The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1906-11-30
NJ "A s K E. d
DE A TIL

degenerating. While there Is no evil IN
them, there is no good. Some wizard
has cast upon them the spell Of frivoli-
ty. Their days are given to out OF door
sports, their nights to dancing and
feasting"
Il have pondered, your highness, on
their condition and have concluded that
they can only be brought to their senses
by some impressive lesson"
"Have you plan|
Il have. would suggest that your
highness issue an order for grand
masquerade to be given at the palace
"Do you desire our attendance"
"Only for brief space"
The prince sat in deep thought.
"Gilderstane," ha said at last, you
have given us many proofs of your wis
dom as well as of pour fidelity. 1t shall
be as you desire"
A royal command was issued for a
masquerade that was to exceed In
splendor any fete that had been pre-
vlously given. Society at once dropped
pleasure in the present to take firmer
hold on pleasure in the future. All were
busy hunting original costumes. The
principally was secured for the oldest,
the richest costumes. while artists were
called upon to produce the most fantas-
tic designs.
The evening arrived. The palace was
blaze of lights and, though 1t was
winter, its interior lesembled garden
of the tropics. The arriving guests
sprang from their carriages with eager
steps and hurried into the palaca
Pleasure had been pent during the In.
terval Of preparation and was now
ready to burst forth with new vigor
Brilliant lights fell on respondent cos
tunes. Jewels received the rays, broke
them and sent them back in dazzling
hues. The music had in 1t quickenine
thrill to set the blood coursinG, the feet
flying. There were girls with supple
figures, women with queenly ones
slender youths and men of stately mien
all swaying, rocking in the dance. Al
the hours few by the music grew mad
der, the dancing more abandoned
From a supper room came popping Of
corks, bursts Of laughter, shouts o.
merriment The dancers, breaking
from prescribed forms, danced alone
Ivory arms waved aloft Beneath 6
fringe of silk and lace shapely feet II
kid fluttered like the wings of swarm
of white butterflies.
The clock struck II.
The music stopped.
The dancers, wondering, paused ant
stood still.
Two lackeys threw open portal, ant
the prince, attended by his suit, en-
) tered, moving silently and amid silence
to the throne. When he was seated
four masked men came through sid
door bearing a bier covered with ,
; canopy Of satin and velvet and, max
ing their way through the guests, VIII
opened before them, set 1t down In tn
the jewellers looked on with represset
expectation. one of the bearers remov
ed pail and uncovered a figure mask
ed and in costume.
"What singular feature!'
His highness has outdone himsel
, in originality"
"Who could have consented to pla,
deadY
rs he dead?"
Dead! He will arise presently ant
give us novel dance, something neve
seen before. Come, let us form a RIM
and spin about him to give him inspira
ton"
I The speaker seized the hand Of
girl looking on, and, willy nilly, she wa
carried along, others joining till cir
Gle was formed extending to the yer.
limits of the ballroom, all dancing
shouting, singing round and round.
Presently one of the dancers brok
from the ring and advanced to the bier
E Come" he said, "arise and give u
/ the dance Of DEATH" And he tor
away the mask.
: A thrill of horror shot through tn
crowd. There, rigid, form of clay,
, face Of marble, cheeks hollow, eye
sunken, chin dropped upon the breast
Y lay the earthly part Of one who few
2 days before had been the merriest mai
in the principally.
The assembly stood rs II petrified
If there were sounds, they were gasp
of horror; IL there were movement, 1
was by some who had tainted. Tn
prince sat immovable. From the foo
Of the throne the prime minister ad
: vanced few PAGES. then stopped an,
! spoke:
Fool, this night thy soul shall b
) required of thee"
There was silence during which tn
speaker kept his finger pointed to tn
! corpse and his eye fixed on the people
: The prince sat silent on his throne
I rigid as figure Of stone. For a tim
! no one moved or seemed to move, bu
! presently the throng grew thinner
= = When all were gone the prince de
scended from his throne and, hand Il
hand with his prime minister, left tn
room. Lastly the bearers took up tn
corpse and bore it away, the light
were turned off, and where there ha
been a flare Of splendor single sta
{ looked in through a window.
From that time the prince had tn
satisfaction to see his people ente
upon new era. Temples to the art
| md ScioppaS snro ~ I'M. ho,,o. ~.