Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-12-15
CHAPTER x.-coNr1NuEp.


tinued sojourn is one of sufferance
alone
''Suferance!" gasped the princess.
Precisely. You came here with two
motives. The first was to pit yourself
against faiths and principles of mine
which are part of my very life. The
second was to try and force me into q
marriage of the merest loveless conven-
ton. The weapons you have used in
either case were the same that dealt
my dead father the keenest grief, and
perhaps drove him prematurely to his
grave. sYours, madam, is stormy and
truculeht spirit. I inherit nothing of
it, bot lSossibly inherit from you alone
the strdhgth of will which too long has
4clothede itself in forbearance. That
strength of viii you shall now have
chance to test AS said, you will be
watched. Being the lady highest of
rank in my kingdom, viii accord you
the right Of receiving my guests on
Thursday. But If the least sign of dis
courtesy is shown by you toward any
guest who crosses the threshold of my
palace. on the morrow you shall be con-
Quoted where the turbulence and rebel
lion OF your disposition may boil and
foment to the discomfort of others rath-
it is all quite plain between u.s.
''Quite plainl' muttered the princess.
Yes, 1 see-I see. You wish to crowd
your rooms with vulgarians.''
You need not gaze upon those vul-
garians unless you so desire. Certainly
number Of people whom you viii rate
as vulgarians VIII present themselves.
Among these viii be a young lady-an
American, or an Angio-American, /
might more truly call her-with whom
I shall open the ball. Her name is
Kathleen Kennaird, and I shall dance
the first quadrille with her. She is the
most beautiful woman / have ever seen,
the most beautiful 1 would ever expect
to see, though l should live two lives in
stead of one. But were she a hunch-
back negress, fresh from Africa in her
beads and warpaint, it need matter
nothing either to you or those assem-
bled. | am master; 1 am king For
my actions account to no one save my
self
He passed, with an air of unwonted
but very distant pride, down along the
waxed floor of the spacious saloon. But
she, who had heard him with one or two
convulsive shudders, now gave a kind
of wrathful spring, both hands hanging
clenched at her sides.
''You will account to your emperor!''
she called. ''You are not so great as
you vaunt yourself, Clarimond of Sal
travail You-you are just mad enough
to marry this creature. ] recall now
that one of your cousins, the king of
-Saxony's own nephew, too, disgraced
himself by q low marriage. No doubt
it is in your blood to do such horrible
things. But will prevent this The
princess face glistened with little beads
OF sweat and her eyes were blazing. 81
will so to the emperor at once, 1 will"
She recoiled, for Clarimond hurried
back toward where she had Stood half
covering in her frenzy. It seemed to
the princess that perhaps he might
actually mean her some personal vio-
lence, though if her mind had proved
less cIouded by anger and dismay she
his usually gentle spirit such course,
in any circumstances, would have been
=unthinl1able.
All that the king meant to do was to
seize the bell-rope which a brief while
ago he had desisted from Selling. But
now reaching the spot where it hung
he gave it a strong pull, and almost inn
.mediately two footmen, in the royal
livery, answered his summons.
''You shall go at once to the emperor
he said, in low and very tranquil
voice. ST will give these men orders
for carriages and will see that a special
train is prepared for you the Instant you
reach
mo, no." broke hoarsely from the
princess. 'Send them away! IL did
not mean what 1 said" In a trice she
had grown piteously humble. ssI-I
was more than half in joke, my dear
-Clarimond;' and n little pathetic jet of
laughter broke from her lips, like an
oeffete spirit from a ruined fountain.
The king looked at her with great
zsteadiness for second or two. LAS you
wish,' he then said, and gave sign of
dismissal to the two servants, who
promptly vanished.
The princess had indeed pulled in
sail. Her son had seemed to her, dur
ing the few past minutes, like rock
against which she would only waste
her strength in vain. Besides, she was
UNNECESSARILY proud of his kingship,
and would have suffered untold regret
if the emperor had presumed to attempt
his deposition. It was all quite clear
10 her mind in this brief interval; she
had gone too far. She might have
known that the lion in him would sud-
denly tGrn on her like this. He would
Keep the very letter of his menace, too,
unless her tactics were changed forth
with. Revolving in their democracy
though she held his views to be, here
after she must conform to them or leave
these lovely Saltravian hills. And sure
" she was quartercd here in a most
magnificent way. Her two or three
italian palaces were nothing to this, in
which SO lordly a suite of chambers had
been allowed her. And then this en-
chanting valley, SO radiantly improved
in spite of all her grumblings to the con-
trary! And the waters, too; she had no
idea of the wondrous good they would
do her rheumatism. 1t might all get
stupid in the winter, but the winter
was still good distance off. Time
enough to slip of to Rome or Naples
again by the end of November. And
then there was Blanca d'Este. The
girls love for her son was now almost a
madness. For that most seemly Oh
unions there was yet q hope. Yes, a
hcpe-why not? ssSchool yourself, -
.darted through the princess mind, etc