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

her fingers, and he put up his hand and
brushed with it as though he brushed
away a fly, but gave no ohr sign Of
awakening
Then the King softly celle1 from be
hind the waser-butt under the window:
"Is he there, Osra? Is he there"
"The p7or man has fallen asleep IL
weariness,' she answered. "But the
priest is bers, ready to marry Us. Oh,
Rudolf, I am sorry for what | have
done!"
Girls are always mighty sorry At er
it is done" remarked the King. wake
him up, OSra."
At this moment the miller of Hofbau
sat up in his chair and gave a great
sneeze, and by this sound the priest also
was awakened. Osra came forward and
stood between them. The miller looked
at her, and tilted his red cap forward,
in order that he might scratch his head
Then he looked across to the priest, and
said:
cit is she. father. She has come
The priest rubbed his hands together,
and smiled uncomfortably.
ave waited two hours" said he
glancing at the clock. "See, it is 3
o'clock now"
81 am S rTy you waited so long, >" said
Osra, "but | could not come before
And and now that am come, l cannot
10y But here she paused in great
distress aud confusion, not knowing how
to break her sad tidings to the miller of
Hofbau.
The miller drew his legs up under his
chair and regarded Osra with a grave
air
you should have been here at H."
said he. ~ went to the church at II,
and the priest was there, and my cousin
Hans 10 act as my groom, and my cousin
Gertrude to be your maid. And there
we waited hard on two hours, and you
did not come"
Il am very sorry,' pleaded Princess
Osra; and the King laughed low to him
self behind the water-bntt, being much
amused at her distress and her humility
"And now that you are come" pur-
sued the miller, scratching his head
again, Il do not know what we are to
do" And be looked again at the priest,
seeking counsel.
At this the Princess Osra, thinking
that an opportunity had come, took the
purse of 600 crowns from under her cloak
and laid it on the table.
"What is this?" said the miller, for the
first time showing some eagerness.
They are for you," SAID Osra, and
she watched him while he unfastened
the purse Then he poured the crowns
out on the table and counted them one
by one, till he had told al the 600. Then
be raised his hands above his head, let
them fall again, sighed slightly, and
locked across at the Princess.
Il warned you not to be in such 4
hurry, friend miller" remarked the
priest.
II waited two hours" said the miller,
plaintigely, "and You know that she is a
handy wench aud very fond of me. y
And he began to gather up the crowns
and return them to the purse.
''I trust am handy Wench," said
Osra, smiling, yet still very nervous,
land indeed l have great regard for
the miller, but"
"N3y, he does not mean you," inter
rupted the priest.
''s.x hundred" sighed the miller,
land Gertrude has but 300! Still she is
a handy wench and very sturdy. !
DOUBT if you could lift sack by your
self, as ste can" and he looked doubt
fully at Osra's slender figure.
81 do not know Why you talk of Ger
trude," sid the Princess, petulantly.
what is Gertrude to me?"
"Why, take it that she is nothing at
all to you, 3" answered the priest, folding
his hands on his lap and smiling placid
ly. Sull for my part, l babe him wait
little longer"
81 waited two hours, said the miller
And Gertrude urged me, saying that
you would not come, and chat she would
lock after me better than Y u, being one
Of the family. Ard she said that it was
hard that she should have no husband,
while her own cousin married g strarg ger.
since it was all the same to me,