The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-12-23
Your duty, monsieur"


because of her mother-that vicious,
mannish, Unsuitable motherl Which
course, l say, is my duty? People talk
of Quixotisml BAH As If did not
know! There was never a meaner word
created than that Quixotismr 1t has
been the cloak for countless acts of
cowardice, and Cervantes, were he alive
to-day, would regret that his genius
ever aided in its coming"
Eric dropped his head, and felt his
eyes fill with tears. He knew Just
what great throbs of noble nature
underlay this splendid bluster, this in
comparable vehemence.
Monsieur" he replied. when able to
school his voice so that he could speak
with self-governance, you have been
very right in saying that you require
no counselor. / am Alonzo Lispenard's
friend: know how he has suffered
how he suffers yeti am your devoted
servitor, and l realize the noble renun-
citation it is in your power TO make.
You yourself have limited that you are
capable of this fine self-effacement.
But did not need your own admission
to that effect. have already known
you too long not to grasp the height
and breadth of your generosity"
Clarimond turned on his heel like a
fash, threw both hands behind him.
joining them there, and then moved
slowly away.
I've horribly deceived you" he shot
over his shoulder. ~ brought you
here in the hope that. although an Amer
lean, you would prove yourself a good
courtier. and show me ample cause that
should plight troth with the woman
love"
Monsieur" replied Eric, following
him, Il am far too good courtier for
that, Sincerely as esteem your char
acter in its entirety, there is one ele-
ment of it to which | must always pay
primal obeisance."
you mean?" questioned the king. as
Eric now reached his side again. in the
fragrant twilight OF their transient re-
treat.
Your peerless conscience, your I'M
paralleled sense Of right
As the festivitv progressed. this even
ing, nearly everyone conceded that
there had been nothing at all resem-
bling it in brilliance and buoyancy for
many and many a month. Indeed,
some of the native guests roundly adj
mitted that Clarimond's reign had vet
Aen no grand assemblage 50 delight
full; for this season more foreigners
than usual had gathered at the hotels,
and among these. where position and
antecedents made it possible, the royal
invitations had been somewhat lavish
" spread. As pleasant result the en-
tertainment sparhled with novelty. At
midnight the doors of the banqueting-
hall We're opened. and wine and viands
furnished in profuse largcness wrought
just the needed result Of quickened
gayety and enlivened social zest. The
Saltravian maids and
unbent and became affa5le to
of different grades or
often of different countries from their
own. Admiration for Kathleen's beau
" waXed with the progress of the
entertainment, and after awhile many
ladies sought to know her. Mrs. Ken
uaird. who had managed II get herself
and talked to by some Of the
most prominent men present, was in
an ecstacy of self-Gratulation. She had
once come face to face with Alon2o. and
had managed TO make it appear as if
she had not Intentionally cut him. Il
was SO hard to treat anyone unamiably
tonight.
Some little time after midnight Eric
touched Alonzo on the arm. The latter
gave a kind of relieved start, and at
once said:
I'm SO glad to find You. mean to
slip away, though of course you Will not
20 yet"
You are tired 50 soon?"
''Yes-of seeing Ter. ringcd round
with her new idolators. It's getting
I shouldn't have come at
allr'
But. my dear Lonz, the king wishes
to speak with you. He has just sent
me to ask you if you viii not join him
Alonzo stood for brief while irreso- |
lutte. Then he tossed his head. bit his
lip, and said in voice almost irritable:
OF course-of course. How absurd
IF me! I'm almost forgetting that I'm
4 slave"
"a slave. Lonz. You. As if I'd let Z
you be! Come, now, take that horrible /
sentiment back. You're IS free as air, /
md you know it,
Alonzo slipped his hand into Eric's. !
IN very distressed" he answered, /
and I'm fool. Forgive me.'
1t isn't for me to forgive you"
oh, then I'll apologize to him.
You needn't. He'll never know
Come with re. dear boy
They quilted the ballroom and passed
through several dim corridors. Where
N earth are you taking me?' Alonzo /.
more than once, but Eric, as
f the question needed no reply, kept 4
pushing on. Presently, when it was
or the third time repeated, he replied,
while pushing open vague door over
which was lamp shaped like droop-
ng lotus flower:
You ought to know. It's that little
hapel You told me, when brought
-ou here, one day, an age ago, that it
vas very good You congratulated rne
N it, though you pronounced it a
plagiarism from the Sainte Chapelle in
Paris. 1t isn't, for the simple reason
hat it's copy"
TO BE CONTINUED.
1.-The Cave of Spiders"