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

He Drew Aside.
ding that he would be a bold man who
married Osra. although doubtless she was
not Ill looking.
To the banks of the river outside the
walls than Osra went: and she went
she seemed to be thinking of nothing at
all in the world least of all of whom she
might chance to meet there on the banks
of the river, where in those busy hours Of
the day few came. Yet there was a strange
Few light in her eyes, and there seemed a
new understanding in her mind; and when
a young peasant wife came by, her baby
in her arms, Osra stopped her, and kissed
the child and gave money, and then ran
on in unexplained confusion, laughing and
blushing as though she had done something
which she did not wish to be seen. Then
without reason her eyes filled with tears,
but she dashed them away. and burst sud
denly into singing. And she was still sing
ing when. from the long grass by the
rivers edge young man Sprang up, and,
with a very low bow, drew asile to let her
pass He had a book in his hand for he
was student at the university and came
there to pursue his learning in peace; his
plain brown clothes spoke of no wealth or
station, though certainly they set off a
stalwart straight shape and seemed to
match well with his bright brown hair and
hazel eyes. Very low this young man
bowed, and Osra bent her head. The pace
of her walk slackened, grew quicker, slack
ened again; she was past him, and with g.
a,
he sprang up: she spoke coldly, yet kindly.
Sir" said she, Il cannot but notice that
you lie every day here by the river, with
your book and that you sigh. Tell me
II am reading, madame" he answered
"of Helen of Troy and 1 am signing be-
cause she is dead
1T is an old grief by now" said Osra,
smiling. viii no one serve you but Helen
Of Troy"
IF 1 were prince" said he, II need
not mourn
NO sr?''
NO madame" he said, with another
bow
Farewell, sir"
Madame, farewell"
So she went on her way and saw him no
more till the next day, nor after that till
the rext day, nor after that till the next
day following; and then came an interval
when she saw him not, and the interval
was no less than twenty-four hours vet
Still he read of Helen of Troy. and still
sighed that she was dead and he no prince
AT last he tempted the longed-for question
from her shy smiling lips.
why would you not mourn, sir, If you
were prince" said she. For princes and
princesses have their share of sighs." And
with very plantive sigh Osra looked at
the rapid running river, as she waited for
the answer.
Because 1 would then go to Strelsau,
ard so forget her,"
But you are at Strelsau roww she cried
with wonderful surprise.
"Ah, but l am no prince, madame" said
he
Can princes alone-forget in Strelsau?"
"Hcw should a poor student dare to
forget In Strelsau?' And as he spoke he
made bold to step near her and stood close
looking down into her face. Without a
word she turned and left him, going with a
step that seemed to dance through the
meadow and yet led her to her own cham
Der. where she could weep in quiet
II know it now. 1 know it now" she
whispered softly that night to the tree
that rose by her window. "Heigh-ho, what
am to do? l cannot live; no, and now 1
cannot die. All, me, what am to do? I
wish L were peasant girl, but then per-
maps he would not-Ah, yes, but he wouldv'
And her long laugh ripped in triumph
through the night. and blended with the
rustlinS of the leaves under a summer
freeze, and she stretched her white arms
to heaven, imploring the kind God with
prayers that she dared not speak even to
His pitiful
Love knows no princesses my princess 1"
1t was that she heard as she fled from him
next day. She should have rebuked him.
But for that she must have staid: and to
stay she had not dared. Yet she must re-
bukc him. She must see him again in or
der to rebuke him. Yet all this while she
must be pestered with the court of the
Grand Duke of AIttesheinli And whom
she Would not name a Gay on which the
embassy sh ould come. the king flew into a
passion ana declared that he would himself
set date for it. Was his sister mad, he
asked, that she would do nothing but wall
every day by the rivers bank?
Surely / must be mad" thought Osra
Tor no sane being could be at once so
Joyful and so piteouSy unhappy"
Did he Know what it was he asked? He
seemed to know nothing of it. He did not
speak any more now of princesses only of
DIS princess: nor of Osra. save of his hearts
queen, and when his eyes asked love they
asked as though none would refuse and
there could be no cause fer refusal He
would have wooed his neighbors daughter
thus and thds he wooed the sister of King
Rudolf. "Will you love me?"' was his uI1es
llon' not though You love, yet dare you
oWn your love?' He seemed to shut the
her and him: and in world that held none
but her and him. she could love. Unbalanced
untroubled and with no trembling
You forget who I am she faltered
once
You are the beauty of the world"
ne answered. smiling, and he kissed her
hand-a matter about which she could
make great ado for it was not the FIRST
time that ne had kissed it,
Bur the embassy from the grand duke
was 10 come in week. and to he received
win great pcmp. The ambassador was
aiready on the way carrying proposals
ana gifts Therefore Osra went pale and
SAD down to tie river bank that day hay
!rg declared 3gain 10 the king thai she
would live ard die unmarried But the
king had laughed again. Surely she needed
IL: tness and consolation that sad day: but
fate had kept by her a crowaing sorrow
for she found him also almost sad, at
least she could not tell whether he wee
SAD or not For he smiled and We; seemed
Ill at ease. like a man who ven;tres a fan
with fortune. hoping and fearing. And he