Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-07-17

my dear Caskoden, / knoW can trtts
yOt."
pliance, to extract some virtue out o.
her sore necessity and induce him t.
promise that in case Of the death Of
/ Louis she herself shall choose her sec
ond husband"
my lord" replied, quickly graspins
the point, ut is small wonder you rule
this land. You have both brain and
heart"
81 thank you, Sir Edwin, and hope
that both may always be at the serv
ice of you and your friends"
gave the suggestion to Mary as my
own, recommending that she proffel
her request to the king in the presence
Of Wolsey. and, although she had little
faith or hope, she determined to try.
Within day or two an opportunity
offered. and she said to Henry: Il am
ready to go to France any time you
wish, and shall do it decently and will
fngly, but IL I do so much for you.
brother. you might at least promise
me that when King Louis is dead /
may marry whomsoever ! wish. He
will probably live forever. but let me
have at least that hope to give me what
cheer 1t may while / suffer"
The ever present Wolsey, who was
standing near and heard Mary's peti,
ton, interposed: Let me add my pray
or to that of her highness. We must
give her her own way in something"
Mary was such complete picture Of
wretchedness that l thought at the
time she had really found tender spot
In Henry's heart, for he gave the prom
ise Since then l have learned, as you
will shortly, that it was given sim
ply to pacify the girl, and without any
intention whatever of its being kept,
but that, in case Of the death of King
Louis, Henry intended again to use
his sister to his own advantage.
To be beautiful princess is not to
enjoy the bliss some people imagine.
The earth is apt to open at any time
and Pluto to snatch her away to-the
Lord knows where.
Mary again poured out her soul on
paper-a libation intended for Brandon.
l made a dozen attempts in as many
different ways to deliver her letters,
but every effort was failure, and this
missive met the fate of the others. De
Longueville kept close watch on his
masters rival and complained to Hen
~ about these attempts at communica-
ton. Henry laughed and said he would
see that they were stopped, but paid
no more attention to the matter.
If Mary. before her interview with
Henry, had been averse to the French
marriage, she was now equally anx-
ious to hurry it on, and longed to 60
upon the rack in order that Brandon
might be free. He, Of course, objected
as strenuously as possible to the pur-
chase Of his life by her marriage to
Louis. but his better judgment told
HMM fact, had told him from the
first-that she would be compelled
eventually to marry the French king, /
and common sense told him If it must
be she might as well save his life at
the same time. Furthermore, he felt a
certain sense of delight in owing his
life to her, and knew that the fact that
she had saved him, that her sacrifice
had not all been in vain, would make
1t easier for her to bear.
The most beautiful feature of the re-
lations between these two lovers was
their entire faith in each other. The
way of their true love was at least not
roughened by cobblestones of doubt
however impossible 1t was from noun
tains of opposition.
My inability to deliver Marys letters
lid not deter her from writing them,
Ind as she was to be married in few
lays-De Longueville to act as proxy
The devoted her entire time to her let
ers and wrote pages upon pages, which
The left with me to be delivered after
leath," as she called her marriage
At this time was called away from {
'ourt for day or two. and when l re-
urned and called upon Brandon at the
Tower l found him whistling and sing {
ng, apparently as happy as a lark.
You heartless dogp thought I at
Irst, but soon found that he felt more I
han happiness-exaltation.
''Have you seen herT I asked.
"whor As If there were more than :
ne woman in all the world for him. 1
1.-THE princess" !
"Not since / left her at Bristol"
l believed then, and believe now,
hat this was a point blank falsehood, =