The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-04-19

'She Is very strong and willing"
Then while Gertrude stood wonder.
ing and staring with wide eyes in the
doorway the princess stepped up to the
miller and leaned over him and cried
"LoolI at my face! Look at my face
What manner of face is it?''
''lt is well enough" said the miller
but Gertrude is
There was crash upon tho floor, and
the 600 crowns rolled out Of the purse
and scattered. spinning and rolling hth-
er and thithcr all over the floor and
into every corner of the room. And
Princess Osra cried, "Iavo you no
eyes"' and then turned away, for her lip
| was qulvcrlng, and she would not have
the muller SEQ it. But she turned from
the miller only to face Gertrude, his
wife, and Gcrtrudo's small eyes brigL ..
ened with sudden intelligence.
All, you are tho other girl" said
Gertrude, with much amusement "And
was that your dowry? 1t is largo. am
glad you did not come in timo But, see
LII pick 1T up for you. Nay, don't take
on dare say you'll find another hus-
band. And she passed by Osra, pat
ting her on the shoulder kindly as she
| went, and then fell on her knees and
began to pick up tho crowns, crawling
after thcm all over the floor and hold
ing up her apron to receive the recover
cd treasure, And Princess Osra stood
looking at her.
Aye, you'll find another husband, ;"
nodded the priest encouragingly.
AYE, you'll find another husband, 4"
assented the miller placidly, "and just
as ono girl is pretty nearly as good as
another If she is handy and sturdy, SO
ono husband is as good us another if he
can keep house over you"
Princess Osra said nothing, but Ger
trude, having picked up tho crowns,
calne to hor with full apron and said !:
Hold up your lap and I'll pour them
III. They'll get you good husband"
Then Princess Osra suddenly bent
and kissed Gertrudos check, and she
said gently:
II hope you have got good husband,
my dear, but let him do some work for
hlmself AID keep tho GOO crowns as a
present from mo, for ho will value you
moro with 500 than with 300"
I The eyes Of all three wero fixed on
her in wonder and almost in fear, for
her tone and manner now wero differ
ent. Then she turned to the miller and
She bit her lip and dashed her hand
once across her eyes and said
And you, miller, are the only sensi.
BILE man l have found in all the king.
dom; therefore good luck and good
wife to you. And she gave q little
short laugh and turned and walked ont
or the cottage, leaving them all spell
bound III wonder. But tho miller rose
from his chair and ran to the door and
when he reached it the king was lust
hitting Osra on to her horse, and the
miller knew the king and stood there
with eyes wide and cheeks bulged in
wonder, and he could gasp out no more
than "Thc king, tho kingl" before Ru-
| dolf and Osra had ridden away, and
they could none of them, neither the
| miller nor Gertrude nor tho priest, tell
what tho matter meant until one day
King Rudolf rode again to the miller at
| Hufbau and, having sent for tho priest,
| told tine three enough of the truth, say
| ing that the affair was the outcome of q
| jest ut court AMI he made each of them
a handsome present and vowed them to
secrecy by their fcalty and attachment
| to his person and his honor
"Thcn she would not have married
| me anyhow?' asked the miller.
81 think not, friend" answered Ru.
| dolf with Il laugh.
Then we are but quits, and all is
we'll. Gertrude, tho Jug my l,ss. "
And SO, indeed, it seemed to tho king
4 L.
to the Princess Osra. But he declared
that She had SO far prevailed with tho
miller as to mako him desire marriage
as wholesome and useful thing in it.
self, although she had not persuaded
him that it was of great moment whom
a man married. Therefore he was very
anxious to give her tho bracelet which
no had promised, and moro than once
| prayed her to accept it. But Osra saw
the laugh that lurkcd in tho kings eye
and would not consent to have the
bracelet, and for Il long while sho did
not love to speak of tho miller Of IIof-
bau. Yet once, when the king on some
occasion cried out very impatiently that
all men were fools, sho said:
'Siro, you forget tho miller Of Hof-
bau, and she blushcd and laughed and
turned her eyes away.
And ono other thing sho did which
puzzled very greatly Queen Margaret,
and all the ladies of the court, and all
tho waiting women and all tho sorv-
ant maids, and in fine, every person,
high or low, who saw or heard Of it,
except the king only. For in winter
evenings she took her scissors and her
needle, and she cut strips of red ribbon,
each foot long and couple of inches
broad, and she embroidered on each and
every one of them n motto or legend,
and she affixed the ribbons bearing the
legend to each and every ono Of the
mirrors III each of her chambers at
Strelsau, at Ienda and all tho other
royal residences. And her waiting wo.
men noticed that whenever sho had
looked in the mirror and smiled at hcl
own image or shown other signs OF
pleasure in it she would then cast hcI
eyes up to the legend and seem to read
1t and blush little and laugh q lit.
tie and sigh little the reason fol-
which things they could by no means
understand.
For the legend was but this "Re
member the miller Of Hofbau."
THE END.