Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1904-02-18

serious face turned appeallnsfy to his
her fingers clasping his hands hercely.
IL forbid you to continue forbi'
you! DO you hearI 1, too, have
thought and dreamed Of you. and
have prayed that you might come. Bu
you must not tell me that you love m'
you shall notr
Il only want to know that you love
me-" be whispered.
"Do you think | can tell you the
truthY' she cried. 81 do not love you!
Before he had fairly graspcd the i'm
portance OF the contradictory sentences
she left his side and stood In the win
dow, her breast heaylng and her face
flaming.
"Then | am to believe you do he
groaned after moment. y ma Il
princess and lose woman"
Il did not intend that you should
have said what you have, or that J
should have told you what ] have. J
knew you loved me or you would not
have come 10 me-" she said softly.
"You would have been selfish enough
TO enjoy that knowledge without Civ
Ing Joy in return. see. What else
could you have donei A princess! Oh.
| would TO God you were Miss Gugge9-
slocker. the woman ! sought'
"Amen TO that" she said. "Can |
trust you never to renew this subicct7
We have each learned what had better
been left unknown You understand
my position. Surely you will be good
enough 10 look upon me ever afterward
as a princess and forget that ] bave
been woman unwittingly ask
you. for your sake and my own, to re-
frain from a renewal Of this unhappy
subject You can see how hopeless II
is for both OF us. have said much to
you that | trust you will cherish as
coming from a woman who could not
have helped herself and who has given
10 you the power to undo her with
single word. know you will always
be the brave, true man my heart has
told me you are. You Will let the be-
ginning be the end"
The appeal was so earnest, 50 noble,
that honor swelled In his heart and
came from his lips in this promise:
"YOu may trust me, your highness.
Your secret Is worth a thOusandfOld
more than mine. 1t Is sacred with me.
The joy Of my life has ended, but the
happiness Of knowing the truth will
never die. / shall remember that yoa ,
Owe me-yes know you do-and | {
hall never forget to love you. | will
rot promise that shall never speak Of
I again to you. As | lie here there
ONES TO me a courage | did not know
could feel"
"No, nor' she cried vehemently.
"Forgiye mel You can at least let
ne saw that as long as | live | may
ingle blow that which a mere man
ould not conquer in ten lifetimes
such Is the world"
"Thc prince may batter down and
elze, but he can never conquer. But
nough Of this. | am the Princess Of
iraustark you are my friend, Grenfall
.orry, and there is only a dear friend
hip between u.s." she cried, resuming
Ter merry humor so easily that he
started with surprise and not little
llspleusure.
And a throne he added, smiling
however.
"And promise she reminded him
"From which trust | may some day
be released" said he, sinking back, af.
illcted with dlscouragement and de-
Of equal power. lie could
see hope and hopelessness ahead.
by deathw
"No; by life! 1t may be sooner than
you think"
"lou are forgetting your promise al
ready"
your hlghness' pardon" he begged.
They laughed, but their hearts were
sad, this luckless American and hap (
less sovereign who would IL she could
be a woman
1T IS now O'Clock the hour when
YOU We're TO have called To see me-"
she said, again sitting unconcernedy
before him In the window seat. She
was not afraid OF him. She was
princess.
Il misunderstood you, your hlghness.
remembered the engagement, but It
seems ! was mistaken as to the time.
came at in the morning"
"And found me at homer
"In an impregnable castle, with
Dgres all about"