Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1901-11-14

the clergy who 'sere to offfeiate, and
great event.
Blanche read it all through as though
it were part of n dream. In imagina-
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 to 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 out into
the garden that morning, restless and
agitated and, sitting in tiny summer
house beneath n big lilac tree, feD
amusing. while the hours passed, and
by and by the glare of the monday
sun warned her to return 10 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.. Will
loughby. Have you completed your
business in town satisfactorily
"Thank you, yes" he answered. "And
| feel like a giant refreshed by these
few days in London-one drops into
such rut, forever in the country.
OF course you have not heard this
mornings newsf'
mo. 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 a choking cry Blanche reeled,
and before the vicar could reach her
she lay faint and prone on the graveled
path For hours she passed from one
fit of Mysteries to another. The doctor
said her nerves were completely un-
strung. and the shock of the wears
tidings had been the last straw.
No one dreamed of connecting the
country girl, who had not been iIf Lon
don except for three months of her life,
with the king, who, instead of being
principal in the pageant of wedding,
lay dead, it was whispered of poison,
in his darkened palace.
1t was for her he had died, Blanche
felt assured, and by sheer effort of will
she overcame her nerves and her an
guish and waited waited until on the
second day the postman brought her
little package with many foreign
stamps thereon. When she next sum-
moned up strength to face the world
again and take up the burden of life,
every one marveled at 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 circlet
engraved with the old tryst word Mis-
pah,' and next her heart lay letter,
the only letter she had ever received
from her king lover:
Ny BIanche-You have seen all the reports OF
my approaching marriage, and you are thinking
that ! have altogether forgotten the one woman
love. No so, my peerless Blanche 1t has been
necessary. for state reasons, to acquiesce in the
match arranged for me by my ministers, but to-
night make my quietus. No other course
is open to me but the one am about to take, be-
lieve me, Blanche; also / am delivering the prin-
cess from lifelong hypocrisy, for, like myself,
she has been forced into this. l send back the
Mizpah ring, and ! know merciful God will
Judge me innocent in the time have been abb
sent the one from the other. Wear 1t always for
my sake. Heart Of my heart, farewell until we
meet in the land where all equal and where
love is the only king. REX.
Ladies' Field.