The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1905-11-17
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QUEENS
BY KEITH GORDON
Copyright. 1905, BY Keith Gordon

art. 1t was equally plain that their
feeling for each other could not be de-
Scribed as platonic. Bettina, to be
sure, affected Inconsistencies as she
sauntered through the lofty rooms
where the marble figures flashed cold
~ into view, exciting one to q new love
Of mere nesh and blood, but all the
time she knew that to the man at her
side she was queen Of the world; also
II was evident enough from the look Of
discomfort on the mans face that her
loyal subject was not altogether happy.
"Your place is right here on a pedes-
tai along with the other statues" was
what he was saying to her. "The trou-
BILE with you is, Betty, that you won't
listen to your heart. / might az well
plead with this marble f1gure!'
The queen, with well feigned reluc-
lance, brought her glance back from
the headless Victory that seemed
forever on the point Of fight to the
youth at her side, who was glowering
at her with an odd mixture Of rebel
lion and alteration In his face.
Really, Steve" she replied at last,
"T'm ashamed of you. It's not my
heart that's at fault; it's your purse.
You know that perfectly we'll" And,
with her chin at an angle beautifully
eloquent Of injured innocence, she pre-
tended to study the s%culptured figures
about her. In reality she watched him
felt him straining at his chains-w1th
an exultant sense OF the charm of be-
ing queen.
Her words and glance made him saw
age. 1t vas hard enough to bear her
delay in putting their love affair on
hat practical basis which points like
N index finger to matrimony, but SO
opng as 1t had seemed to him an honest
Hesitation he had borne 1T with what
grace he could IN
His lips set In an infiexible line, and
upon her arm, and with more determi-
nation than gentleness he guided her
to a bench near by.
"WellY' she questioned when she had
settled herself in a orner of the seat
and he had squared himself beside her.
In truth, though she strove v~aliantly
to conceal it. the queen was a trife
startled.
Her late obedient subject studied her
for some moments in silence and with
an expression rather too suggestive Of
flint to be entirely to the queens taste.
Then he spoke, and his words fell as
crisply as icicles.
ut is about time that you understood
me- he began ut last. You have play
ed with me long enough. What l have
to say now is just this: You may take
me or leave me, precisely as you
choose, but whichever you do must be
done at once"
He paused a moment and then elab-
Grated:
I'm tired of playing the devoted
subject. tired Of being made to feel
that my love is nothing and my lack
of wealth everything. l have twelve
hundred a year" He paused for a brief
moment, conscious of a mad desire to
make the matter as bad as possible,
then added. and there is no certainty
that I'll ever have more"
Though he would have thrashed
cheerfully any man who had dared to
make such an assertion about him, to
say 1t to her about himself at this par
ticular moment afforded him a grim
satisfaction.
"What / want-what l will have" he
continued In a muff1ed voice without
giving her q chance to speak, rs a def
mite, a final answer! And then, before
the queen had really caught her breath,
he finished In q tone nothing short OF
command, "And I want 1t within Eve
minutesw
For one fleeting moment something
like pale dismay showed In the girls
face. She had never counted OF a mo
ment like this. Then her eyes kindled
royalty, and a flush Of anger over
spread her face.
Almost unconsciously she rose, her
companion following her example. and
her eyes blazed their resentment into
the cold determination Of his for a full
second before she addressed him.
You may have your answer this mo-
ment!'' she fiung at him in a tone Of
dangerous clearness. II only wonder
that I could Eve have hesitatedl 1t Is
Mo- thousand times Nor"
She noticed with a cruel delight the
sudden. still Wilderness that overspread
his face as. with an ironical bow, he
turned and walked rapidly away. Then
a new feeling suddenly clutched at her
heart.
Had she not lately been a queen, with
a loyal, faithful subject to whom she
had turned an ear quite royalty indif-