Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-10-24

her ears.
Before God, Blanche, I will never
marry any woman but your
He had forgotten her, then. Even a
king could forget his VOW.
She put away her sewing presently
! and went up 70 her own room. Out
over the woods yellow green in their
/ young leaves, and the distant sea.
shimmerlng sapphire the sunshine
swept IN a food Of gold. The birds
| twittered a hundred glad songs, and the
scent Of the lilac and hawthorn hung
on the air. But she heard nothing save
| the memory voice Of her king lovers
| pleading, saw nothing but his dia-
monds on her diamonds thar
mean constancy. And he was about
to do as she had urged him-marry an
other woman. All. well. When tie
Princess Flayia was queen Of Stervia.
She would put away his love pledge
forever.
The days crept on. and the weeks,
aud now ana then paragraph APP
peared III the papers anent the FORTH
coming royal wedding Ii was brought
TO remembrance that King Rex was
the handsomest ruler IN Europe. The
Princess Flavia was said to be beau
tiful and accomplished. The names of
the bridesmaids were announced and
the clergy who were to officiate and
then came the entire programme of the
great event.
Blanche read it all through as though
Ii were part Of a dream In magma
ton she saw her own name In place
Of that of Princess Flavia. 1t might
have been. Yet not once did she re-
pent her decision of that fateful May
night She still believed that 10 have
yielded to her love and married him
would have been the greatest wrong
she could have done him. And so his
wedding morning dawned in that tran
quil country spot, and Blanche Drum
mond's left hand was minus its blaze
of diamonds. She wandered ont into
the garden that morning, restless and
agitated and. sitting III a tiny summer
house beneath a big lilac tree. feB
amusing while the hours passed and
by and by the glare Of the monday
sun warned her 90 return to the house.
As she neared the garden gate the
vicar was passing on the road outside.
and mechanically she paused to speak
to him.
$50 you have returned, Mr.. VIII
ioughby. Have you completed your
business in town satisfactorily"
THANK you, yes. he answered. And
feel like a giant refreshed by these
few days in Loudou-one drops into
such rut forever in the country.
OF course you have not heard this
morning news"
NO. What has happened?"
"The king of Stervia, who was to
have been married today. you know,
was found dead in his bed this morn
ing"
With n choking cry Blanche reeled,
AMI before the vicar could reach her
size lay faint ana prone on the graveled
path For hours she passed from one
tit Of Mysteries to another. The doctor
said her nerves We're completely TN
strung. and the shock OF the Wears
tidings had been the last straw.
No one dreamed o. connecting the
don except for three n ouths of her life.
with the king, who instead of beng
principal in the Pageant of wedding,
lay dead il was whispered of poison,
in his darkenea palace.
1t was for her he had died, Blanche
felt assured and Icy sheer effort Of Will
she overcame her nerves and her an
guish and waited waited until on the
second day tile postman brought her 4
little package with many foreign
stamps thereon. When size next sum.
moned up strength 10 face the world
again ana take up tile burden Of life,
every one marveled mt the alteration
In her Years older she looked. The
luSter was gone from her eyes, and her
expression was that of woman Who
had just turned away from the death
bed of all that the world held dear To
her. Above the diamond ring on her
wedding finger was plain gold cirelet
engraved with the old trySt word Mis-
pah." and next her heart lay letter,
tile only letter She had ever received
from her king lover:
NJ nlan,te-You have seen a.; the reports e
M approaching marriage. ana yeu are thinking
fhat haze altogether forgotten tile une woman
] laNe No ~ my peerless Blanche. Il has been
necessary. tar state reasons. g ac4uiesee in the
match arranged fir me by my ministers. but To-
nseht / make my own quietrs. ~ ether course
is open Is ne but Tie one am afeot q take. be-
feKe me. Blanche, also ANA delivering the pfin-
cess from 4 Lifelong Hypocrisy. fsr Ike myself.
SIZE aas BEEN forced iYto ;hls. ! send hack the
Mzrah flaE. ami buaw ulrcltul God VIII
.sa-- me innocent lu tIc t.me We have been al