Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1897-11-04

might not overhear. "And I ride, sir,
to my own funeral. I"
"The jest is still afoot them" asked
the prince. "Yet do not see my sister
at the window to watch you go, and 1
warrant you have made no way with
your wager yet.
ga thousand curses on my wagerW
cried the marquis. eyes, have made
way with the accursed thing, and that
is why now go to my DEATH.
"What, has she kissed your cried
the prince, with merry, astonished
laugh.
Eyes, sir, she has kissed me once,
and therefore go to die. -
81 have heard many better reason
then," answered the prince
By now the psiuce had disrzaounted,
and bs stood by NJ. de Merosailles in
the y,.iddle of the bridge ana heard from
hi-l how the trick had prospered. At
CHS he was much tickled, and, alas, he
was even more diverted when the peni-
tence of the marquis was revealed to
him and was most of all moved to mer-
riment when it appeared that the mar
quis, having gone too near the candle,
had been caught by its flame and was SO
terribly singed and scorched that he
could not bear to live And while they
talked on the bridge the princess looked
out on them from lofty, narrow win
dow, but neither Of them saw her.
Now, when the prince had done laugh
ing, he put his arm through his friend Is
and babe him not to be fool, but
come in and toast the princess kiss in
a draft Of wine. "For," he said,
"though you will never get the other
two, yet it is brave exploit to have got
one"
| But the marquis shook his head, and
his air was SO resolute and so full of
sorrow that not only was Rudolf alarmed
for this reason, but Princess Osra also,
at the window, wondered what allied
him and why he wore such a long face,
and she now noticed that he was dressed
all in black and that his horse waited
for him across the bridge.
"Not, said she, "that care what
becomes of the impudent rogue" Yet
she did not leave the window, but
watched very intently to see what M.
de Merosailles would do.
For long while he talked with Ru.
dolf on the bridge, Rudolf seeming
more serious than he was won't to be,
and at last the marquis bent to kiss the
princes hand, and the prince raised
him and kissed him on either cheek
and then the marquis went and mount
ed his horse and rode off slowly and
unattended into the glades Of the forest
of Zenda. but the prince, with shrue
Of his shoulders and frown on hi
brow, entered under the portcullis anc
disappeared from his sisters view.
Upon this the princess, assuming az
air OF great carelessness, walked down
from the room where she was and facet
her brother, sitting still in his boot
and drinking wine and she said:
| IN. de Merosailles has taken hi
leave then?''
Even so, madam, - rejoiped Rudolf
Then she broke into fierce attack OF
J the marquis, and on her brother also
, for q man, said she, is known by hi
friends, and what man must Rudol
be to have friend like the Marquis d
, Merosaillesi
"Most brothers, % she said in fer,
temper, would make him answer 70
what he has done with his life blu
you laugh. Nay, I dare say you had
hand in it. %
AS to this last charge the prince ha.
the discretion to say nothing. He chos
rather to answer the first part of wha
size said, and, struggling his shoulder
again rejoined, "The fool saves me til
trouble, for he has gone off to kill him
self.''
''To kill HIMSELF" she said, half in
credulous, but also half believing, be
cause of the marquis gloomy looks an
black clothes.
"To kill himself" repeated Rudolf
"For in the first place you are angry
and he cannot live, and in the secon
he has behaved like rogue, SO he can
not live, and in the third place you ar
SO lovely, sister, that he cannot live
J and in the first, second and third place
he is fool, SO he cannot live" An
the prince finished his flagon Of win
with every sign Of i'll humor in hi
manner.
che is we'll dead!'' sha c.'' =