Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-19

it. The king ragged and is being guarded
now. So there are still human beings in
the world: woodcutters and peasants :.
Now I know where I saw that little
wrinkle between the brows first. 1t was
on an antique bust, the portrait of Ro-
man emperor. 1 think that 1t was Domi-
tian.
Again I stood, today, before my mirror
and looked at my face to see If the begin
ming of the wrinkle of the Caesars Is be-
ginning to show on my forehead. No, no,
no. Perhaps the curse will pass me by.
I am not going to be king. !.
At last know why my father desired my
presence on the Sea Alp. He sent for me
today We were alone, or apparently so.
He called me to the window and whispered:
DO not turn around. Do not move, for
we are being watched! They want to put
me into a strait waistcoat-me!
You must know that they have given
out that 1 am insane, because they wish
to make that lunatic your brother. liking.
Since will not do them the favor to go in
sane, they are trying to murder me- have
not touched a morsel of food for months
because everything is poisoned. l would
have starved long ago. but a king cannot
starve Every night Saint Agnes comes to
me and brings me food and drink.
THAT is why 1 have had you here. You
are not like your brother You are kingly,
soul of my soul Your mother and your
brother, the lunatic. 1 curse. But you 1
DleSS. MY DRESSING Will put lDe crown On
your head If 1 should die But 1 am i'm
mortal.
Now listen!
Tomorrow morning when the sun rises
they are going to try to kill me with TWEEN
ty times twenty thousand stabs. Your
mother intends to stab me first, then your
brother and then my whole nation. You
know what they say: that 1 have become
raging beast that would tear my whole
people to piecesi
Lately l made millions and millions of
them leap down wall of rock. They flop
ped downward like meal sacks. You shall
play this royal game yourself. 1t is merry.
Even while they were carrying me to
this place. l made my plans. You and I,
the two real kings, must flee together. We
may not cross the lake for 1t is red from
the blood of the millions. We must cross
the Alps,
"Over there stand the armies and await
us! 1 will ride at their head and you shall
be at my side. We shall enter my capital,
strangle the queen. nail the lunatic, your
brother, to the cross: torture that hound,
the privy councillor. and behead and hang
all our adversaries. My kingdom will be
desolate like desert. But on the vast
field of death l will sit throned In everlast-
, ing majesty and you shall sit at my right
hand"
These mad words the king whispered as
! If he spoke the most serious words. l was
motionless and speechless with horror and
moved only as he said:
Tonight at midnight, on the path to the
White Emperor Meadow where the dead
pine tree stands"
Then he permitted me to go.
| l went at once to the privy councillor
and told him that his majesty intended to
| escape and how. He did not answer, but
| merely bowed.
Midnight.
The privy councillor informs me that the
king, after walking up and down for hours.
| has thrown himself on his bed and is in a
| deep slumber. In his room is his valet and
In the ante-room are two lackeys-disguised
| guards We can be at ease But I cannot
| sleep. tremendous storm has begun to
rage
| The king is gone!
When the privy councillor went down to
| look after him at 3 o'clock. he found the
valet asleep and the window open. Now
we go to seek him. The storm is elemen-
| tai.
| The king is dead.
They have found his corpse. He fell down
| the precipice on the spot where he fought
the storm as crown prince ana could not
| die because the crown hung over his head
The privy councillor has departed for the
| capital to my mother and the new king
| who hated him and sought his life as II
| he had been his own son. I cannot weep:
| for find that heaven was more merciful
in that night of storm to the king than it
has ever been before.
[ 1 remain here to take the dead to his
/ capital.
| The storm continues without cessation
| The lake foams and roars.
! cannot weep But would cry out aloud
| to heaven that permitted the fearful deed
to happen and that Furnishes all guilt even
on earth.
Through the bowling storm went with
| Gebhardt to meet the men who were bring
| ing the corpse from the depths. They did
| 1t in danger of death: for they had to lower
themselves by ropes. By rude peasants