The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1904-05-06

give, no very comforting thought to a
proud girl even though q mistaken one.
AS the days went by and Brandon
did not come her anger cooled as usual,
and again her heart began to ache, but
her sense of injury grew stronger day
by day and she thought she was be-
yond a doubt the most i'll used of wo-
men.
The negotiations for Mary's marriage
with old Louis XII. of France were be-
ginning to be an open secret about the
court. The Due de L~ongueville, who
had been held by Henry for some time
as Il sort of hostage from the French
king. had opened negotiations by in
flaming the Pickering passions of old
Louis with descriptions of Mary's beau
ty. As there was a prospect of q new
emperor soon and as the imperial bee
had of late been making a most vehe-
ment buzzing in Henry's bonnet, he
encouraged De ~Longueville and thought
1t would be a good time to purchase
the help of France at the cost of his
beautiful sister and a handsome dover.
Mary of course had not been consulted.
and although she had coaxed her
brother out of other marriage projects
Henry had gone about this as If he
were in earnest. and it was thought
throughout the court that Mary's coax
ings would be all In vain-a fear which
she herself had begun to share. not
withstanding her usual self confidence.
She hated the thought of the mar
rage and dreaded it as she would death
itself. though she said nothing to any
one but Jane and was holding her
forces in reserve for a grand attack.
She was preparing the way by being
very sweet and kind TO Henry.
Now. oil of this. coming upon the
heels of her trouble with Brandon.
made her most wretched indeed. For
the first time in her life she began to
feel suffering-that great %broadener. in
fact maker. of human character.
Above all. there was an alarming
sense OF uncertainty in everything. She
could hardly bring herself to believe
that Brandon would really go to New
Spain and that she would actually lose
him. although she did not want him as
yet-that is. as n prospective husband.
Flashes of all sorts of wild schemes
had begun to shoot through her anger
aud grief when she stared In the face
the prospect of her double separation
from him. her marriage to another and
the countless miles of fatiomless sea
that would be between them. She could
endure anything better than uncer.
tainty. A menacing future is the keen
est of all tortures for any of us to bear.
but especially for a girl like Mary.
Death itself is not so terrible as the
fear of II.
Now. about this time there lived over
in Billingsgate Ward. the worst part
Of London. a Jewish soothsayer named
Grouche. He was also an astrologer
and had Of late grown into great fame
as prophet of the future-a fortune
teller.
His fame rested on several remark
able predictions which had been full
filled to the letter. and | really think
the man had some wonderful powers.
They said he was half Jew. half gyp
sy. and. If there is alchemy In the mix
ing OF blood. that combination should
surely produce something peculiar. The
city folk were said to have visited him
in great numbers, and. notwithstand-
ing the priests and bishops all on.
demned him as an imp of Satan and a
follower OF witclicraft. many fine peo-
pie. including some court ladies'. con-
tinued to go there by stealth in order
to take a dangerous. inquisitive peep
into the future.
Mary had long wanted to see this
Grouche. Mt first out of mere curiosity.
but Henry, who was very moral-with
other peoples consciences-would not
think of permitting 1t. Two ladies. La
dy Chesterfield and Lady Ormond. both
good and virtuous women. had been de-
tected In such n visit and had been dis.
graced and expelled from court In the
most cruel manner by order of the
king himself.
Now. added to Mary's old time desire
10 see Grouche. came a longing to know
the outcome of the present momentous
complication of affairs that touched
her so closely.
She could not wait for Time to unfold
himself aud drop his budget of events
as lie Travelled. but she must plunge
ahead of him and know beforehand the
stores of the fates. an intrusion they
usually resent. ! need not tell you
that vas Mary's only object In going.
nor that her heart was rs pure as Il
babes. quite rs chaste and almost as
innocent. 1t is equally true that the
large proportion OF persons who visited
Grouche made his ~soothsaying an ex-
cuse. The thought of how wretched
life would he with Louis had put into
Mary's mind the thought of how sweet
1t would 6e with Brandon. Then came
the wish that Brandon had been a
prince or even Il great English noble
man. and then lcaned up. all rainbow
hued, tbs here that he might yet. by
reason OF his own great virtues. rise tc
all of these and she become his Wife
Eut at the threshold of this fair castle