Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-10-05

Less than an hour after Xenia had
left the king the prince was at the ap-
pointed meeting place, a small boudoir
off the main corridor; but the girl did
not appear, ana after waiting impa-
tiently for twenty minutes he quilted
the chamber, anxiety written deeply
on bis brow.
"She promised" he unused She
promised"
He glanced up and down the CORR
dor. He did not see her; at one end
! he saw two officers talking, and he
made a move in their direction, when
the sound of hurrying footsteps behind
him made him turn. A page came up
to him Dreathlessly.
"Highness," he said, Il have a let
ter"
From whom?' asked the prince,
sharply, taking the missiye. "Ah this
will explain" and he turned away to
conceal his agitation as he tore open
the letter anu read; that which he
read caused him to change color and
then glance round in alarm.
But he not have imagined that his
action was an object of scrutinity by
! any o., IN the world, for the little
page hau interpreted a gesture OF the
heir to the throne as a sign of dis
missal, and mad fed back to his post
at the ballroom portal, so that the
prince was alone-alone, indeed, for Il
/ III, pF bic hnpnIaGg uJlitnI n
was borne in upon him as the words Of
the note wrote themselves deeply on
the tables of his mind: Dear and
noble friend, | have been recalled to
my duty, and now bid you farewell for
ever This is my duty. viii you not
know yours?'
The prince moved like a man in a
! trance TO the open window, gazing out
at the dreamy splendor Of the summer
right, the scented garden, the velvet
darkness, the lustrous stars.
II will marry her" he muttered
aye, even if it costs me the throne"
When Xenia quilted the kings cab
met she remained a moment in melan-
chOly hesitation, dreading lest she
should encounter Paul at that moment
Of The crisis when hei newly formed
resolution might be shaken.
Il dare not meet him. she muir
mmed-"I dare not" she started,
trembling violently, for a footstep was
to be heard in the gray dusk far down
the corridor where the colored light
from the hall lamps did not penetrate
But II was only the tread of a
guard, and reassured on that point she
proceeded to a chamber where she
knew writing materials would be at
hand, subsequently addressing herself
to page.
"By morning" she musel. Il must
be far away" and for the moment her
soul was filed with "A certain delicious
sense of excitement, of something
akin to leaSmre-fOr was she not serv
ing him whom he oyed?-though the
feeling was dulled as she thOughtwist-
fully that he would soon forget, and
the memory of her would swiftly be
bat as a cream of the night--nOthing
n 1rG.
The music sounded far away now,
for she had advanced quickly down the
left main corridor intending to gain
the g0rdens, to stop suddenly, how
ever, feeling that she was in imminent
peril because of something besides
the now faint "Valse Bleue' that fell
upon her listening ear.
Iy.
| The voices she heard came nearer
and nearer, ami Xenia glided as softly
as phantom into the curtained Sc
Curity of tiny alCove, feeling, as she
waited in an agony of suspense, her
heart go thump, thump, and fearful
| lest the tense, pentup excitement
which held her might be manifested
in some way to those who were com
ing slowly to the sot where she was
concealed But the white hand which
held the curtain was not to be seen
by those who passed, and no suspicion
| fell upon the small recess of any
watcher who might be there. Was
not the court dancing that night, mind
full Of anything but treachery from
within%
1T is for tonight" said one of those
who were approaching. Our tri-
mph is assured. Have no fear. To-
morrow the old dynasty will be re,
stored
Nenia strained to hear all, knowing,
| though, but too well that one false
move and death instantaneous and
without mercy would be her lot, for
that which she hal heard proved to
her that some event of greater moment
than brilliant feto was likely to oc.
cur that night. anG as she heard she
trcmbled.
All the details Of her own life, sad
though they were, melting to tears,
faded of into the far, gray distance,
seeming to have lost importance, to be
bereft of significance now, because of
those words which fell on her ear.
The price is great, certainly" came
4.