The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1901-01-24

some sort passed before my eyes
q something dull and heavy
upon my heart. Presently calilp
SOUND Of beating hoofs and thel,
became still. 49, 49,
Gretchen and we're alone. .re.
chen appeared to be stud ying the hlnt!
veins in her hands which she listlessly
heldsbefore her. An Interval of three
or four minutes passed; still she re-
NAMED in that pathetic attitude, silent
and motionless
! ..Gretchen," said l. have you moth
| ing to say $780, szzSzs:
Yes. sHer#eyes raised to the level
of mine, and Ffsaw that they were
deep in tears - Herr, shall say to
you that which have never said to-
any man and that which Eshall rxver
say to any man again. 1 may say it
1 now because it is sinless I love you!
love you, and, loving you, God knows
what the future without you shall be-
Yes, 4 love you.@ Take me@.once in
your arms and kiss me and let me go
forever ~ -z--ss.-. ,t-s.zz.
| Then, with q smile which partly
shielded a sob, her arms went around
4 my neck and her face lay close to
mine. Heaven knows which was the
greater, the JOY or the pain.
/ Gretchen, think!' l cried distract
eddy. What is a prince or king to
you and me, who loye?'' +.
'There is honor. gently. She caress-
ed my cheek with her fingers. IT.
Honor / cried vehemently. SIS
it honorable to marry the man you do
not love and break the heart of the
one you dO?' ~... ---.5c
She did not answer, but her arms
fell from my neck, and she approach
ed the window. The passing river was
1 reflected in her eyes. Her reverie was
a short one. :. ---.-:
Listen, herr. l will tell you why
it is honorable. The prince and the.
king? l fear the one as little as 1 do,
the other 1t is not the prince, it is not
the king, ut is not the principality.
Herr, I have come near to being a
very wicked woman, who was about
to break the most sacred promise a.
| sovereign can make Before l came
here delegation of my people ap-
preached me. On Bonded knees they
asked me not to voluntarily return the
principality to-the king. who was like
! ~ to give them a ruler -rapacious or
cruel or Indifferent. And. while they
understood what a sacrifice it meant
to me, they asked me to bend my will
to the kings and wed the prince, VOW
ing that alone should be recognized
as their sovereign ruler. Since my corQ.
nation they said that they had known
the first happiness in years. Herr, it
was so pathetic! I love my people,
1 who, after all, are not adopted, since
I was born here. So gave my prom
Use, and, heaven forgive me, I was
about to break it!
| "There are some things, herr, which
| the publican does not understand. One
of these is the duty a sovereign owes
to the people, The woman in me
wishes to follow your fortunes. though
they carry her to the ends of the
world, but the sovereign sees but one
path-honor and duty. What is one
human heart to hundred thousand?
A grain Of sand Herr, let mine be
broken. | shall not murmur. Alas, to
be princess, puppet in this tinse]
show Of kings and queens! 1t is my
word and the kings will which have
made my happiness an impossibility.
Though love you, wish never to see
you again. l shall be wife but in
name, yet may not have a lover l
am not a, woman Of the court l am
| md Of tl,x
who is to be my husband doubts that"
"No, Gretchen" said L. "he. does not
doubt it, but he wishes me to do so.
l believe in your innocence as believe
in your love-"
is sad, is it not" said she. that
we must go through our days loving
each other and all the world standing
between? 1 have never loved man
before did not want to love you /
did not know that l loved you till
saw that your life was in danger. Yet
I am glad that have lived for brief
second, for till woman loves she does
not live. | am brave; do you be like
wise. shall go back to the world, and
who shall know of the heart of fire
beneath the ice? Not even the man l
love. Kiss me. It is the last kiss !,
shall take from the lips Of any man." -
And it seemed to me that OUT souls
met in that last kiss, melted and be-
came one. Her hands dropped to her
side, and swiftly she sped from the
room.
She had entered the coach. The cav
alrymen were perched upon the box
There was a crack Of the lash, and the
coach rolled away. l watched it, stand
ing in the road. A cloud of yellow dust
partially obscured it from view. half
a mile beyond rose small hill This,
the coach mounted, and the red gold
of the smoldering sun engulfed it. Was
it face saw at the window? Per-
haps. Then over@tEe hill all disap-
1 peared and with it the whole world,
and stood in emptiness, alone
Gretchen had gone. = :. -