Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-07-01

calmly resigned. The 18th, the 10th,
the 18th, the 18th and now the 10th of
November came and still the princess
revealed no marked sign Of distress.
Heavy hearted and with bowed heads
the people Of Graustark saw the 10Th
fade in the night, the breaking OF
which would bring the crush Of pride,
the end Of power. At court there was
the silent dread and the dying hope
that relief might come at the last hour.
Men with pale faces and fearful eyes
wandered through the ancient castle,
speechless. nerveless. miserable. Brave
soldiers crept about, shorn Of pride and
filed with woe. Citizens sat and stared
aimlessly for hours, thinking Of naught
but the disaster so near at hand and 30
unavoidable. The whole nation surged
as if in the last throes Of death. To-
morrow the potency Of Graustark was
to die, its domain was to be cleft in
twain. disgraced before the world.
And on the throne Of this afflicted
land sat the girl. Yetive, proud, ten
der, courageous. Tomorrow would see
the north torn from the south, the divi-
sion Of families, the rending Of homes,
the bursting Of hearts. She sanctioned
all this because she loved Lorry and
because he had done no wrong.
Aware of her financial troubles and
pursuing the advantage that his rivals
death had opened to him, Prince Ga
briel of Dawsbergen renewed his ar
dent suit. Scarce had the body Of the
murdered prince left the domain be-
fore he made his presence marked.
Knowing that he was in truth the mys-
terious Michael who had planned her
abduction. she feared and despised him,
yet dared make no public denuncia-
ton. AS Dawsbergen was too power
full to be antagonized at this critical
time, she was constantly forced to sub
init to the most trying and repulsive
of ordeals. Tact and policy were re-
quired to control the violent, hot blood
ed young ruler from the south. Day aft
er day he haunted the castle, persist
ent in his efforts to induce her to ac-
cept his proposition. So fierce was his
passion, so implacable his desire, that
he went among the people of Edel-
weiss, presenting to them his proposal,
hoping thereby to add public feeling
to his claims. He tried to organize a
committee of citizens to 60 before the
princess with the petition that his offer
be accepted and the country saved.
But Graustark was loyal to Its prin-
cess. Not one of her citizens listened
to the willy prince, and more than one
told him or his emissaries that the loss
Of the whole kingdom was preferable
to the marriage he desired. The city
sickened at the thought.
His last and master stroke In the
struggle to persuade came on the after
noon of the 10Th. at an hour when all
Edelweiss was in gloom and when the
princess was taxed to the point where
the mask Of courage was 80 frail that
she could scarce hide her bleeding soul
behind 1t.
Bolaroz of Axphain, to quote from
the news dispatch, was in Edelweiss, a
guest, with a few Of his lords, In the
castle. North of the city were en-
camped 5000 men. He had come pre-
pared to cancel the little obligation of
fifteen years standing. With the hated
creditor in the castle, his influence how
ering above the town, the populace dis
tracted by the thoughts Of the day to