CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1903-12-03

her power full well. although she did
not always plead. having the Tudor
temper and preforring TO command
when she could. AS before Lilted. she
had coaxed her royal brother out OF
several proposed marriages for her
which would have been greatly TO his
advantage. and If you had oaIy k,.oNn
Henry Tudor, will l..s val.l. bolster
GUS, stubborn violci-cc. yc3 cou- + II
some idea of Marys powers by t....i
achievement alone.
Such was the royal maid TO w,.osc
tender mercies. | now tell you frlnkly.
my friend Brandon was soon to -
turned over He, however, was
blade of very different temper from
any she had known. and when | first
saw signs of growing intimacy be-
tween them l felt. from what little |
had seen of Brandon. that the tables
were very likely to be turned upon her
ladyship Then thought l. God hHlp
her." for in nature like hers. charged
with latent force, strong and hot and
fiery as the suns stored rays. 1t need
ed but flash to make it patent VIXEN
damage was sure to follow for Sole
body-probably Brandon.
Mary did not come home with us
from Westminster the morning after
the joustings. as we had expected. tut
followed some four or five days la,cr
and Brandon had fairly settled himself
at court before her arrival. AS neither
his duties nor mine were onerous. we
had a great deal of time on our hap1s.
which we employed walking and riding
or sitting in our common room reading
and talking OF course, as with most
young men. that very attractive branch
of natural history. woman, was favor
ite topic. and we accordingly discussed
1t a great deal-that is, to tell the exact
truth. did Although Brandon had
seen many an adventure during his life
on the continent which would not do
to write down here, he was as little of
a boaster as any man ever met. and.
while am In the truth telling business.
l was as great braggart of my inches
as ever drew the longbow-in that line.
l mean. Gods. l flush up hot even now
when think of it! So talked great
deal and found myself infinitely pleased
with Brandon's conversational powers.
which Were rare. being no less than the
capacity for saying nothing and listen
ing politely to an infinite deal Of the
same thing. in another form. from me-
1 rememper that l told him l had
known the Princess Mary from time
when she was twelve years old. and
how I had made a fool Of myself at. ut
her. | fear tried to convey the i'm.
preston that it was her exalted rank
only which made her look unfavorably
upon my passion and suppressed the
fact that she had laughed at me good
humoredly and put me of as she would
have thrust a poodle from her lap. The
truth is she had always been kind and
courteous 70 me and had admitted me
to degree of intimacy much greater
than deserved. This. partly at least.
grew out of the fact that l helped her !
along the thorny path to knowledge.
road she Travelled at an eager gallop.
for she dearly loved to learn-from Gu
riosity perhaps.
/ am sure she held me in her light. |
gentle heart as dear friend: but. while |
her heart was filed with this mild
warmth for me. mine began to burn |
with the fame that discolors every |
thing. and | saw her friendliness in a |
very distorting light. She was much |
kinder to me than to most men. but l
did not see that II was by reason of my |
absolute harmlessness. and. | suppose. |
because | was a vain fool I gradually |
began to gather hope-which goes with |
every vain mans love-and. what In
more. actually climbed to the very apex |
Of idiocy and declared myself. well
knew the infinite distance between us;
but. like every other man who came
within the circle of this charming load |
stone. lost my head and. in short. |
made greater fool Of myself than
naturally was. which is saying a good
deal for that time In my life. God
knows!
alize, how utterly beyond my reach in
every way she was until | opened the
foodgates of my passion. as | thought
1t, and saw her smile and try to check
the coming laugh. Then came look
of offended dignity. followed by q
quick. softening glance.
Leave me one friend. | pray you.
Edwin. l value you too highly to lose,
and esteem you too much to torment. |
Do not make of yourself one Of those
fools who feel. or pretend to feel. care
not which. such preference for me. You
cannot know in what contempt a wom
an holds II man who follows her though
she despises him. No man can beg u
wonian's love; he must command 1t. Do
not join their ranks, but let us be good
friends. will tell you the plain truth.
1t would be no different were we botE
Of the same degree. Even then could
not feel toward you as you think you
wish. but | can be your friend and will
promise to be that always If you will
promise never again to speak of this to