Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-06-09

music.
Stephan obeyed When he had fin
ished playing the princess remained
silent for while, then suddenly ex
claimed. Your music could teach on
how to love"
''Is love, then, a lesson to oe learned?
he returned quickly.
''You are no wandering fiddler" she
replied in her turn. Let the masl
drop now. 1t is time Who are you?'
stephan, Count Thurzo" he an
swered, hinging himself at her feet ant
pressing his lips to her hand
She smileddown at him and did not
withdraw her hand.
Stephan remained at the palace; in 6
short time he was the declared and &C
cepted lover of the princess. But hc
was not happy. His fancee refused t.
set any time for the marriage WheI
he urged a speedy union, she laughed
at him for his impatience or grew rest
less at his Importantly. Often she wa:
cold and naughty to him, as though he
Were really n base-b born fiddler, living
on her bounty, instead of a great and
powerful magnate Then Stephan,
| growing weary of the treatment he re-
| ceived at his tickle mistress hands
would wander off again with Gezas
throughout the country. Several times
he returned TO his own castle, vowing
never again to return to Presburg. But
the willy princess understood well how
to lure him back again, to keep him Sc
curely in her tolls and at her feet
One day, however, Stephan, sitting
with Gezas on the banks of the Danube
opposite little island where the prin-
cess had built herself summer pavil-
ion, was addressed by his companion:
'Why are you sad to-day, count?"
Stephan gave no answer but sighed
deeply.
You are tormented by the treat
ment of the princess toward you.
Think of her no longer, my lord. She
is false-in every way. Incapable OF
truth or faithfulness. She is in no way
worthy of love like yours"
"You use strange words-you a
gypsy-in speaking of great and
noble lady"
True words, nevertheless, my lord.
And 1 can prove their truth. This
princess you love is both false and
cruel, as | can show you this very
night if you choose to have me do so. "
What is it you know about her
speak.
Il know that this princess hesitates
to bestow her hand upon you, although
she loves you-that is, as much as such
q woman can love-because she is am
bilious and hopes to wed the illegiti-
| TO- ,of% bn
too, with France and Turkeys aid, to
one day sit upon the throne as viceroy
Of Hungary"
''Can this be true?'
''That it is SO you can discover to-
aight, yourself. On that island yon-
Ter the princess will within an hour
have an interview with Rakoczy If
| rou choose, we can row across to the
sland, and, concealing ourselves in
the grotto near the pavilion, be wit
nesses of what will take place at this
interview
''What shall I decide?" exclaimed
Stephan, despairingly- trust her i'm
plicitly, as / love her devotedly, or lis
ten to you, who do not like her and
have always distrusted her?'
believe and trust in neither of us,
but to your own eyes and ears, and
that too at once. Within an hour you
can see and hear what sort of a woman
it is whom you love and wish to marry.
And this very night-only trust to my
guidance"
THAT will do gladly" answered
Stephan.
| "Then follow me-" returned the
| gypsy, and going down to the river he
unmoored boat lying there. and, the
two stepping into it, Gezas took the
oars and rowed across to the island on
which stood the pavilion.
On reaching the opposite bank, the
| gypsy concealed the boat among a
clump of weeds and rushes and the
two crept softly and stealthily through
| the thick shrubbery surrounding the
| garden until they reached the grotto,
where they concealed themselves be-
hind thick veil of ivy hanging before
the mouth of the grotto. They were
| quite secure from all eyes, however
sharp They had not lain very long in
! silence when voices broke the stiffness
of the night Peering through the ivy,
Stephan could see by the light of the
moon tall, stately man wrapped in a
dark mantle, upon whose arm the prin-
cess leaned familiarly. They came
straight up to the grotto and seated
| themselves on a bench near it. The
moonlight, shining full on the face OF
the cavalier, enabled Stephan to recog-
nize him as Rakoczy, prince of Sleben
| burgen. Every word of the converse
| ton between the princess and her com
| panion was now audible to him. From
| it's tenor he was not long left
in doubt in regard to the rela-
ton between the two They were
betrothed; their wedding would follow
as soon as Rakoczy's ambitious plans
both as regarded the emperor and the
| sultan should have been successful.
| They parted as lovers part, and it was
with great reluctance that Rakoczy
bade adieu to his fiancee. She, on her
part, seemed but little inclined to lin
| ger Their ambitious schemes dis
cussed, their plans of aggrandizement
and conquest laid out, she was quite
willing to have her lover go on his way.
| 1t was plain, even to Stephan's jealous
eyes, that ambition was leading her to
make this marriage-her heart was
not in it
| But he was furious at her perhdy,
furious at seeing his hopes shattered
at knowing that this fair, false woman
had played with his honor and his af-
fections. He determined to fly from
her presence. He would make her nc
reproaches, he would go this very
highland without a word. That
night Irma heard beneath her chamber
windows the music of Stephan's violin.
She smiled as she listened, little know
ing that it was farewell her lover was
bidding her-an eternal farewell
When she became aware, however
that Stephan was gone, and forever
she sought to win him back again. She
sent messenger after messenger after
| him to bid him return to her. AS mes
| sages proved unavailing, she had re
course to writing. Letter after letter
followed Stephan after his return
home. But all her endeavors were
fruitless. Stephan refused to listen tC
her messages; he left her letters un
answered Then her love, rejected
disdained turned to hatred, bitter
burning, furious hatred. All hel
thoughts were now of revenge-re
venge on the lover who had deserted
her who scorned her so bitterly. III,
| gave her no reasons for his desertion O.
| her
In the meantime Stephan remained