The age-herald., 1897-08-15


 Princess Osra suddenly, and she fell eu her knees beside the couch, crying. "Surely God has pardoned her.p
 ''Sin she had none. save what olings even to the purest in this world, !" said the bishop. ''For what she has said to mo know to be true. 2 .~'-
 Osra answered nothing, but gazed in questioning at tho prince, and he, still holding the ladys hand, began to spsak in gentle voice:
 ''Do not ask her name, madame But from the first hour that we knew tho meaning of love ws have loved one an other. And had the issue rested in my hands I would have thrown to the winds all that kept me from her. re- member when first met her-ah, icy sweet, do you remember? And from that day to this in soul she has been mine and l hers in all my life. But more could not be. Madame, you have asked what love is. Hero is love. Yet fate is stronger. Thus came here to woo, and she, left alone, resolved to give herself to God.
 "How comes she here then?' whis- pered Osra, and she laid one hand tim idly on the couch, near the lady, yet so as not to touch even her garments.
 ''She came here," he began, but sud- denly, to their amazement, the lady, who had seemed dead, with an effort raised herself on her elbow and spoke in quick, eager whisper, as if she feared time and strength would fail
 "He is a great prince" she said. ''He must be great king God means him for greatness. God forbid that should be his ruinl Oh, what sweet dream he paintedl But praise be to the blessed saints that kept me strongl Yet at the last was weak I could not livS without another sight of his face, and so-so came. Next week am-I was to take the veil, and came here to see him once again. God pardon me for it. But could not help it. An, madame, know you, and see now your beauty Have you known lover"
 "No," said Osra and she moved her hand near to the lady's hand.
 "And when he found me here he prayed me again to do what he asked, and I was half killed in denying it. But prevailed, and we were even then parting when you came Why, why did I come?" And for a moment her voice died away in a low, soft moan. But she made one more effort. Clasping Osrasl hand in her delicate fingers, she whis- pered: ''I am going. Be his wife" ''No, no, mo-" whispered Osra, her face now close to the lady's. "You. must live-you must live and be hap-I py" And then she kissed the lady's lips. The lady put out her arms and clasped them round Osra's neck, and again she whispered softly in Osra's ear Neither Ludwig nor the bishop heard what she said, but they heard only what Osra sobbed. Presently tho lady's arms relaxed little in their hold, and Osra, having kissed her again, rose and signed to Ludwig to come nearer, while she, turning gave her hand to the bishop, and he led her from. the room, and, finding another room near, took her in there, where she sat silent and pale.
 Thus half an hour passed. Then the bishop stole softly out and presently re- turned, saying:
 "God has spared her the long, pain ful path and has taken her straight to his rest.
 Csra heard him, half in trance and as if she did not hear She did not know whither he went nor what he did nor anything that passed, until. as it seemed after a long while, she lookedI up and saw Prince Ludwig standing be- fore her. He was composed and calm, but 1t seemed as if half the life had gone out of his face. Osra rose slowly to her feet, supporting herself on an arm of the chair on which she had sat- and when she had seen his face she sud- denly threw herself on the floor at his feet, crying:
 Forgive mel Forgive mer'
 'The guilt is mine" 2" said he, flor I did not trust you and did by stealth what your nobility would have suffered openly. The guilt is mine ' Aud he offered to raise her. But she rose un- sided. asking with choking yoice:.
 e''Is she dead?"
 She is dead" said the prince, and Dsra, hearing it, covered her face with her hands and blindly groped her way back to the chair, where she sat painting and exhausted.
 "To her I have said farewell, and now, madame, to you. Yet do not think that l am man without eyes for your beauty or heart to know your worth. seemed to you fool and a churl. | grieved most bitterly, and I wronged you bitterly. My excuse for all is now known. For though you are more beau tiful than she, yet true love is no wan derer It gives beauty that it does not t find and weaves chain no other charms can break. Madame, farewell ,"
 She looked at him and saw the sad joy in his eyes. an exultation over what had been, that wha. was could not de- stroy, and she knew that the vision was still with him, though his love was dead. Suddenly he seemed to her 8 man she also might love and for whom she also, if need bs, might gladly die. Yet not because she loved him, for she was asking still in wonder, What is