Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1893-07-07
PRINCE OR PAINTER.

AA>Osy 0S 4hOAA VI
a shaggy name of gray hair escaping
beneath the skull cap of faded velvet
and hanging over the massive, wilful
brow.
He came in to buy n book Of an
cicnt ~engravings." answered the girl.
HE said he was Il painter. my father"
She stood on the inner side of the
small counter, her bloOd-red head in
relief aginst the rows Of dusty old vol
umes ir their mellow. brown, worm
eaten bindings. The light was dim in
the little shop. The air was full of the
faint. acrid odor that comes from old
books. old parchment, old manuscripts.
She was the most beautiful girl in Vi
emma, Miss Deborah, the daughter Of
the old Jewish keeper of the ancient
book-sllop i'll which bibliomaniacs had
found treasures that had made his
name famous among the clan half vcr
Europe. With wealth Ut was rumOred)
and with this u~nrccognized celebrity,
the old jew had never moved his place,
had never changed his mode of life.
Naught cared he for the world or its
estimates. One pearl of great price he
had, guarded with jealous avarice-his
daughter. Tall and straight as a palm
on Lebanon she was. with Il throat like
milk and IL mouth like "tle scarlet
thread" Of the singer of the Song of
Solomon. Her hair had caught the
light of sunset and enmeshed it for
ever. Her eyes were soft and dark
and fathomlcss. like deep. still wells
in which you see star shine by
night.
But Deborah had no suitors. Would
her beauty fade %unpluckcd. like the
rose on the bush? No mans shadow
might lingrr across the threshold of
the old Jews shop. Let them purchase
their wares. transact their business and
he gone. His daughter was not for
profanc eyes to dwell upon, for Jew or
Gentle to coyct.
And has this young man not been
twice. thrice. here in IL fcw days:'
Like arrows tho small, piercing orbs
darted their inquiry across the co,,n-
ter.
Twice only. my father. The engrav-
ings made not II full collection the first
time
Deborah's yes met the fathers and
Quailed not. An instant more of mcr-
CHESS scrutiny and the old man. with Il
Eutteral sound of admonition, turned
away.
Hail to mo! Bring forward your
congratulations" Mt the same hour
cried Il young man, fair and pale,
whose artists glrb of velvet jacket
U,,l ->ft l,,t lN,.y I.,,, = r.l,.,,,~1 f~,,
IL glittering uniform of Hussars. II
have made Roadway. The citadel is
not imprcgnablc."
mo citadel is likely to he that where
your Royal Highncss is concerned"
said the suavc tones OF the confidential
friend and courtier.
Bah! Who knows? A good general
is he who foresecs defeat and its con-
sequences. as we'll as victory. And the
old jew is an enemy worthy of all
ones strategy. To foil him will not be
an easy task, even when l have Won
the daughter to my side. But she is
worthy of every risk! Ye gods! l
have seen no such beauty as this girl
anywhere. She could not he matched
from palace to hovel in all the En-
pire.'
Indeed no This Deborah is Il beau
ty of beauties: Your Royal HigilnesS
says truly. There is none like her"
The next time it was the confidential
friend and courticr who sought the old
book-shop. and who. from the other
side of the counter. managed, between
two phrases relative to the purchase
of n notification pamphlet of price. TO
alludc to Ills comrade, the young paint
cr. Consumed alas. poor fellow. by
tho n,Dct s,,I.jo, tIn ,,nSt f,.n.rin .f
passions"
A t%luttering of the eyelids. n deeper
flush of rose on the cheek. To the
heart of the Jews daughter. Il heart
hitherto without knowledge OF its own
pulses. had come the revelation of
quick. tumultuous throbs. The deep
sleep that had visited her pillow hitll-
ertO, unbrokCn by dreams, grew fitful
and haunted with visions.
Love was rising in her wOman's
bosom as the sap rises in the tender
young twigs of spring.
The old Jew went his way among his
European correspondence with slvnnts
and bibliophiles. and famous book.
worms. among his rare collections, his
microscopic Investigations of authentic
manuscripts. And still with unslrrp.
ing vigilance he watched his pearl OF
great price. the beautiful Deborah.
Still no man might loitcr. in conversa.
ton with her. about the dim. crowded
little shop. still he guarded his treas.
IRE. as IL misrr his gold. Or. still lie
thought he guarded it. But love and
passion and great power of cocrcins
circumstances OH on" side may SOFTLY
smile at tiguratiye bolts, ut moral bar.
riers.
Deborah loved. and now she knew
that she loved not Il poor picturesque
young painter. but the prince. the heir
to the throne; Il man known through.
out Europe rs irresistible. and IL liber.
tine. who had assumed this disguise
the more easily to be able to approach
her. disarming suspicion; but 4; mar
whom she trusted because of the di
vine faith of love: because. by that
testimony of the inlnost soul which lies
not. she felt that he loved her. not as
II passing caprice. but with the deep
full. despairing earnestness of the frs,
true passion of q; heart.