The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-10-28
With something prestily sixteenth cen

!
| this to all your serious absurdities But
place of any Saltravian bride l shall
| not stand in the way of one with diff
ferent nationality. You tell me that
the hotels off yonder tJ the springs are
often peopled by American residents"
''Oh yes. They come here in summer,
though they have net yet fully found
out the marvellous quality of the
springs. You see, before the unexpected
accession of Clarirnond to the throne
SaltriNia had been for years in desue-
tude. The old king, his kinsman, i'll and
half blind for nearly twenty years, had
loathing of foreigners, and resisted
even the request of so august an au-
thority as the emperor himself that the
hotels should be redecorated and made
attractive to a wholly new order Of
guests" .f..r. -..s
"And Clarimond has changed al that.
He opens his arms to Americans. And
you? Don't you open yours to anyone,
feminine American in Particular"
Erie answered at first with q shrug.
my dear boy, I've been so horribly
busy. Besides
"Ah, there's besides?'
sob, a very commonplace one. Ifyou
recall. staid on in Paris for a good
while after you left His voice fell,
and for an instant there were tears in
it. ''Some day III tell you just what
happened. Only, don't ask me until l
offer to tell you, Lonz; and that may be
never He suddenly tossed his large,
virile head, and gave his yellow beard a
quick, nervous pull. In another mo-
ment he was the old radiant trifer, with
not a hint of that hidden sorrow which
it occurred to his nearer that he might
possibly never learn. Frankly, as I've
now made up my mind. I could never
marry an American woman unless she
We're \ mute"
Eric, what d. you mean?''
''The voice Of the American woman,
my dear Lonz IS a horror
Alonzo laughed. ''Why except the
American mani"
y don't. But one doesn't marry the
American man"
True. One doesn't. Bat I've known
not a few american girls whose voices
''Of course you have. So have !. Oh,
yes, those exceptions are vocally en-
chanting. But the ordinary girl OF my
own country always reminds me, when
she is charming, Of a 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 recoiLn
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. can pardon the man who
snites 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 n laugh,
their eyes meeting in amieal joyance
under The wax lights that beaned on
their fruits and wine. Il won't admit
your hatred to be quite Borgian,' urged
Alonzo, ''for am sure this velvet Bur
gundy hasn't been poisoned"
lyon poison it With your own sar-
casms," returned Eric. Then, after
slight pause: There will be late
moon tonight. Shall we watch it for
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
r7lddy uloonrise at which they gazed.
The moon herself moved through lair
of stagnant ebon cloud, edging it with
spectral fire; but her light flooded the
hollow Of a great gorgein the mountain
just below her, and stole from its CO.
verts Of clustered LEAKAGE shapes that /
We're mystic enough for the pictured
thoughts of a darl.ened soul. Alon.O
had some such fancy as this, and had
Just lost himself il the easy witchc-y of
it, when his friends voice reused him
with a faint, impatient cry.
what is it?' he said. starting as if
from a real dream.
"Look-thep palace replied Eric. ITS
fairly ablaze with lights
Alonzo turned and saw that this was
true, and that thron~s of shadowy
shapes were gatheredin the grand court !
yard before the wide-flung. illumined
doors. Suddenly The c-acllings OF whips /
were heard. and three or four vehicles |
that might have been coaches of state 1
rolled into 1nomentary distinctness, and |
then were Swallowed again by the /
gloom
''She has crossed the frontier once
more, after numberless threats" NUT
tered Eric 'Intolerable woman. to /
come ct such time as this. Bat so like |
her-so like herl 1t has all been pre-
just to cause talk and to
give trouble. Hank! they are cheering /
her" .r
Alonzo listened, and heard volume of
sound by no means deafcning.
rs it not absurd?" pursued Eric.
Its like an opera bou1fe 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 spealIing?"
asked Alonzo, with evident interest.
''of the princess of Brindisi. mother
IF the king, and TIE most insolcnt and
woman in Europe"
CHAPTER VII
1t was indeed true that King Clari-
nond had abruptly received tidings
which told him his mother had Just
,rossed the Saltravian frontier. Be
,ween the princess and himself relations
If most frosty character had existed
or several years. Fewpeople, however,
'enained long on good terms with the
yl;-,,Oe.+5D-,