Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-28

that lesson by heart, and hereafter no king
shall have that trouble about me. At sun
rise l ride back with the messenger And
he maintained this view so flrmly that MS
face was rather stern as he spent the night
settling matters of ploughing and planting
and pasturage with the indignant old serVi-
tor.
But the next morning, after he had set
forth and found how every mile frightening
behind him lightened the burden of his de-
preston, a kind of JOY rose phoenlX-lke
out of the gray ashes of duty.
IF I had continued there L should nave
become feeble in mind" he said. Now
SINCE l have got out of that tomb that she
haunts it may be that | can follow my art
more Justify" And suddenly his stern
ness melted into great warmth toward the
stra piping soldier riding beside him, toward
the pannier-laden vendors swinging along
in their tirelesS dog-trot, even toward the
bcggar that hobbled out of the often 10
waylay him. ITO live out in the world
where you are pulled into others lives
whether you will or no, is the best thing to
teach people to forget he said. Solltuie
has comfort only for those who have no
sorrows, for solitude is the mother of re-
membrance.
He got genuine enjoyment out of the hour
that he was obliged to sit in the ante-room,
waiting to be admitted to the king. ON
enc side of him d group was discussing a
Danish rebellion that seemed to be some
where in progress; on the other men We're
specializing on the chances of Norman
invasion-news of keenest interest was ff.f-
ing thick as bees in June. ana the coming
and going of the red-cloaked warriors. tn"
occasional passing of some great noble
through the throng, stimulated him Ike
wine.
Praise to the saint who has brought mo
into a life where th' re are no women. ne
told himself. ''YeS. Oh. yeS Here once
more l shall rule my thoughts like man. >
When a page finally came to summon him
he followed with buoyant step and so gal
10 hoo III hat than ned
to look at him he passed.
''Yonder goes the new marshal he heard
one say to another, and gave the words a
fieeting wonder.
The bare stone hall into which the boy
ushered him was the same room in which
he had had his last audience, and now as
then the king sat in the great carved chair
by the chimneypiece, but other things were
So changed that inside the threshold the
Etheling checked his swinging stride to
gaze incredulously. No soldiers were to be
seen but the sentinels that had been placed
beside the doorways, stiff as their gilded
pixies, and they counted strictly in the class
with the ebony footstools and other fur
nishings. The knots of men, scattered
here and there in buzzing discussion, were
all dark-robed merchants and white-beard-
ed judges, while around the table under
the window a dozen shaven-headed monks
were working busily with writing tools.
The king himself was no longer armored,
but weaponless and clad in velvet. Stop
ping uncertainty, Sebert took from his
head the helmet which he had worn, soldier
fashion, into the presence of his chief, and
into his salutation crept some of the awe
that he had felt for Edmund's kngship, be-
fore he knew how weak a man held up the
crown.
Certainly Edmund had never received a
greeting with more of formal dignity than
the young Dane did now, while Edmund
could never have spoken what followed
with this grim directness which sent every
word home like an arrow to it's mark
Lord of Ivarsdale, before 1 speak
further 1 think 1t wise that we
should make plain our minds to each
other Some say that you are apt to be a
hard man to deal with because you bend to
obedience only when the command is to
your liking. 1 want to know If this is true
of your?
Half in surprise. half in embarrassment
the Etheling colored high, and his words