Arizona republican., 1899-01-24

q have added to my household the
 most charming of girls, Blanca q Este. In lineage she is your equal, for her blood is not merely royal, but very
 ancient as well. I should love to see her seated at your side on the throne of Saltravia; and it is high time you mar
 ried as you must surely admit"
 Clarimond was not the man to be
 either coerccd or counseled on matri-
 nonial questions, He had never yet
 seen the woman whom he would have
 taken any great joy in making his wife,
 but he had seen at least four or five
 who might, even to his fastidious taste, l have worn the crown of queenly con l sort with satisfying distinction. 1 As ho now let his eye rest on Bi- anca q Estes plump, yet dignifcd, fig
 urc and creamy, pinlz-and-white face, he felt no stir Of interest whatever. She
 was undoubtedly Q handsome girl, but behind such a look as hers there could not lie the intelligence which alone makes woran's beauty otherwise than q mere Pastimc of the senses to men;
 and our young king was a man who had never shoE2A bis senses very much re- spcct, . Yhich something in the silvcry g his eyes and in the lines of his cleV ldcd chin went strongly state carriage rolled onward through the mellow summer darkness, and by the rays of the outside lamp which illuminod it he could distinctly view this young Italian lady, he told himself, al-
 most with wcarincss, that if his mother should insist and inportunc, after that fashion of doing both in which she so notably cxccllcd, he might yield to her and let thc cherished nuptials really take place.
 The princess of Brindisi was woman wEo rarely kept silent even from sullli- ness, longer than ten minutes at time. Before the journey had been half ac- complishcd she broke in upon Q civil commonplace which her son was ad- dressing to Blanca. So filled with bit terness were her words that Bianca's mild yva-1cn cyclids lowered themselves as if in gentle sorrow.
 Tho king heard and Lit his lips. 'I might have had q larger guard of sol diers to greet you,'' he said, If your coming had not been so precipitate and unexpectcd.'
 'sPrecipitatel Unezpected!" echoed the princess, with the tips of her lips And king speaks that way to his mother! One might fancy, Clarimond, that some member of the petite nOblesse no, of even the common, vulgar herd itself lately raised to pOwer-had pre- scnted this piteous c1cusc!"
 T did not mean it for an excuse,'' cc1ne Clarimond's cold answer, and he threw himself back against the cushions of the carriage, disheartened, disgusted.
 From this arnbuscade of shadow he could watch his mother, on whom the lampliCht fell with somewhat cruelty telling ardlor She had not markedly al tered during the long interval which had preceded their last meeting. Her figure was still of that fine if somewhat too masculine holding which had won her, years ego, many a compliment at the court of her imperial cousin. Her face was just as firmly chiseled as of old, with its aQuilinc arc of nostril and it's oyerfulI eyeballs too closely set togeth- CT, implying both narrowness of judg- ment and avoluble art of defending it. Her hands, now cased in somber travel ing gloves, just as her form was robed in dark travelling gown of perfect fit, retained their happy grace of gesture,
  kiss the most beautiful hand in Europe" a famous conqueror had once said to her, and the courtesy. had echoed from court to court. But on her chill lips dwelt the old insolent curve. though few subtle little wrinkles had crept in dainty mOclzery about their corners. Her hair, once abundant and darl1-shin- | ing, was visibly thinned and silvered at IL O+ ho to be the princess of Brindisi, distin- guished in every movement of her frame, | an incarnate quintessence of the aris- tocratic idea, redolent of pride. intoler- ance and the most vicious aims which | caste has created in spite of Christianity, | and preserved in spite of all human progress.
 Her reception at the palace displeased | her more than the previous welcome | had done. She had really been delayed in her journey to the frontier by an ac- cident on one of the trains, but this fact sceraed to her no possible reason why royalty should not have immediate and means at its command for treating her with the same homage by night as by day. "A king" she said to her son, when at last they were alone together in a suite of chambers which even she, prepared to cavil and to dar1n with faint praise, could not but frankly admire for their simple yet noble splen- dor, "a king, my dear Clarimold, should never be caught without his magnif- cence."
 If I were in any sense Q great king,' began Clarirlond, with a laugh.
 But the princess stopped him, frown- ingly. You're very notable and rich one,'' she said, almost as rich as the emperor himself,
 Well, granted"
 Almost as rich" she went on with a bitter laugh. "as an American"
 "Oh, they're not all so rich, by any means. And you hate them as much as ever?'
 ''They are barbarians," announced the princess, leaning back in her chair and beginning to fan herself.