Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-10-15
WHEN A QUEEN
WAS MADE
BY CURRAN r. GREENLEY
Copyright, 1858, by T. @. Mcclure

louder with the coming of the stars.
There was glitter of golden banners
along the Grand canal and the silent
hurrying of many gondolas, for Venice
was en- fete The treaty with Cyprus
had been formally ratified, and that
day the republic had formally adopted
the slim patrician maid, daughter of
Venice, that she might become the
mother of kings to be.
A great destiny for the shy child of
scarce fourteen years. But as Caterina
leaned from her easement, the golden
hair falling down the wall in a nimbus
light, her thoughts were not of King
James de Lusignan nor that stored
kingdom of Cyprus oversee, not of
them, for maiden thoughts are white
winged birds that go where they list,
but of one slender youth whose eyes
sought hers across the darkness, where
he stood in the shadow of the closed
portals of the Morosini palazzo across
the canal, so near that he could note
the CLEAN of the scarlet light on the
golden head, so far that the sword of
A kings bride-what chance had he,
Andrea Morosini, cavalier and poet,
and a Morosini, the ancient enemy of
her house?
There had been days when old Cor
naro's daughter had watched concealed
behind her easement draperies to see
him go forth with the young knights.
There had been soft starlit nights
when he had watched that selfsame
easement and poured forth his soul to
the silken sweet tones of his lutte. One
night when her nurse nodded drowsily
the small white hand had dropped
great languorous white rose into the
PROV of his gondola, and after that
there had been a moment in the great
cathedral when he had pressed close
and held the little hand for a moment
in his. That was all, and there could
be no more for Cornaro's child, the
daughter of Venice, but the lad had
dreamed his dreams and gone merrily
forth to battle with the Genoese. 1t
had been a month, a long month, when
he returned, and all the bells were ring
ing in honor of Caterina.
The twilight died, but the blaze of
festal beacons flashed from tower to
tower. Over there in the Cornaro pa
lazzo there was a perfect carnival of
music and laughter. Andrea's face grew
whittier in the reflected glare. He could
see as the breeze blew aside the cur
+oioc ,oaonv fo,7rac nocc;ro RI o1d FRO
in that upper room. They were robing
for her sacrifice in that maiden cham
Der that had been his hearts shrine for
two long years.
No longer q Venetian maiden, the
ceremony that would presently take
place before the high altar of ST.
Marks would make her a crowned
queen. Well, he would go to the wars
again. There was always the Genoese
to battle with. He might even win the
holy sepulcher.
Was there no way? He would have
face to face. Andrea flung the lutte
far out, where it sank into the dark wa
tiers. He would never need it again.
Overhead all the bells Of Venice called
to one another, and the lap, lap of the
tide sobbed beneath as the under note
of human pain that beats minor tone
to all the JOY of life.
Caterina stood up straight and tall
in the midst of her maidens. The jew
eled robe fell close to the round, young
limbs, heavy with its weight of pearls.
Pearls and rubies were twined in the
golden curls, and the fair, round arms
were banded with glowing gems of the
orient. Across the childish breast,
above the folds of cloth of gold, a
baldric of emeralds rose and fell with
every frightened breath, and the wild
rose color was gone from cheek and
quivering lip.
Straight and tall in her young majes-
ty, but over the blare of the trumpet,
the flash of the jewels, deeper than the
voice of Venice in loud acclaim, came
forever. There was strangeness in
her throat, a blackness before her.eyes.
Awed at her silence, the flock of
maidens fell little away from where
she stood, and then there came an old
woman, bowed and weary, through the
velvet portals.
When the attendants would have
barred the way Caterina held out her
hand. AS the old woman bowed be-
fore her she opened the palms of her
brown hands an instant, so quickly
that none saw but Caterina, who drew
quick breath and turned to the wait
ing throng with a new authority.
leave us. would have speech with
the dame alone''
Wondering, they left her, and as the
door changed to the old woman slipped
the iron bar into place and then stood
up, the gray wig thrown off, the wom-
an trappings cast aside. Andrea Moro
SIM
One step toward Caterina, and he
held out his arms. With a low. glad