Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-10-05

IL even to this day.
took this letter TO Brandon along
with Mary's miniature-the one that
had been painted for Charles Of Ger
many, but had never been given-and
a curl OF her hair. and it looked as IL
this was all he would ever possess Of
her.
De Longueville heard of Henry's
brutal consent that Mary might see
Brandon. and. with a Frenchman's be-
lief in woman's depravity, was exceed
ingly anxious to keep them apart. To
this end he requested that a member
of his own retinue be placed near Bran
don. To this Henry readily consented.
and there was an end to even the let
ter writing. Opportunities increase in
value doubly fast as they drift behind
US, and now that the princess could not
see Brandon or even write to him she
regretted with her whole soul that she
had not gone to the Tower when she
had permission. regardless Of what any
one would say or think.
Mary was imperious and impatient
by nature. but upon rare and urgent
occasions could employ the very smooth
est sort of finesse.
Henry's brutal selfshness In forcing
upon her the French marriage, togeth-
er with his cruel condemnation Of
Brandon and his vile insinuations
against herself, had driven nearly ev-
cry spark of affection for her brother
from her heart. But she felt that she
might feign an affection she did not
feel, and that what she so wanted would
be cheap at the price. Cheap? 1t would
be cheap at the cost Of her immortal
soul. Cheap? What she wanted was
life's condensed sweets-the man she
loved-and what she wanted to escape
was life's distilled bitterness-marriage
with man she loathed. None but a
pure woman can know the torture Of
that. | saw this whole disastrous cam.
paign from start to finish. Mary began
with wide flank movement conducted
under masked batteries and skillfully
executed. She sighed over her troubles
and cried great deal, but told the
king he had been such a dear, kind
brother to her that she would gladly
do anything to please him and advance
his interests. She said it would be
torture to live with that old creature,
King Louis, but she would do it will.
fngly to help her handsome brother, no
matter how much she might suffer.
The king laughed and said: Poor
old Louis! What about him? What
about his suffering? He thinks he Is
making such fine bargain, but the
Lord pity him when he has my little
sister in his side for thorn. He had
better employ some energetic soul to
prick him with needles and bodkins,
for l think there is more power for
disturbance in this little body than in
any other equal amount of space in all
the universe. You Will furnish him
all the trouble he wants, won't you.
sister?"
Il shall try" said the princess de.
murely, perfectly wiInng to obey In
everything.
Devil doubt Of that and you will
succeed. too. or my crowns a stew
pan." And he laughed at the huge joke
he was about to perpetrate on his poor
old royal brother.
1t would seem that the tremendous
dose of flattery administered by Mary
would have been so plainly self inter.
ested as to alarm the dullest percep-
ton, but Henry's vanity was so dense
and his appetite for fattery so great
that he accepted it all without sus-
picion, and it made him quite affable
and gracious.
Mary kept up her show Of affection
and docile obedience for week or two
until she thought Henry's suspicious
were allayed, and then, after having
] done enough petting and fondling, as
she thought, to start the earth itself
a-moving-as some men are foolish
enough to say it really does-she began
the attack direct by putting her arms
about the kings neck and piteously
begging him not to sacrifice her whole
life by sending her to France.
Her pathetic soul charged appeal
might have softened the heart of Calig-
ula himself, but Henry was not even
cruel. He was simply an animal so
absorbed In himself that he could not
feel for others.
ooh. it is out at lastv' he said with
a laugh. 81 thought all this sweetness
must have been for something. So the
lady wants her Brandon and doesn't
want her Louis, yet is willing to obey
her dear. kind brother? Well, We'll
take her at her word and let her obey
You may as well understand, once and
for all, that you are to go to FraNce.
You promised to go decently If would
not cut off that fellows head, and now
l tell you that If hear another whinl-
per from you off it comes, and you will
go to France too"
This brought Mary to terms quickly
enough. 1t touched her one vulnerable
spot-her love.
81 will go; 1 promise it again. You
shall never hear another word that no
harm shall come to him-to him." And
she put her hands over her face to con-
ceal her tears as she softly wept.