The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-03-18
CLARA DE VENEZUELA.

night when the darkness lends hi:
robes to monster fear and heavens
black mantle. banishing the light
Grapes everything in forms of ugly
Japanese art-work woe. From within
the heavy mullioned windows lights
flash out and even gid the gloom,
The low, unhealthy moan of the
trace-chained bull dog without
mingles with the tempestuous, gang
saw voice of the mosquito within. and
the soughing winds whistle through
the turrets of the royal hen house
like an asthmatic fat man climbing
over fence.
1t is festal night In the castle.
Philip St. Vincent Vermicilli the sole
heir of the lordly house OF Vermicilli
has arrived and pulled off his boots.
Is not the mission of his errand to de-
mand the hand of the Princess Clara
the only lovely daughter OF King
Rodriguez di Venezuela?
1t is.
All the noble knights OF the realm
are assembled in the stately, grand
ancestral halls of the castle. King
Rodriguez ascends the throne on step
ladder. All is us still as death, and
each OF the noble guests could have
distinctly heard dray pin drop on a
nigger's head in the wide wide waste
OF frescoed court yard far below.
But it didn't drop.
The king raises his voice and elo-
cutes
Stand forth most noble Vermicilli.
and you too me well beloved daugh-
ter Clara; form in a hollow square in
dress parade before me"
With slow and carefully measured
steps the pair approach and kneel at
the big foot OF the throne ermicilli
with a proud, naughty don't.give a.
cont air. and the Princess Clara deeply
yelled and trembling with a large and
varied assortment of agitation.
Her royal father remarks in voice
in which paternal affection and fine
cut struggle for the mastery:
do you, most lordly. courtly YER
micilli, accept the hand of me beauti-
full daughter the worshipful Princess
ClaraP'
Il do" calculated the happy, ex-
pectant lover.
"And you, me daughter, do you &C
cept the hand of the noble Vermi-
cillip"
AS the Princess Clara heard these
words she glanced up with a quick, in
telligeut look on her handsome, heavi-
ly-powdered features, and with sud-
den jerk tore the wedding veil from
her black hair. Tall and stately as she
draws herself up with the innate mod
esty OF a telephone pole she captures
the heart of every beholder Large
luminous eyes, flashing jet black hair
and feet-but we cannot describe
them. We have not space enough IN
this paper to do them justice.
Before the words of her father cease
to reverberate throughout the grand
and gloomy corridors, she disgorges a
wild imprisoned shrek and kneeling
before the throne in agonized tones
and with tears coursing down her
nose, she clamOrously appeals 20 her
father:
Spare me, oh. noble sire! Fancy
my feelings linked for life to man
seventy-fve years old, bow-legged,
with commercial teeth, and nose
like the Orient at sunrise. Do not
ask your daughter to throw herself
away and blight her life for all time
and eternity Better resolve yourself
into a committee OF the whole and
reconsider the vote, old man."
As he heard these cruel words, a
81. so frown arose at Vermicilli's col
lar-button, euveloped his whole face
and at-latch, and. passing over
his Parian marble brow, slipped down
into the back of his neck The old
king could hardly believe his own
ears bus as they had never gone back
on him before, he concluded to trust
them Drawing himself proudly up,
he gradually assumed an utterly i'm.
possible attitude, and with clenched
fists and livid countenance, he howled:
'Ha! Base Kite! Me own daughter
turned tra-a-a-itress! 1t is too much
much too much. Tell me that me ears
deceived me. Say oh, unsay those
cruel baleful words. Say that you
will wed with Vermicilli, and all shall
be forgivenr'
No, father said the girl. gesticu-
lating like a pair of governor balls on
an engine, it can never be- l will
only marry the best and noblest man
in the world. / want no hand-me.
down relic, who looks as though he
had been snatched out OF a second
hand store. Call tournament of the
most illustrious youths known to chiv-
airy and put an advertisement in the
papers that l will marry the one with
the most noble carriage, the choicest
In the land, he who shows off to the
best advantage. That's me- that's
your daughter. Miss Clara"
We'll, " said the king, as he fell
back in his chair thoroughly bluffed.
IF that is the case" 1 suppose you
must have your own way. Sir Vermi-
Gill; l heartily beg your pardon for
the slight inconvenience to which you
have been subjected. but it seems to
be the best l can do for you to-day.
q,