Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-11-03

smiled AiOnZO, Wn1lc listening Ike
this to all your serious absurdities. But
are you sure that if / don't take the
place of any Saltravian bride shall
not stand in the way of one with diff
ferent nationality. You tell me that
the hotels off yonder hy the springs are
often peopled by American residents"
''Oh yes. They come here in summer,
though they have not yet fully found
out the marvellous quality OF the
springs. You see, before the unexpected
accession of Clarimond to the throne
SaltraSia had been for years in desue-
tude. The old king, his kinsman, Ill and
half blind for nearly twenty years, had
even the request Of so august an au-
thority as the emperor himself that the
hotels should be redecorated and made
attractive to wholly new order of
guests"
"And Clarimond has changed all that.
He opens his arms to Americans. And
you? Don't you open yours to anyone,
feminine American in particular"
Eric answered at first with shrug.
s'My dear boy, I've been so horribly
busy. Besides" a
.'Ah, there's besides?"
ssOh, a very commonplace one. Ifyou
recall, staid on in Paris for good
while after you left" His voice fell,
and for an instant there were tears in
it. ''Some day I'll tell you just what
happened. Only, don't ask me until
offer to tell you, Lonz; and that may be
never" He suddenly tossed his large,
! virile head, and gave his yellow beard
| quick, nervous pull. In another mo-
ment he was the old radiant triher, with
| not hint of that hidden sorrow which
it occurred to his hearer that he might
| possibly never learn. Cranky, as I've
now made up my mind, 1 could never
marry an American woman unless she
We're a mute
Eric, what do you mean?"
| s'The voice of the American woman,
my dear Lonz, is horror!"
Alonzo laughed ''Why except the
American man?"
81 don't. But one doesn't marry the
| American man"
''True. One doesn't. But I've known
not few American girls whose voices
"Of course you have. So have I. Oh,
yes, those exceptions are vocally en-
chanting. But the ordinary girl of my
own country always reminds me, when
she is charming, of splendid full blown
thistle. There are few lovelier flowers
than the thistle when seen in perfec-
ton. 1t has unique perfume, and a
symmetry that repays the closest OBJ
servance. But try to pluck it and you
are sure to recoi1."
''Bah," replied Alonzo, laughing; 'it's
| the same affair with moss-rose."
Eric frowned with great gloom.
''Lonz, you have done the most scandal
GUS injury. I can pardon the man who
smites me on the cheek or who robs me
from the person. But for him who
wantonly spoils one Of my smiles can
only cherish Borgian hatred
Then they both broke into a laugh,
their eyes meeting in amica1 joyance
under the wax lights that beamed on
their fruits and wine. 81 won't admit
your hatred to be quite Borgian," urged
Alonzo, 'sfor am sure this velvet Bur-
gundy hasn't been poisoned"
"You poison it with your own sar-
casms," returned Eric. Then, after a
slight pause: There will be a late
moon tonight. Shall we watch it for a
minute from the terrace?''
They were presently standing to-
gether on the stone walk outside, feel
ing their temples famed by a breeze
that seemed to blow straight from the
rudy moonrise at which they gazed.
The moon herself moved through a lair
of stagnant ebon cloud, edging it with
spectral fire; but her light flooded the
hollow Of a great gorge in the mountain
just below her, and stole from it's CO.
verts of clustered LEAKAGE shapes that
were mystic enough for the pictured
thoughts of darkened soul. Alonzo
had some such fancy as this, and had
just lost himself in the easy witchery OF
it, when his friends voice reused him
with a faint, impatient cry.
''What is it?" he said, starting as il
from real dream.
''Look-the palace" replied Eric. ''It's
fairly ablaze with lights"
Alonzo turned and saw that this was
true, and that throngs of shadowy
shapes were gathered in the grand court
yard before the wide-hung, il1umined
doors. Suddenly the crackings of whips
were heard, and three or four vehicles
} that might have been coaches of state
rolled into momentary distinctness, and
then were swallowed again by the
} gloom.
''She has crossed the frontier once
more, after numberless threats" NUT
tered Eric. ''Intolerable woman, tC
come at Sucn a time as Cn1S! 6uG SO I1ke
her-so like her! It has all been pre-
meditated, just to cause talk and tc
give trouble. Hank! they are cheering
her"
Alonzo listened, and heard volume Of
sound by no means deafening.
SIS it not absurd?" pursued Eric.
Its like an opera bouffe with grand
chorus of Saltravian citizens, you know
about two dozen strong. And what's
absurder still, she's horribly unpopular
here; they quite detest her."
: ''Of whom, pray, are you speaking?'
asked, Alonzo, with evident interest.
"Of the princess of Brindisi, mothe,
} Of the king, and the most insolent AND
arrogant woman in Europe"
CHAPTER VII
It was indeed true that King C1ari
mond had abruptly received tiding.
which told him his mother had jus,
crossed the Saltravian frontier. Be
tween the princess and himself relation.
: of most frosty character had existed
} for several years Few people, however
) remained long on good terms with the
princess Her disposition was now