Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1901-06-01

Ldndra.
He wondered it she ever thought
him remembered the night he had
confessed his love to her. Not day
had passed in those long years OF
failure but her image had been be-
fore him. Now, at length, when he
had achieved some slight success, it
was too late. All that was left for
him was to take the absurd little
Journey of sentiment.
Early next morning he Travelled to
Beaulieu. He got out at the railway
station and, following the path that
led round to St. Jean, passed the
fishing village and gained the Point.
There he sank down on the ground
and gave himself up to his reflect
ions. 1t was d perfect morning, a
cloudl, 50 sky, the air soft and preg-
nant with the perfume of the roses
that grew right to the edge OF the
tiny cliff. Some 80 feet below him
was the sea, not ripple on its
smooth surface, the clear blue tints
cleaning in the sunshine.
Presently he was aware of a
woman gazing curiously at him.
The next moment they had recog-
nized one another. She went sud
denly pale, and her lips parted in
wonder.
"Ralph!" she gasped.
He looked at her mutely. He was
face to face with her at last, and the
blood went throbbing through his
veins.
"Yes, just Ralph" he said me-
chanically.
She held out her hand, and he took
it awltwardly.
"And to think it is you after all
these years." she said softly.
Hippesley did not speak. His
thoughts had flown back dozen
years to the night when he had left
her. An indefnable idea came to
him that she, too, was thinking OF
the same thing.
~ wont lie," he said abruptly. 81
am not here by chance. heard you
were on the Riviera, and after all
these years l wanted to see you
again-iust to see you and no notion
of speaking"
81 l.. sytA INy =
trying to read his thoughts.
You have loved me all this time?"
she asked slowly.
He bowed his head. She turned
away with little sob.
"And you never wrote!" she cried.
"Oh, why didn't you write"
n was a failure-such an utter
failure I could not write to claim
you," he said hoarsely. "You did
well. l wasn't worth waiting for"
She looked at him, the tears glis-
tening in her eyes.
"What tumble fate made of our
livesl' she sighed.
ut did not matter. You are the
Princess Zandra."
"Oh, l am tired-tired to death of
it ALL" she cried in tone of utter
weariness. "To have to live in an
artificial world, among people who
are not my people-there is no one
lett to me now-and to have to begin
it all over again." she added in a
half sorrowful, musing tone.
He understood. He remembered
the words he had overheard at the
cafe. 1t was all true, then. She
looked up at him quickly, with a
smile.
"But you, Ralph; what have you
donep" she asked gently.
"For years nothing. Now, at last,
I've got small estate in Ceylon.
It's a fair living, while l work hard
not bad lite, too, for man who
has lost his ambitions"
mo, not bad life" she repeated.
"a lonely one, though" She gave a
little laugh. There was an infinite
note of sadness in it. "As lonely as
mine has been!"
She lifted her head, and their eyes
met. He read something in her gaze
"a something that sent him trem-
bling from head to foot.
"My God, Esme!" he cried. If-if
you were not the Princess Xandra!"
He saw her eyes suddenly shine,
the color rush to her cheeks.
"Remember only that l am poor