The Jennings daily record., 1902-09-29

ness, the little prince is i'll, and
should have the herr doctor immedi
ately."
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 woman, who
has heard the cry of her child in need
of her.
A group of frightened attendants
made way for her, as she fell on her
knees beside the low, white bed. The
rosy limbs. that she had kissed so
short time before, We're rigid. and
a blue shadow grew around the tight
ly drawn lips. as the child lay locked
in one convulsjon 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 unit! 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 tumbled in head
B .,,.S
The minutes slipped by, as Valerie
: knelt with the childS 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 thanlyfulness tnat almost blotted
out the other great sorrow for time.
| Duke Fritz kuelt down beside his
/ wife, and drew the uarn head to his
breast For moment she yielded to
/ the sense OF rest and peace, then
pride awoke. and she drew haughtiiy
away from him why come 40 me?
Where is the Countess isobel? Is she
indisposed that you should turn to
me and the child9"
The duke sprang to his feet. his
fair face flushing like girls val.
erie" There was a world Of re,
proach in the mere word. and Valerie
WINGED. haif-guiltily. a long silence
fell between husband and wife. Afar
off in the distance. the midnight bell
proclaimed the passing OF another
day, and the quiet lay over the city
like a pail: only. here in the palace
were flashing lights and anxious
faces lingering in the corridors tc
know how Jared the little prince. A
long time, the blue eyes of the duke
held the brown ones of Princess Val
erie with that proud reproach; then
woman-like. she fell to sobbing upor
his breast, knowing, without word
that the wrong was right; and thu
duke asked no questions, but present
ly, stroking her curls, told her how
the Countess Isobel, who had laughed
down love and many suitors. was a
last caught in the web of her own de
vising, and that the mattar was
difficult one, as the man in question
was a mere officer in the guards, tn
bare mention OF whom es husban'
for their imperious beauty had Sc
the whole Hohenhauffen clan by tn
ears In desperate case, the lover
had appealed to no less person thai
the hereditary duke, and, thougl
hereditary dukes are mighty in thei
small worlds, there are some thing
in which it is not safe to meddie
| hence, all the walks and talks, II