Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-12


Would she come? She would come; she
had risen from her knees and moved to and
fro, In cautious silence, making her last
preparations. She had written a word Of
love for the brother she loVed-fOr some
day, of course, Rudolf would forgive her
and she had ready all that she took with
her, the five hundred crowns, one ring that
she would give her lover, some clothes to
serve till his loving labor furnished more
That night she had wept, and she had laugh
ed; but now she neither wept nor laughed;
but there was great pride in her face and
gait. And she opened the door of her room
the eyes of crowned kings who hung framed
upon the walls. And as she went she SEEM
ed indeed their daughter. For her head
was erect and her eye set firm in naughty
thing that kings daughter should not DO?
Should not woman love? Love should be
her diadem. And so with this proud step
she came through the gardens of the palace,
looking neither to right nor left, nor te-
FIND, but with her face set straight for the
little gate; and she walked as she had been
accustomed to walk, VIXEN all S:relsau look
ed on her and hailed her as it's glory and it's
darling.
The sentry slept, or seemed to sleep. Her
face was not even yelled when she opened
the little gate; she would not veil her proud
race; 1t was his to look now when he
In the gateway, while he sprang to her, and,
kneelinS, carried her hand to his lips.
You are Gomez" he cried, for though
he had believed. yet he wondered.
Il am Gomez she smiled rs not the
word OF a princess sure? All. how could
1 not Gomez"
See, love-" said he, rising. day dawns
me-"
THE purple Is for my king and the love
Tor me, she whispered, he led her to
her horse. Your fortunen sail she pointing
10 them But also have brought a dow-y
fancy, 500 crowns"' and her mirth and
happiness burst out in a laugh, 1t was so
deliciously little-5OO crowns!
She was mounted now, and he stood by
her.
viii you turn back?" he said.
Come mount"
AYE, l must mount said he For if
We We're found here the king would kill me-"
For the first time the peril of their en-
terprise seemed to strike into her mind and
turned her cheek pale.
An, l forgot! In my happiness l forgot.
Mount, mount! oh. if he found your
he mounted Once they clasped hands,
then they rode swiftly for the western gate
Veil your face" he said, and since he
babe her, she obeyed, saying:
But 1 can see you through the veil"
The gate stood open. and the gaAe-warden
was not there. They We're out of the city,
the morning air blew cold ana pure II ON the
meadows from the river. The horses
stretched INTO an eager gallop. And Osra
tore her veil from her face and turned on
him eyes of radiant triumph.
1T is DONE" she cried, lit Is done"
Yes, 1t is done, my princess" said he
she.
Yes, and it is begun" said he
She laugh ed aloud in absolute JOY, and
for a moment he also laughed.
But then his face grew grave, and he said
II pray you may never grieve for it,
She looked at him with eyes wide in Won
der. for instant she LODI. hut
then she fell again to laughing.
'Grieve for it!' said she, between her
merry laughs.
King Rudolf was man who lay late in
the morning, and he was not we'll pleased
to be reused when the clock had but just
struck four. Yet he sat up in his ped
readily enough, for he imagined that the
embassy from the grand duke of Mitten-
helm must be nearer than he had thought.
and. sooner than fail in airy courtesy
toward the prince. whose alliance he ar
IDENTIFY desired, he was ready to submit to
much Inconvenience. But his astonish-
ment was great, when, instead of any It'd
ings from the embassy. one of his gentle
men handed him a letter, saying that a
servant had received it from a stranger
with instructions to carry 1t at once to the
king; when asked if any answer was de-
sired from his majesty, the stranger had
answered, Not through me-" and at once
turned away and quickly disappeared The
king, with peevish oath at having ben
IOuSeu lOT SucH d lfille, broke the seal ana
fastenings of the letter and opened it, and
he read:
''Sire-Your sister does not wait for the
embassy, but chooses her own lover; she
has met a student of the university every
day for the last three weeks by the river
bank" CThe king started) This morning
she has fled with him on horseback along
the western road. If you desire a student
for brother-in-law, sleep again; If not. UP
and ride. Do not doubt these tidings."
Thara eli fn LOT
yet the king, knowing his sister, cried:
See whether the princess is in the pal
ace. And, in the meanwhile, saddle my
horse, and let dozen of the guard tie at
the gate.'
The princess was not in the palace. but
her woman found the letter that she rad
left and brought it to the king. And the
king read: Brother, whom 1 love best Of
all men in the world save one. You will
not forgive me now. but some day forgive
me- Nay, 1t Is not who have done it, but
my love, which is Drawer than l. He is the
sweetest gentleman alive. brother. and
therefore he must be my lord. Let me go,
but still love me. Osra."
ut is true" said the king: And the
embassy will be here today" And for
moment he seemed dazed Yet he spoke
nothing to anybody of what the letters
contained, but sent word 20 the queens
apartments that he went riding for pleas
ure. And he took his sword and his pis-
tolls; for he swore that by his own hand
and that OF no other man this sweetest
gentleman alive should meet his death.
But all, knowing that the princess was
not in the palace, guessed that the kings
sudden haste concerned her; and great
wonder and speculation rose in the palace,
and presently, as the morning advanced,
spread from the palace to its environs and
from the environs to the rest of the
city. For 1t was reported that a
tinel that had stood guard that night
was missing. and that mysterious
letter had come by an unknown hand to
the king, and lastly, the Princess Osra-
their princess-was gone, whether by her
own will or by some bold plot Of seizure
and kidnapping, none knew. Thus great
stir grew in all Strelsau and men stood
about the streets gossiping when they
should have gone to work, while women
chartered in lieu of sweeping their houses
and dressing their children. So that when
the king rode out Of the court yard of the
palace at gallop, with twelve OF the
guard behind him, he could hardly make
his way through the streets, for the peo-
pie who crowded round him, imploring
him to tell Them where the princess was.
When the king saw that the matter had
thus become public his wrath was greater
still, and he swore again that the student
of the university should pay he price of
life for his morning ride with the princess.
And when he darted through the gate and
set his horse straight along the western
road, many of the people. neglecting all
their business as folk will for cxcitement's
sake, followed him as best they could,
sgog to see the thing to its end.
Il t,n