The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-09-29

girl, with a very wide face and strag-
Cling hair; the girls nose was very fiat,
and her eyes were small; but her great
mouth smiled good-humoredlv, and, as
the Princess looked, she let slip to the
ground sack of -four that she lad been
carrying ON her sturdy back
cay, Gertrude is well enough, SO said
the miller, looking al her lontcntedly.
''She is very strong and willing"
Then, while Gertrude stood wonder
ing and staring with wide eyes in the
doorway, the Princess stepped up to
the miller and leant over him and cried;
Look at my face, look at my face
What manner of face is itN
at is well enough, said the miller
But Gertrude is"
There was a crash upon the floor, and
six hundred crowns rolled out of the
purse, and scattered, spinning and roll
ing hither and thither, all over the floor,
and into every corner Of the room And
Princess O5ra cried
"Have you no eyes" and then turned
away, for her lip was quivering, and
she would not have the miller see it.
But she turned from the miller only to
face Gertrude, his wife; and Gertrude's
small face frightened with sudden in
telligonce.
"Ah, you are the other giriw said
Gertrude, with much amusement And
was that your dowry2 1t is large. am
glad you did not come in time. But see,
I'll pick it up for you Nay, don't take
on. / dare say you'll find another hus
band - And she passed by O5ra, pat
ting her on the shoulder kindly as she
went, and then fell on her knees aud
began to pick up the Clowns, crawling
after them all over the door, and hold
ing up her apron to receive the recoy-
cred treasure. And Princess Osra stood
looking at her.
cay, you'll find another husband, s"
nodded the priest, gingly.
''Ay you'll find another husband, as
scented the miller, placidly. "And just
IS one girl is pretty nearly as good as an
other, if she is handy aud sturdy, so one
husband is as good as another, If he can
keep house over you"
Princess Osra said nothing. But Ger
trude, having picked up the crowns,
came TO her with full apron and said:
Hold up your lap, and I'll pour them
in. They'll get you a good husband"
Then Princess Osra suddenly bent and
kissed Gertrude's cheek, and she said
gently:
81 hope you have got good husband,
my dear; but let him do some work for
himself. And keep tt e eco crowns as a
present from me, for he will value you
more with 800 than with two"
The Eyes of all three were fixed on her
in wonder and almost in fear; for her
tone and manner now were different
Then she turned to the miller; and she
bit her lip, and dashed her hand once
across her eyes, and said
And you, miller, are the only sensi
BILE man have found in all the king
dom Therefore, good luck and a good,
wife to you" And she gave little short
laugh, and turned and walked out of the
cottage, leaving them all spellbound in
wonder. Bat the miller rose from his
chair and ran to the door, and when he
reached it the King was just lifting Osra
on to her horse; and the miller knew the
King, and stood there with eyes wide
and cheeks bulged in wonder; and he
could gasp out no more than "The King,
the King" before Rudolf and Osra had
ridden away And they could none of
them, neither the miller, nor Gertrude,
nor the priest, tell what the matter
meant, until one day King Rudolf rode
again to The miller at Hofbau, and, hav-
ing sent for the priest, told the three
enough of the truth, saying that the
affair was the outcome of jest at court
and he made each of them handsome
present, and vowed them to secrecy by
their fealty and attachment to his person
and his honor.
"Then, she would not have married
me, anyhow" asked the miller.
II think not, friend, answered Ru-
dolf, with laugh.
"Then we are but quits, and all is well.
Gertrude, the jug, my lass!"
And so, indeed, it seemed to the King
that they were but quits, and he said so
to the Princess Osra. But he declared
that she had so far prevailed with the
miller as to make him desire marriage
as a wholesome and useful thing in itself
although she had not persuaded him
that it was of great moment whom a
man married. Therefore he was very
anxious to give her the bracelet which
he had promised, and more than once
prayed her to accept it, But Osra saw
the laugh that lurked in the Kings eye,
and would not consent to have the
bracelet; and for long while she did
not love to speak of the miller of Hof-
bau. Yet once, when the King on some
occasion cried out very impatiently that
all men were fools, she said:
"Sire, you forget the miller of Hof-
bau;" and she blushed and laughed and
turned her eyes away.
And one other thing she did which
puzzled very greatly Queen Margaret
and all the ladies of the court, and all
the waiting women, and all the servant
maids, and, in fine, every person, high
or low, who saw or heard of it, except
The King only. For in winter evenings
she took her scissors and her needle, and
she cut strips of red ribbon, each foot
long and a couple of inches broad; and
she embroidered on each and every one
of them motto or legend; and she
affixed the ribbons bearing the legend to
each and every one of the mirrors in each
Of her chambers, at Strelsau, at Zenda,
and all the other royal residences. And
her waiting women noticed that when
ever she had looked in the mirror and
smiled at her own image, or shown other
signs of pleasure in it, she would then
cast her eyes up to the legend and seem
IN read it, and hluSh a little and laugh
little, and sigh little-the reason for