Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1893-02-08


! ing. Among the hotel-residents il was
Jealousy, pure and simple. What chief
~ concerned this very agitated lady
was the question Of how Alonzo had
thus far acted and OF how az any mo-
ment he might take IL into his head to
act. Here he was, returned To SAL
travia, the bosom friend Of the kings
bosom friend. he must have heard
that Clarimond was intensely capti-
waited with Kathleen Everybody was
talking OF the affair. Stories had got
afloat that the princess of Brindisi had
already pleaded BY letter the interview
ton of the emperor.
you are 50 reticent. nv dear" she
said % Kathleen one evening at the end
of the kings third visit. You never
will tell RE what he says about Alonzo
10 you. Does he not mention him.
Rarely, mamma, and then always
with kindness"
Kindness, m-yes-" Mrs. Kennaird
pursed her lips little They're still
friends, them
Friends? Oh. yes
Il suppose Alonzo hasn't dared 10 say
word against You. Kathleen. Other
wise he'd certainly have relieved him
self of untold spleen, my dear
He never carried grudges." the girl
said as II her own thought was her sole
auditor.
"Wen. even If he didn't, Heaven
knows he had a monopoly OF most other
faults!' At this particular time any
praise Of Alonzo was for some reason
specially nauseous 10 Mrs. Kennaird.
And as for keeping silent about us %
the King, why, there isn't the least doubt
that he'll do SO. How would he dare
do otherwise, now that Clarimond has
become your actual slave"
Mamma, Mammal" exclaimed Knth-
leen- You viii make me so ridiculous
If anyone by chance overhears you in
these moods"
''MoOds?' bristled her mother. What
moods? I'm erccssirciy reticent, You
arc 50 droll at times, Kathleen. rs II
any mother could bear more calmly
than | do the splendid. the unparal-
lelcd honor which overhangs you
Kathleen looked fixedlya at the speaker.
with her eyes moistening a little and
her under lip trembling. IL wish you
would not speak like this" she faltered.
ut distrcsses me So.
Her mother continued, however. stat
ing that she had not the inquest doubt
Clarimond would soon startle his court
more keenly than he had dreamed of
startling it before; that Kathleen had
only 20 wait little while longer and
the stars would drop ripe and shining
in her lap; that all past ANNOYANCE,
modification. defeat was to end clori-
ously in unique triumph
Kathleen listened. and then slipped.
-- ~ Il, -.
her own chamber The king had said
that he would revisit her to-day. There
was only an hour yet before the time of
his coming. She did not want to see
him again, and yet she did want TO see
him again. What was it? Did it mean
that he might bring her certain tidinrs
OF Alonzo? Did IL mean this? Did it
realty mean this? Or was she infected
with the fervCr of her mothers over
leaping ambition? Her mother, The
sense of that personality, that compan-
ionship, 50 tremendous, so drastic in its
influence, its domination, terrified her.
She looked into her own brain. as it
were, and found there nothing but a
depressing tumult. How would she act
if action should indeed be required of
her? No, no; the need OF such action
would not, could not, come. lie. a
king. It was faulty 10 dream Of what
her mother had so boldly prophesied.
Her hands were at intervals very trcn-
ulOus while she dealt with her toilet:
and once or twice she felt as if she must
desist from it and seek the one sort of
aid that just then would have been
least 70 her taste.
But when the king came she received
him with much compOsurc. Her mother
was to-day in visible throes. To Kathleen
her disarray was pathetic. The per-
turbed lady gave one or two spasmodic
curtsies which were a mournful travesty
of her usual serene equipoise. She was
so drunk with the heady wine fur
nished by the fact Of this fourth royal
visit that eXhiiaration made her almost
staggcr Clarimond, calm and gentle
manlilsc as usual, appeared to notice
nothing. Perhaps thought Kathleen,
''hc Is used 10 such grovelling servilitv.
Poor mamma, will she ever get out Of
the room with decent grace, she who
has pridcd herself for years on doing
nothing awkwardly?"
But at last the door closed on Mrs.
Kennaird's duclSing and cringing figure.
As this happened Kathleen brcathed an
audible sigh Of relief. The sigh ended
in fcverish laugh, and she said, with
sudden candcr, to her guest:
Its dreadful how you've dcmoralizcd
my mother. You must sec, so / men
tion IT,"
"Dernoralizcd her? 70"
ooh. then you don't see, monsieur.
mamma isn't accustomed to kings: that
Is ali"
and are you?" nc said with his sweet.
kind smile. They were now seated OBJ
positc one another and near a large
window that gave ono O fine view Of the
mountains and still finer view Of his
white. many-turrcted palace
NO. she answered. .'But mamma-
Oh. you mist have noticed. You're n
royalty. as they call it, and you've
turned her head. It's odd. too, for She
has met all sorts of great pcople-princ
ministers, dukes, even the English
prince himself ] seem 50 vtI-
gar when / talk like this. do hope
yOull excuse me. 80 doubt. you arc
used % embarrassing people, especially
Americans"
Tie shook his head smiling 81 have
Away, thought 10 rather hard 90 em.
barra Americans" hc replied. conc
i'm particular hc added. and eacn his
smile dccpcued as he watched her with