The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-30
THE EVENING STORY


The Princess in Spring.
There was once in a distant land a
princess who gave great deal of
trouble. she was beautiful after the
manner of princesses in stories which
Is saying a good deal. She was young,
and she was not unkind. 1t was
really not her fault at all that some of
the men committed suicide and some
went abroad to shoot big game, and
some lost their temper and married
their cooks. She was quite unable to
look at it in their light. That they
should adore her seemed to her per-
fectly natural and that she should
love seemed impossible
Overcast days, cold and rainy, had
shuffied heavily past one after the
other; then early one morning the
princess woke with the sunlight in
her eyes. Away in the garden below
and in the woods beyond she heard
the birds calling. She arose and went
out alone. Yes; the spring had come.
Through the shimmering light she
could see colors bright yet tender.
The new green came as hopefully into
the world as that which had died last
year; this, too, would die, but was
clearly not thinking about it. The
princess was conscious of a strange
strength and a strange WEAKNESS bat
ting together within her. Her heart
was exalted The desire to do some
mad thing filled her. She flung her
self on the grass by the edge of the
lake and looked at her face in the
dark water. GU beautiful creature,
she said. Her head bent lower. Her
lips just touched the cold ripple on
the surface. Quickly she started to
her feet again and looked around. No
one had seen her. This morning so
early she was quite alone in the world.
She heard no step on any path, no
human voice near or far. This was a
new world and her own.
And now she passed out of the
bright garden and walked on the vel
wa oh IoH r1a cf
Here the light grew dim and all was
mysterious. Her eyes followed the
shafts of the tall trees in an upward
aspiration. This forest was a temple
not made with hands, and a temple to
some pagan god at whose shrine she
had never before worshiped. Now in
bursts from the trees about her and
from dark bushes far withdrawn she
heard his anthem, and for the first
time she knew what the birds said.
This was very strange. She had
slept well and she was young and
healthy. There was no reason what
ever why she should feel this strange
sense of WEAKNESS. Still less could
she understand why the WEAKNESS
should have IN 1t something pleaSur-
! able. 1t seemed quite good thing to
be tired, and in an open space where
+ the sun shone through to lie down
and watch the drifting clouds.
| Presently she gave a little start and
I
no longer her own. It was invaded. She
could hear q quick, firm step that SEEM
/ ed to be coming toward her. and for
this only time in her life she felt the
! beating of her heart. She knew who it
would be. And because he was just like
1 that, and because she was beautiful in
/ just that way, this man would stop and
! they would speak together. He would
| take her in his arms and kiss her on
the lips. and she would be quite power
/ less Thus with closed eyes she lay for
moment listening. The steps grew
| fainter away in the distance.
She rose to her feet in angry contempt
/ of herself. Doubtless it was some
! laborer going to his work. A chilled
wind rustled the trees. She turned
! homeward again. As she walked the
clouds drifted over the sun.1and the APP
! peal died out Of the voice Of the birds.
/ So she returned to her palace and ate
/ a very good breakfast, observing that
she had had quite a nice walk and she
supposed that had given her an appe-
i tite.
once in her life for one hour she
might have lived and made her history
/ different But the springtime never
came again for her, and after a time
/ people ceased to commit suicide for her
1 or to make absurd voyages, and If they
did marry their cooks it was entirely
on account of the cooks and not because
| of their alteration for the princess.
and in time she ceased altogether to be
adorable.
But it is a pity that the footsteps did
not come her way that morning.-Barry
Pain, in the Taller.
[