Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-01-06
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
The Wooing of Renee.
BY cATurLE MENDEs.

she smiled on no man.
Still, nobody knew this for the truth
save one old woman who gathered
herbs in the forest, and her word would
not have been taken in the village, for
she was in league with the devil. She
knew cures for ills. brewed potiOns
from the wild things growing in the
forest. muttered words in an accurSed
tongue and had far too much of wis
dom to be in any way reckoned an
honest woman.
1t happened in this wise: Renee was
in the forest picking up fagots when
she CHANGED upon the old mother hunt
ing her strange herbs. The child was
too gentle to understand evil and too
pure to know fear, so she said with
her pretty smile:
"Good evening to you. motherI"
Good evening, pretty one! said the
crone. Strengthening her bent Shout
ders to look in Renee's face.
Then she drew nearer and. putting
her dry and wrinkled lips to the girls
ear, said:
'"Thou art too fair to gather fagots
In the forest all thy life. Down the
path to the right the kings huntsmen
shalt see the prince"
Renee shook her long yellow plaits
and ran down the path to the right.
singing as she ran. The old mother
looked after her.
"a good child" she muttered-"good
and pretty. Now may Gods blessing
go with herr
The kings huntsmen rode all on
IL 10 Oh,
bore the prince. The sun shone on his
yellow curls. jewels sparllled at his
throat. and his dark eyes flashed like
stars. He drew rein and babe the
huntsmen ride on before.
"Who art thou. little oneY'
"Renee," answered the child.
"welI namedr cried the prince. yet
1 had rather call thee Refine. Wilt thou
give me kiss"
Nay" said the girl. al will kiss
only whom love and love only whom
1 wedr'
The prince frowned.
81 am thy prince?
True" said the little peasant, but
am not thy princess~ And she turn
ed and ran away. tossing her long vel
low plaits and laughing as she ran.
After this the prince rode every day
through the forest. Once he met the
crone. who courtesied profoundly and
called Gods blessing down on his head.
81 have seen thy Renee" he said.
$50 fair is she that would make her
mine and, when my good father dies.
queen of all the land. Now. help me to
1t, mother. for see that thou art wise
far beyond thy humble station"
LET her not sleep o. nights" said
the old woman. hobbling away toward
the heart of the forest.
LET her not sleep o. nights"
what means this Gibberish?" ex-
claimed the prince angrily. Then he
reflected, SHOULD there be truth in
what she says?" And. turning his
horses head. he galIoped through the
wood to the highroad. where the kings
huntsmen waited to escort him to the
palace. There he sought the king and
laid bare his heart and vowed he'd
throw himself from the rampart's crest
If he be not given Renee for his wife.
So the king was forced to give his
consent.
That night the prince sent twenty
sweet voiced minstrels to the village,
|
wreathed window they sang the love
OF the prince for Renee. The girl lis
tened. The words touched her heart,
the music swayed her spirit. and that
night her eyes were not closed in slum-
Der. In the morning she was weary
and sought the shade of the Forest
There she found the prince. who look
ed into her eyes and made her listen to
the story Of his love from his own lips.
Each night the Ministries sang under
Renee's window; each day she met the
prince In the forest. She found him
fair and gentle. The lover of her
dream lad blue eyes. tender as the
summer sky.
But" thought Renee, looking at her
prince. ozark eyes can be tender too"
Still she said him nay.
woo not with too much sweetness"
cautioned the old mother. coming sud-
denly upon the prince where he sat,
disconsolate. beneath n great tree.
Music sometimes soothes to slumber."
So that night the prince sent the
keepers to beat the royal hounds be-
meath the window of Renee. All night
the wretched brutes howled; all night
the keepers dashed their whips. and in
the morning Renee. pale. languid. worn
with q weeks vigil. laid her little tired
head on the arm OF the prince and
could not in any manner say him nay.
MAKE haste to marryp' cried the old
woman. crossing the homeward path
of the prince.
AYE. that will II cried he. And
thou shalt be a duchess. mother. ere
tomorrow's sun goes DOWN.
gilded coach bore Renee to the PAL
ace. and when she stepped forth, clad
In her white communion robes, even
the unwilling king found her fair, and,
kissing her. he called her daughter