Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-10-04

her ears.
Before God. Blanche. 1 viii 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 to her own room. Out
over the woods. yellow green in their
young leaves. and the distant sea,
shimmering sapphire, the sunshine
swept in food of gold. The birds
twittered 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 hand-diamonds thar
mean consuancy. And he was abort
10 do as she had urged hlm-marry au-
other woman. All. well. When the
Princess Flavia was queen Of Stervia.
she would put away his love pledge
forever.
The days crept on. and the weeks
and now and then para graph APP
peared in the papers anent the forth
coming royal wedding. 1t was brought
To remembrance that King Rex was
the handSomest ruler in Europe The
Princess Flavia was said TO he beau
tiful and accomplished. The names of
the brides maids 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 We're part of a dream. In lima gina-
ton she saw her own name in place
of III. Of prin rr f.ybx
have been. Yet rot once did she re-
pent her decision of that Hateful 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
gull 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 big lilac tree, feU
amusing while the hours passed, and
by and by the glare of the monday
sun warned her TO 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.. Will
loughby. Have you completed your
business in town satisfactorily
THANK you. yes" he answered. and
l 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 news?''
mo. What has happenedF
1.-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 We're completely I'M
strung. and the shock of the vicar s
tidings had been the last straw.
No one dreamed of CONNECTING the
couhtry girl. who had not been in Lon
donfexcept for three months of her life,
with the king, who. instead of being
principal in the pageant of a 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 viii
she overcame her nerves and her a.
guish and waited-waited until on the
second day the postman brought her a
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 a woman who
bed of all that the world held dear TO
her. Above the diamond ring on her
wedding finger was a 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:
Nv Blanche-You have seen all the reports Of
nv approaching marriage and you 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 by my ministers, but to-
night ] make my quietus. No other course
is open to me but the l about to take, be
Ieve me- Blanche; also / delivering the prin-
cess from lifelong hypocrisy, for. like myself.
she has been forced into this | 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 it always Tor
my sake Heart of my heart. fareweY until We
meet in the land where all are equal and where
love is the only king. REx