as though an arctic blast had in |
AIDED the ballroom.
Meanwhile the ball went on, eddying, |
7hirling, billowing, in that ecstacy of dance |
eloved by the young of opposite sexes
he sweet, mild means Of the violins were |
ancous screeches in the ears of Mrs. Ken
aird, but in other feminine ears they were |
ender melodies of promise, of elation, of |
elicious inebriety.
Didnca Lste bsaIu tnem ana noPeQ. line
'rincess of Brindisi heard them and half |
oped, half doubted. Eric Thaxter heard |
hem and sighed, because of that mystic
nd grievous Partisan past, concerning which |
e had perchance by this time spoken still |
,ore disclosingly to his dearest friend
'larimond, King of Saltravia, heard them
nd thrilled with the pain of sacrifice,
hough glsddened by that sense of self-con-
uest which is the sweet wages of honor, as
sense of self-debasement is the bitter
7ages of sin.
Alonzo and Kathleen heard them, and |
he yoluminous cadences they breathed |