Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1902-09-20

the day, as she moved through the
stately rooms. Duke Fritz had care
fully kept away from her. He was
puzzled, hurt and a little resentful,
yet he glanced wistfully toward her
once or twice; but that inscrutable,
cold smile lay on the lovely lips, re-
pellfng all approach, r1d unfortunate
ly, Valerie never caught that look,
only suffered and wound the scourge
closer to her barred bosom.
When her women came to robe her
for the evening she thrust aside the
gay tissues, the shimmering satins,
and bade them put on a trailing
black gown of some misty material,
cloudlike, sombre, from which the
white marble of throat and bosom
cleaned like frost.
Duke Fritz stood at her side until
the tedious ceremony was ended;
then he made his way to the Countess
Isobel. and Valerie. glancing up, met
the eyes of katherine de Graffenreid
filled with mocking laughter. The
ebb and flow of the music, the glide
of the feet over the polished floor,
the murmer of voices, with their set
speeches, came to her as through a
mist. She had some wild thought of
leaving it all and rushing out into
the white night, of going to Rudolph,
her brother, the king of Arstadt. She
would claim his protection. Then
thought gripped her heartstrings-
her child. She could not leave him.
and the people of Auerstadt would
never suffer their little prince to be
raised in another land. No, she must
stay and bear her martyrdom. Ru-
dolph would be the first to bid her
return, and Princess Valerie could
have risen then and there, and beat
her hands against the wall in sheer
despair. Across the room, she could
see the dukes fair head bent low
above Countess Isobel; it was mad
dening.
A little page came hurrying down
the long room and bowed before her,
his face white and anxious. High
ness, the little prince is i'll, and
should have the Herr doctor immedi-
ate1y.'
Valerie sprang to her feet, and an
| instant hush fell over the audience
| chamber, as she swept past the little
knots of courtiers and laughing wom-
| en-, princess, but yet a woman, who
has heard the cry of her child in need
J of her.
! A group of frightened attendants
uIdQ0 way lOT ncI, dS SUE lSll Ou uSI
knees beside the low, white bed. The
rosy limbs, that she had kissed so
| short a time before. were rigid, and
a blue shadow grew around the tight
| ly drawn lips. as the child lay locked
in one convulsion after another. To
! the end of her life she never knew
whence came the strength that en-
| abled her, when the doctor called for
assistance, to brush aside the panic
! stricken nurses, and herself force the
clenched mouth open, while he pour
ed the medicine down. What mat
ter that the little white teeth ground
upon her delicate fingers until the
blood trickled down, the child had
ceased to struggle. and the warm
pink came back to the little face, and
the tense limbs relaxed With
burst of tears, she gathered the
sleeping baby to her breast, and the
old doctors eyes were misty, as he
laid kindly hand upon the. rebel
! lious curls that had somehow slipped
their fastening and tumbied in head
| long beauty to her waist.
The minutes slipped by, as Valerie
knelt with the child's cheek pressed
| against her own, then someone enter
ed and colsed the door, very gently.
| Valerie never stirred, scarcely con-
scious of anything but the fact that
| the child was given back to her arms
| "a thankfulness that almost blotted
out the other great sorrow for time.
Duke Fritz knelt down beside his
| wife, and drew the GarA head to his
! breast. For a moment she yielded to
! the sense of rest and peace, then
pride awoke, and she drew haughtily
away from him why come to me-
Where is the Countess Isobel? Is she
indisposed tha. you should turn to
me and the child ?"
The duke sprang to his feet, his
fair face flushing like girls val
erie." There was a world of re-