Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1901-11-16
FROsTBURG, Md, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1901.
waves Of the ocean surginE through

waves VI lHt OCEAN suISIIlS
her ears.
Before God, Blanche, l will never
marry any woman but you"
He had forgotten her, then. Even n
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,
ShlmmerinS sapphire. the sunshine
swept in a flood OF gold. The birds
twittered a hundred glad songs, and the
sccnt 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 dla-
mOnds on her hand-diamonds that
mean constancy! And he was about
to do "a she had urged him-marry an
other woman. All, we'll. 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-
pcarcd In the papers anent the forth
coming royal wedding. 1t was brought
to remembrance that King Rex was
the handsomcst ruler in Europe. The
Princess Flavia was said to be beau
tiful and accomplished. The names Of
the bridesmaids were announced and
the clergy who were to officiate, and
then came the entire programme of the
great event
Blanche read 1t all through as though
1t were part of n dream. In imagina-
tiOn she saw her own name in place
of that of Princess Flavia. 1t might
have been. Yet not once did she re-
pent her decision of that fatcful 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 dawn"d in that tran
quill country spot. and Blanche Drum
mond's left hanti 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. fcU
amusing while the hours passed. and
by and by the glare of the monday
sun warned her to return to the house.
AS she ncarcd the garden gate the
vicar was passing on the road outside.
and mechanically she paused to speak
to him.
$50 you have returned, Nr. Will
loughby. Have you completed your
business in town Satisfactorily?"
"Thank you. yes" he answered. and
| feel like a giant refreshed by these
few days in London-onc drops into
such rut, forever in the country.
or course you have not heard this
mornings news"
"No. What has happcncd:"
"Thc king OF Stcrvia. who was to
have been married today. you know,
was found dead In his bed this morn
Ing"
With a choking cry Blanche rcclcd,
and before the vicar could reach her
she lay faint and prone on the gravclcd
path. For hours she passed from one
tit of Mysteries to another. The doctor
said her nerves We're completely un-
strung. and the shock OF the Wears
tidings had been the last straw.
No one dreamed of connecting the
country girl, who had not been in Lon
don except for three months of her life.
with the king. who. instead OF being
principal In the pageant OF wedding,
lay dead. 1t was whispered Of poison,
In his darkcncd palace.
1t was for her he had died, Blanche
felt assured. and by sheer effort Of will
she overcame her nerves and her an
Guish and waitcd-waited until on the
second day the postman brought her a
little package with many foreign
stamps thereon. When she next sum-
moncd up strength to face the world
again and take up the burden OF life,
every one marvclcd at the alteration
In her. Years older she looked. The
! lustcr was gone from her eyes, and her
expression was that of a woman who
had just turned away from the death
bed of all that the world held dear to
her. Above the diamond ring on her
wedding finger was n plain gold circlct
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:
Ny Blanche-You have seen all the reports OF
my approaching marriage. and you are thinking
that ! have altogether forgotten the one woman
| love No So my peerless Blanche. II has been
necessary. for state reasons. to acQuicsce in the
match arranged Tor me by my ministers, but to-
night | make my own quetus No other course
is open me but the one am about to take. be-
1t.ya ali n loltN fha rir