Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-02-20

yjiSE--ths perpetual qhestnnt woods--sv.
epything blatant, positive, colorless with
q blaze Of raging heat--and you painting
it,"
"Ah, SO you know the princess9"
Know hefp Doesn't every poor woman
| bless her name and every child smile at
the sound Of 1t? Is she not their good an
gel9 How could not know herr"
1T is very easy to do the good angel
when one is rioh."
| Madam
why, yes, when there is no need Of any
self denial"
II think it horrible of you to speak so
of your benefaetor.
"Why benefactore Money Is exchanged
for service, you know-service money We
are apt in this world to always consider
the benefit bestowed by the employer.
Sometimes it Is all the other way"
1t may be sometimes, madam said
in great rage SIN this case know 1t is
not" And I rose to go, only that some
thing in her shabby clothes and sad face
made me hesitate.
"Why don't you follow herr" she said
irrelevantly.
our feet. IT can't" said. II have no
money"
"Would you go if you had itp''
eyes, I would go.'
If you had only a little?"
~ would go if 'twere only enough to
follow where she had been and dream my
footsteps were treading where hers had
fallen.h
"What if I give 1t your"
"You give 1t mep"
II will give it you"
"You are hooking me, madam.
Indeed will give it you"
A sudden madness surged through my
being.
81 will pay you back. Iswear l will pay
you back"
Yes, you shall pay me back
There followed long silence. thought
had been dreaming for it did not seem
1t could be true, when she said suddenly,
"After all, don't think I'll let you have
the money" Then turned away in sick
anger. "How hateful-how extraordinary
~ hateful you are, said I. IT believe you
are witch.
"Come; that's not polite.
walked away and sat down on great
stone Yes, surely she was witch. There
she remained, peeping at me every now
and then as she sketched. She was 100 at
least, and her horrid hand was like piece
of parchment If hadn't been man, I
should have strangled her. For once /
wished were woman. She had filled
my cup up with hope that the bitter might
taste the more bitter.
''You silly passionate boy" she said at
last, "oone here"
took no notice
Come here" she repeated, suddenly
standing up. Somehow had to go-she
was so old, and the stones were not safe
walking among She leaned heavily on my
arm as we went over the rough way in 81
lence to the steps that led up from the
river bed to the road. The Princess Cesari-
MIS- carriage WAS waiting How my heart
beat! Her carriage All, why had she gone?
Get IN, y said my companion after she
had seated herself.
CLIP
"Gct in
got in. We drove through the village
Neither of us spoke. felt her eyes were
fixed on me. All the folk we met uncover
ed, and the children ran to the doors of
the cottages 'How she is loved!" said |
suddenly.
"WhoY"
"Ihe princess, of course. Don't you no
tice how the people recognize her equipage
and bow even to-
TO me, you mean, you funny creature.
You are amazingly impertnent She
smiled very sweetly, but sadly, too, and
turned her eyes away as if her thoughts
had strayed OIL to weightier matters I
lost sight of the shabby little woman, the
old gray clothes and wizened face, and
saw great lady, with great heart--a
soul that commands bending Of the knee
from all her kind Then knew-it sud
denly flashed upon me- so that felt cold
and trembled with shame-I was driving
with the Princess Cesarini. must have
turned pale, for she said:
She is princess really, my dear boy"
1T is not that, said 1.
:" A real princess" she continued, "only
she is very poor-like you-and she has no
title. She brings the sunshine into an old
woman's life, and in return the old wom-
an gives her pretty clothes, Il little gold
and home. See, the country will be beau
tiful again soon, for she Is coming back
tomorrow. You shall meet her -
Princess said l. But l could not
speak; something swelled up in my throat.
Frances Forbes Robinson in Westmin.
ster Budget.