The times., 1897-04-18

I King of Greece and possible heir TO the
throne
| Whether ft was because the time and his
mood were propitious. whether IL was the
effect of dinner or destiny. viii never be
known; but certain it is that the prince
fell in love with the beauty OF TINS sea
maiden, and for a year and half has
behaved much like other impatient
at every moment spent away from her,
reckless of tire hours when with her en-
raptured at trifIes, detected for causes
equally trifling, and Jealous with crdi-
nary mannish jealousy of every churl that
| crossed her path while the court, in
credulous, dismayed, aghast, have looked
| on with increasing doubt and appr ehension,
and wondered what plan could be evolved
| from the deep recesSes of statecraft 10 get
| rid of her, yet hesitating to speak or act,
| for the prince is strong anI violent. and
has a powerful hold upon the people.
| And the peasant .-souI-chiId?'' Until
| short time before the CTetan war, the
| identity OF her lover was quite unkno wn
| to her. He was loved like other men;
he knew, perhaps for the first time In
his life, what it meant to possess affec-
ton for himself alone, and not for bis
title; and he also learned what it was
to suffer for his loves sake, the expos
tulations Of his family and those high
in the government being severe and Bit
ter.
There had been long stroIs and talks,
and discussions about housekeeping,
and a dover Of linen, and the pearls
which belonged to Larissa's foster
mother; there had even been practical
talks about COW and mules and an IN
come, all of which were untried novel
ties 70 this sated young scion OF a royal
house His presents, indeed, were OF
such magnlficence TO cause stupefac-
ton; but although he visited openly at
the girls home, Ike any OF the rustic
swains thereabouts, and took Larissa
ON frequent excursions upon the great
waste or waters so beloved by them, he
wore always the national costume and
masked his identity by calling himself
a sailors son from the Piraeus
LariSSa gradually grew to be scholar,
with the books her lover brought, and
the pains he took 70 addto the good funda-
mental education which she already had;
and many a golden afternoon Of summer,
when Athenian society wondered where
Prince George might be-for the idyl had
not then become public property royal
lover was reading and interpreting old
Homer 20 the beautiful girl at his side,
while around them stretched a landscape
long sung iii history and not far distant
rolled the classic waters OF the Straits
of Salanis.
But such state of things could not go
on forever uninterrupted. The course OF
true love runs no smoother for a kings son
than for sailor s; and one day mounted
messenger rode up to the farmhouse while
LariSsa and her lover were within and de-
Handed hastily and auth0ritativeIy fOr
Prince George. When the presence Of this
royal parsonage and any acquaintance with
bin. even by sight, was denied, the tactIeSs
messenger lost patience and, pointing in-
side to where, unconscious Of what was
transpiring. the royal head was bent close
TO that of the plebian maiden. exclaimed:
Il see the prince here, my good woman
Make haste and tell him bear the Kings
orders
The secret was out Red and angry, the
prince rode away in obedience to the pa
ternal command, and it was the last visit
in which the freedom OF an accepted suitOr
to the woman whom he loved was accorded
him Greek women hold their virtue as their
highest prize, and the next time he found
a few moments before cmbarking on the
hastily assumed expedition into Cretan wa
ters, the girl with whom he had rOamed
so freely over the hills was closely hedged
around by protecting friends who saw in
mis- attentions but a menace to the girls
fair fame
Larissa herself, when he demonstrated.
first pleadingIy. then furiousiy, answered
with shy dignity:
''You are Kings son; am only
peasant woman"
But, as she was q woman, she could
not forget that the man before her had
been, nay, was still her lover. and she
cried out to him, But I will be true to
you always
After some persuasion. she consented TO
accompany her adopted parents to Athens,
and there. for the first time in her life,
had a photograph taken for the royal
sweetheart to carry away with him A
few days afterward the Prince and his
torpedo fleet set sail for Crete.
How will ft all end? Those who know
the lover best say it is with him a much
more serious question than the court.
which has been much diverted by what it
calls the princes little folly is wiling
to cOncede.
Perhaps the details Of rural house
keeping proved too allurins to one brought
I'D amid the conventiOnaIties OF a royal
palace.
A younger son, with but a secondary
claim upon the throne of the Kingdom
what course would be more likely 20 win
favor with the people than for him TO re-
nounce his title and pretenSiOns and marry
one from their ranks?
So argue his friends in excuse for sun
dry meRaccs from the prince; while he,
amid thckening war-CIOuds- cherishcs the
photograph, and the '.sOuEChiid'' mean
while has promised to be faithful