The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1901-03-14

to give up all your own happiness that
che might become happyr'
She never can be happy without me
Iii she loves, me as ! believe" ! adj
NIT that this was selfish thought to
express. fF's tF t'Es9s ~ q s.. =
"Then why Is 1t impossible. your
loverand hers?., II her love for you IL
as great as you say 1t is, what is a
king. a prince7or principally to herT'
ut is none of those. !. It Is because
she has given her word, the word Of q
princess. What would you do In her
place" suddenly.
ZIP Phyllis leaned back among the
cushions, her eyes half closed and q
smile on her lips. Il am afraid that II
loved you should follow you to the
end of the world. Honor Is fine
thing. but In her case 1t is an empty
word. II she broke this word for you,
|twho would be wronged2 No one, since
the prince covets only her dowry and
the king desires only his will obeyed.
Perhaps do not understand what So
cial obligation means to these people
who are born in purple" ~ -.
perhaps that Is 1t. Phyllis. listen,
and will tell you a romance which
has not yet been drawn to its end.
Once upon q time-let me call 1t q
fairy story" said l, drawing down a
palm leaf as If to read the tale from
its blades. "Once upon a time in q
country far from ours there lived q
prince and princess. The prince was
rather a bad fellow. His faith in his
wife was not the best, and he made q
VOW that II ever children came he
would make them as evil as himself.
Not long after the good fairy brought
two children to her godchild. the prin-
cess. Remembering the VOW made by
the prince, the good fairy carried away
one Of the children, and no one knew
anything about it save the princess
and the fairy. When the remaining
child was years old. the pr 'ss died.
The child from then on grew like a
wild flower. The prince did his best to
spoil her. but the good fairy watched
over her just as carefully as she watch
ed over the child she had hidden away.
BY and by the wicked prince died. The
child reached womanhood. The good
fairy went away and left her. Per-
haps she now gave her whole attention
to the other" let the palm leaf slip
back and drew down fresh one, Phyl-
lis watching me with interest. ''The
child the fairy left was still a child for
all her womanhood. She was willful
and capricious; she rode. she fenced,
she hunted: she was as unlike other
women as could be. At last the king,
who was her guardian. grew weary Of
her caprices. So he commanded that
she marry. But what had the fairy
done with the other child, the twin
sister Of this wild princess? Perhaps
in this instance the good, fairy died
and left her work unfinished, to be
taken up and pursued by a convention
al newspaper reporter. Now this pro
tenn. fairy ascertained that the good
fairy had left the lost princess in the
care of one Of foreign race. Having
wife and daughter Of his own, he
brought the princess up as his niece,
not knowing himself who she re:..iy
was. She became wise, respected and
beautiful in mind and form. Fate,
who governs all fairy stories, first
brought the newspaper reporter into
the presence of the lost princess. She
was q mere girl then and was selling
lemonade at-at Is cents q glass.
She
Jack" came in wondering tones,
''for mercy's sake, what are you telling
mer'
phyllis, can you not look back, per-
haps as in q dream, to an old inn where
boldiers and ministers in hurry and
confusion moved to and fro? No;
dare say you were too young. The
Princess Hildegarde Of Hohenphalia
is your sister" ! rose and bowed to
her respectfully. -....
my sister, the princess2 prin-
cess? Jack" Indignantly, you are
hooking me! 1t is not fairr'
Phyllis, as sure as stand before
you all have said Is true. And now
let me be the. first to do homage to
your serene highness," taking her hand
despite her efforts to withdraw 1t and
kissing it. ....s. .- Ia. ,....i~,. .A--.
1T is unreal! Impossible! Absurdv'
she cried.
Let me repeat the words Of the
French philosopher who said, AS
nothing Is impossible let rs believe in
the absurd, said l. (.
"And does she know-the Princess
Hildegardei My sister? How strange
the word feels on my tongue" -4..L
mo; she does not know. but present
" she will"
Then Phyllis asked in an altered
tone, And what is all this to you that
you thrust this greatness upon me, a
greatness, assure you, for which I
do not care?" ",-....
/ regarded her vaguely. saw .
precipice at my feet could not tell
her that Id making her princess 1
was making Gretchen free. l could
not confess that my motive was pure
ly q selfish one.
1T was duty" said I evasively.
"And in what way will it concern
the Princess Hildegarde's affairs-and
yours" She was rather merciless.
''Why should it concern any affair of
miner asked. &..'a 81 ~
"You love her. and she loves you.