Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-12-15

j
~ concerned this very agitated lady
was the question OF how Alonzo had
thus far acted and OF how at any mo-
ment he might take it into his head to
act. Here he was, returned to Sal
travia, the bosom friend of the kings
bosom friend He must have heard
that Clarimond was intensely capti-
waited with Kathleen. Everybody was
talking of the affair. Stories had got
afioat that the princess of Brindisi had
already pleaded by letter the interven-
ton of the emperor.
"You are so reticent, my DEAR" she
said to Kathleen one evening at the end
of the kings third visit. lyon never
will tell me what he says about Alonzo
to you. Does he not mention him.
Rarely, mamma, and then always
with kindness"
Kindness, m-yes." Mrs. Kennaird
pursed her lips a little. They're still
friends, then?'
Friends? Oh, yes.''
81 suppose Alonzo hasn't dared TO say
a word against you, Kathleen. Other
wise he'd certainly have relieved HIM
self of untold spleen, my dear
.'He never carried grudges," the girl
said, as If her own thought was her sole
auditor.
''Wen, even if he didn't! Heaven
knows he had monopoly of most other
faults!" At this particular time any
praise of Alonzo was for some reason
specially nauseous to Mrs. Kennaird.
And as for keeping silent about, us to
the king, why, there isn't the least doubt
I that he'll do So How would he dare
do otherwise, now that Clarinond has
become your actual slave
Mammal Mammal exclaimed Katf1-
! 1een. ''You will make me so ridiculous
if anyone by chance overhears you in
/ these moods
'sMoods?'' bristled her mother. .sWhat
moods? I'm ercessiUely reticent! You
are so droll at times, Kathleeni AS If
than 1 do the splendid, the unparal-
leled honor which overhangs YOU
! Kathleen looked fixedly at the speaker,
with her eyes E,oistening little and
her under lip trembling. 'sI-I wish you
would not speak like this she faltered.
eft distresses me 500
Her mother continued, however, stat
! ing that she had not the vaguest doubt
Clarinond would soon startle his court
more keenly than he had dreamed of
startling it before; that Kathleen had
only to wait little while longer and
the stars would drop ripe and shining
in her lap; that all past annoyance,
modification, defeat was to end glOri-
ously in unique triumph.
Northumberland and then slipped,
as soon as she could, into. the privacy Of
her own chamber. The king had said
| that he would revisit her to-day. There
was only an hour yet before the time of
his coming. She did not want to see
| him again, and yet she did want to see
him again. What was it? Did it mean
that he might bring her certain tidings
Of Alonzo? Did it mean this? Did it
really mean this? Or was she infected
with the fervor Of her mothers over
leaping ambition? Her mother! Tho
sense of that personality, that compan-
ionship, SO tremendous, SO drastic in it's
influence, its domination, terrified her.
She looked into her own brain. rs it
were, and found there nothing but a
depressing tu1nult. How would she act
if action should indeed be required Of
/ her? No, no; the need of such action
would not, could not, come. He, a
king! It was faulty to dream of what
her mother had SO boldly prophesied.
| Her hands were at intervals very trenl-
ulous while she dealt with her toilet;
and once or twice she felt as if she must
desist from it and seek the one sort of
| aid that just then would have been
least to her taste.
But when the king came she received
him with much composure. Her mother
was to-day in visible throes. To Kathleen
her disarray was pathetic. The per
turbed lady gave one or two spasmodic
W a nj fII1 tray fu
of her usual serene equipoise. She was
so drunk with the heady wine fur
nished by the fact of this fourth royal
visit that eXhilaration made her almost
stagger. Clarimond, calm and gentle
manlilze as usual, appeared to notice
nothing. perhaps" thought Kathleen.
che is used to such grovelling servility.
Poor mamma, will she ever get out OF
the room with a decent grace, she who
has prided herself for years on doing
nothing awkwardly?" =
But at last the door closed on Mrs.
Kennaird's ducking and cringing figure
AS this happened Kathleen breathed an
audible sigh Of relief. The sigh ended
in feverish laugh, and she said, with
sudden candor, to her guest:
Its dreadful how you've demoralize6
my mother. You must see, so I men.
ton its
''Demoralized her? I?''
sob! then you don't see, monsieur
mamma isn't accustomed to kings; that
is ALL
''And are you?" he said with his sweet
kind smile. They were now seated op
posite one another, and near large
window that gave one fine view of the
mountains and still finer view of bis
white, many-turreted palace.
NO." she answered. But mamma
Oh! you must have noticed. You're a
royalty, as they call it, and you've
turned her head. It's odd, too, for she
has met al sorts of great people-prime
ministers, dukes, even the English
prince himself. 1 seem so vuL
gar when 1 talk like thisi I do hope
you'll excuse me- No doubt, you are
used to embarrassing people, especially
Americans
He shook his head, smiling. tT have
always thought it rather hard to EN-
barrass Americans" he replied. lone
in particular" he added; and then his
smile deepened, as he watched her with
a glance full of drollery both frank and
sly.
IF you mean me, monsieur" she re
! II. SsT