The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-10-28


air Of great carelessness, walked down
from the room where she was and faced
her brother, sitting still in his boots
and drinking wine, and she said:
I'M. de Merosailles has taken his
leave then?'
even so, madam, rejoined Rudolf.
Then she broke into fierce attack on
the marquis, and on her brother also,
for man, said she, is known by his
friends, and what man must Rudolf
be to have friend like the Marquis de
Merosailles
"Most brothers." she said in fiery
temper, "would make him answer for
what he has done with his life. but
you laugh. Nay, dare say you had a
hand in it.
AS to this last charge the prince had
the discretion to say nothing. He chose
rather to answer the first part of what
she said, and, struggling his shoulders
again rejoined, 1.-THE fool saves me the
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 and
black clothes.
"To kill himself" repeated Rudolf.
"For in the first place you are angry,
and he cannot live, and in the second
he has behaved like rogue, 50 he can-
not live and in the third place you are
SO lovely, sister, that he cannot live,
and in the first, second and third places
he is fool, so he cannot live" And
the prince finished his tiagon Of wine
with every sign Of ill humor in his
manner.
"He is well deadl' she cried.
ooh, as you please" said he. "He
is not the first brave man who has died
on your account" And he rose and
strobe out of the room very surlily, for
he had great friendship for M. de
Merosailles and had no patience with
men who let love make dead bones Of
them.
The Princess Osra, being thus left
alone, sat for little while in deep
thought There rose before her mind
the picture of M. de Merosailles riding
mournfully through the gloom of the
forest to his death, and, although his
conduct had been all and more than all
that she had called it, yet it seemed
hard that he should die for it. More
over if he now in truth felt what he
had before feigned the present truth
was an atonement for the past treach-
cry, and she said to herself that she
could not sleep quietly that night il the
marquis killed himself in the forest.
Presently she wandered slowly up to
her chamber and looked in the mirror
and murmured low, Poor fellow!"
And then with sudden speed she attired
herself for riding and commanded her
horse to be saddled and darted down the
stairs and across the bridge and mount
ed and forbidding any one to accom-
pany her, rode away into the forest, fol.
lowing the tracks of the hoofs Of NJ. dc
Merosailles' horse. It was then late
afternoon, and the slanting rays of the
sun, striking through the tree trunks,
Redeemed her face as she rode along,
squirting her horse and following hard
on the track of the forlorn gentleman,
But what she intended to do if she came
up with him she did not think.
When she had ridden an hour or
more, she saw his horse tethered to
trunk aud there was ring of trees
and bushes near, encircling an open
grassy spot Herself dismounting and
fastening her horse by the marquis
horse, she stole up and saw NJ. de Nero.
sailles sitting on the ground, his drawn
sword lying beside him, and his back
was toward her She held her breath
and waited for few moments. Then
he took up the sword and felt the poiut
and also the edge Of it and sighed deep.
ly, and the princess thought that this
sorrowful mood became him better than
any she had seen him in before.
Then he rose to his feet and took his
sword by the blade, beneath the hilt aud
turned the point of it toward his hearti /.
And Osra, fearing that the deed would
be done Immediately, called ont eager.
": my lord! My lord!" Aid M, de