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

then, at the thought, of the grief of the
miller, her face was again c'auded; bat
it again cleared when she considered of
the great triumph that she had won,
and how she would enjoy a victory over
| the King, and would have the finest bra
celet in all Strelsau SIS gift from him
Thus she arrived at the castle in the
height Of merriment and exu!tation.
1t CHANGED that the King also came to
Zenda that night, to spend week hunt.
ing the boar in the forest; and when
OSra, all blushing and laughing, told
him of her success with the miller of
Hofbau, he was greatly amused, and
swore that no such girl ever lived and
applauded her, renewing his promise of
the bracelet; and he declared that he
would himself ride with her to H0fbau
on the wedding day, and see how the
poor miller bore his disappointment.
Indeed, / do not see how you are
going to excuse yourself to him. he
laughed.
"a purse of five hundred crowns must
do that office for me, said she.
"What, will crowns patch a broken
heart ?"
ellis broken heart must heal itself, as
mems broken hearts DO, brother"
''In truth, sister, have known them
cure themselves. Let us hope it may be
50 with the miller Of Hofbau."
cat the worst, | have Ieyenged the
wrongs of women on him. 1t is unen
durable that any man should sc2rn US,
be he King or miller"
1T is indeed very proper that he
should suffer great paugs," agreed the
King, lin spite of his plaster of Gowns
/ shall love to see the stolid fellow sigh
iDg and moaning like love sick cour-
tier
So they agreed to ride together to the
milIer's at Hofbau on the day appointed
for the wedding, and both Of them wait
ed with impotence for it But, with the
bad luck that pursue8 mortals (eyeD
though they be Princess ia this poor
world, it happened that early in the
morning of the Thursday a great officer
came, riding post haste from Strelsau, to
take the Kings commands Oh high mat
ters Of state; and although Rudolf was
sorely put out of temper by this unto
ward interruption, yet he had no alter
native but to transact the business be-
fore he rode to the miler's at Hofbau
So he sat fretting and fumir G while long
papers were read to him, and the Princess
walked up and down the length OF the
draw bridge, frettiug also; for before the
King could escape from his affairs, the
hour of the wedding was already come,
and doubtless the miller Of Hofbau was
waiting with the priest in the church.
And indeed it was O'Clock or more be
fore O5ra and the King set out from
Z9nda, and they had then q ride Of an
hour and half-and all this when Osra
should have been at the millers at /
O'Clock
"POor man, he will be half mad with
waiting and with anxiety for M ~ cried
Osra. 81 must give him another hun
dred crowns on account of it. And she
added, after a pause, Il pray he may not
take it too much to hear5, Rudolf"
1--WE must try 10 prevent him doing
himself any mischief in his despair, y
smiled the King.
"Indeed, it is a serious matter" pout-
ed the Princess, who thought the Kings
smiles out Of place.
ct was not so when you began it,
said her brother; and O3ra was silent
Then about half past two they came Ia
sight of the mill. Now, the King dis
mounted while they were still several
hundred yards away, aud tying his horse
to a tree in clump by the mill, he made
a circuit and approached from the side,
and creaDjuO along the house. hid him
self behind large water butt which
stood just under the window; and from
that spot he could hear what passed in
side the house, although he could not
see. Bat Osra rode up to the front Of
the mill, as she had been accustomed to
do, and, getting down from her horse,
walked up to the door The miller's cart
stood in the yard of the mill, but the
horse was not in the shafts, aad neither
the miller nor anybody else was to be
seen about; and the door of the house
was shut.