The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-06-03


the hours when with her. enrap,u:ed
at trifes, detected for causes equally
triAing, and jealous with ordinary man
ish jealousy of every churl that crossed
her path; while the court. incredulous,
dismayed, aghast, have looked on with
increasing doubt and apprehensl N !,
and wondered wha: plan could be
evolved from the deep recesses of
statecraft to get rid of her, y, hesita
ting to speak or act, for the prince is
strong and violent and has powerful
| hold upon the people.
| And the peasant "soul. child. "
Until a short time before the Cretan
war, the identity of her lover was quite
unknown to her. He was loved like
other men; he knew, perhaps for the
first time in his life, what it meant to
possess affection for himself alone, and
not for his title; and he also learned
what it was to suffer for his loves sake
the expostulations of his family and
those high in the government being
severe and bitter.
There had been long strolls and
talks, and discussions about house
keeping, and dover Of linen, and
the pearls which belonged to Larissa' S
foster mother; there had even been
practical talks about a COW and mules
and an income, all of which were I'M
tried novelties to this stated young
scion Of royal house. His presents,
indeed, were of such magni6cence as
to cause stupefaction; but although he
visited openely at the girls home, like
any of the rustic SWANS Whereabouts,
and took Larissa on frequent excur-
sions upon the great waste of waters so
beloved by them, he wore always the
national costume and masked his iden-
tity by calling himself sailors son
from the Piraeus.
| Larissa gradually grew to be a
scholar with the books her lover gave,
and the pains he took to add to the
good fundamental education which she
already had; and many golden after
noon of summer, when Althenian So
ciety wondered where Prince George
was-for the idyl had not then become
public property-the royal lover was
reading and interpreting old Homer
to the beautiful girl at his side, while
around them stretched a landscape
long sung in history and not far dis
| 70 cd ho ola If
straits of Salamis.
I But such state Of things could not
50 on forever uninterrupted. The
course of true love runs no smoother
for kings son than for sailors; and
one day mounted messenger rode up
to the farm house while Larissa and
her lover were within, and demanded
hastily and authoritatively for Prince
George. When the presence of this
royal parsonage and any acquaintance
with him, even by sight, was denied,
the tactless messenger lost patience,
and pointing inside to where, uncon
scious Of what was transpiring, the
royal head was bent close to that OF
the plebeian maiden, exclaimed:
81 see the prince here, my good
woman. Make haste and tell him
bear the kings crders.''
The secret was out. Red and angry
the prince rode away in obedience to
} the paternal command; and it was the
last visit in which the freedom Of an
accepted sutton to the woman whom
he loved was accorded him. Greek
women hold their virtue as their high
est prize; and the next time he found
few moments before embarking on
the hastily assumed expedition into
Cretan waters the girl with whom he
had roamed so freely over the hills
was closely hedged around by protect
ing friends who saw in his attentions
but menace to the girls fair fame.
| Larissa herself, when he remon-
strated, first pleadingly, then furlously
answered with shy dignity:
"You are kings son. am only
a peasant woman"
But, as she was woman, she could
not forget that the man before her had
been, nay, was still her lover, and she
cried out to him: "But | will be true
to you always!'
5 After some persuasion she consented
to accompany her adopted parents &c
, Athens, and there, for the first time
{ in her life, had photograph taken,
, for the royal sweetheart to carry away
with him. A few days afterward ,h'
t prince and his torpedo fleet set sail TO
, Crete.
S How will i, all end2 Those who
, know the lover best say it IS with hin
] a much more serious question than TIT
= court, which has been much diverted
i, by what it calls "the princes it'll
: folly" is willing to concede.
Perhaps the details Of rural house
: keeping proved too alluring to on
d brought up amid the conventionalitie
n of a royal palace.
4 younger son, with but secondar
: claim upon the throne of the kingdom
: what course would be more llkel
is to win favor with the people than 70
S him to renounce his title and preten
y tons and marry one from their ranks
l. SO argue his friends in excuse 70
Il sundry menances from the prince
while he, amid thickening war-cloud
d cherishes the photograph, and tn
n "soul. child,' meanwhile, has promise
ot to be faithful.
:. The Pleasant Pellets" gently stint
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e steady way of nature and health. This
what makes the pleasant Pellets :
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I'd ing pills which wrench and weaken Il
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