Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1901-11-14
MISPAH,
The Story Of q King Who Loved
G Commoner.
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dance.
The man was Of cour;!y presence and
splendid pl esique. with lace clean cat
as 4 cameo. red gold hair AL pointed
beard. woH3:oUs even there in tie half
light. and blue eyes tl-at fell hofore nei-
ther man nor woman.
In low. passionate tones he was
pleading with tie girl ut his side
pleading as strong men Only plead FOR
life or love. Bl.t to ~ the fervor OF his
wooirg she was aJa.a2lt.
you do not love me. Blanche, he
cried at length You lave only been
playing with me-"
"Ah. Rex. What lifetime of re-
grets and loneliness | should be saved
if | did noti''
He caught her in his arms. raining
hot kisses on her checks and lips.
my love, My life! How can | per-
suade you to forget everything but orr
love for each other and marry me:'
''Why do you tempt me? Why do you
love me? Why have we ever metz
She half freed herself from his en-
brace and stood her hands on his
shoulders, scanning his face.
Heaven only knows, since you in
sist on parting again" lie answered
"And yet you say you love me-
81 do love you with all my heart and
soul. Rex, my prince of men, my king,
But how can I marry you: Would you
have your people say you had brought
them country girl, commoner no
body, from over the sea? In what dis
aster would the royal marriage end?
No, no, my Rex. Our dream is over
tonight. We have come to the parting
Of the ways. Go back to your throne
and wed a woman fit to be your mate
a princess And 1.-The memory of this
May madness shall go with me to the
grave, and no man shall call me wife"
Before God, Blanche, l will never
marry any woman but you! There shall
be a lifelong troth between US if you
will have nothing else"
He drew ring set with blazing dia-
monds from his own finger and slipped
it on hers.
"Send it 10 me, darling" he said, 'if
In the years to come you repent to-
nights decision. and l will be at your
side as fast as rail and boat can bring
me. And f1nd it to me If the great
summons come first to you, and it
shall be bu led with me, for love Of a
peerless woman"
He bent lis handsome head and kiss
ed her agan.
81 have - jewel to give you back,
Rex" she whispered, 'only this little
'Mizpah' ring-'The Lord judge be-
tween me and thee when we are absent
the one from the other"
She raised her lips to his for last
caress, and he kissed the teardrops
from her eyes, too, before he led her
back TO the glare of the ballroom and
the scrutiny Of score of pairs of jeal-
Gus eyes arI the murmur of score of
envious fen nine tongues, "She has re-
fused hin, the little fool"
Blanche Drummond sat sewing at the
open window of a gray, ivy grown
house. with the golden sunshine of an
other May. ten years after showing
up all the finger prints that relentless
time and trouble had placed on her
beautiful face.
Squire Drummond had never possess
ed more wealth than would suffice for
his own requirements and those of a
prodlgal son, and 1t had been stand
Ing grievance to him that his daughter
had so steadily refused every offer of
f,1. II 4 L.. a.
story of the diamonds on her left hand,
and, moreover, he had no soul for SEN
timent.
Now that he was gone to his long
home and the prodigal far off in for
eign land Blanche lived on at the old
country house with the aunt who ten
years previously had chaperoned her
one London season.
Suddenly that lady looked up from
the newspaper she was reading.
"Do you remember the king Of Ster-
via, Blanche" she asked-"the hand
some man with the red beard? He call
ed himself the Count Won Glenchen
that season we met him in London"
Her eyes were DINNER than they had
been ten years ago, and she did not
see the flush on her niece's cheeks as
she murmured assent, but went on in
blissful unconsciousness.
"Here is news of him. He Is going
to be married at last" And she read
aloud:
"It is officially announced that q
marriage has been arranged to take
place shortly between his majesty King
Rex Of Stervia and her royal hlghness
Princess Flavia of Rhodania."
That was all-only a bald press par
agraph, but it set the sweet May sun
shine all dazzling before Blanche
Drummonds eyes and brought the
waves Of the ocean surging through
her ears.
Before God, Blanche, / 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 to her own room. Out
over the woods, yellow green in their
young leaves, and the distant sea,
shimmering sapphire, the sunshine
swept in n flood 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 hand-diamonds that
mean constancyl And he was about
10 do as she had urged him-marry an
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 a paragraph ap-
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 be beau