Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-31

an ambassador could scarcely dazzle me-
had been a king!
So pretty Rose left us in dudgeon; and
Burlesdon, lighting cigarette, looked at
me still with that curious gaze.
That picture In the paper he said.
Well what Of It? It shows that the
King OF Rurftania and your humble servant
are as like as two peas"
My brother shook his head.
Il suppose so,' he said. But ! should
know you from the man in the/photo-
And not from the picture in the paper7.-
Il should know the photograph from the
picture: the pictures very like the pho
'o swei1i. but
ITS more like you," said my brother.
MY brother is a good man and true-so
mighty fond Of his wife, he should know
any secret Of mine. But this secret was
not mine, and could not tell 1t to him.
II don't think it's 50 much like me as
anyhow. Bob. won't go to strelsau.'
mo, don't go to strelsau, Rudolph"
said he.
And whether he suspects anpthing, or
has a glimmer of the truth. I do not
know. 1t he has he keeps it to himself.
and he and never refer to 1t. And We let
Sir, Jacob Borrodaile find another attache:
Since all these events whose history
have set down happened have lived
very quiet life at a small house which 1
have taken in the country. The ordinary
seem to me dull and unattractive. I have
little fancy for the whirl Of society, and
none for the .jostle Of politics. Lady
Burlesdon Utterly despairs of me; my
neighbors think me an indolent, dreamy,
unsociable fellow. Yet am young man;
and sometimes l have a fancy-the super
stitious would call 1t a presentiment-that
my part in life is not yet altogether
played; that, somehow and some day, I
shall mix again in great AFFAIRS 1 shall
again spin policies in busy brain, match
muscle to fight a good fight and strike
stout blows. Such is the tissue Of my
thoughts as. with gun or rod in hand, 1
wander through the woods or by the side
be fulfilled I cannot tell-still less whether
the scene that, led by memory, lay for
my new exploits will be the true one-for
I love to see myself once again in the
crowded streets of Strelsau, or beneath the
frownipg keep Of the castle Of Zenda.
Thus led, my broodings leave the future,
before me in long array-the wild first
revel with the king, the rush with my
brave tea table, the night In the moat, the
pursuit in the forest; my friends and my
honor me, the desperate men who tried to
kill me. And, from amid these last, comes
one who alone Of all of them yet moves
on earth, though where know not, yet
plans las do not doubt) wlckedness, yet
turns women's hearts to softness and
mems to fear and hate. Where is young
Rupert of Hentzau-the boy who came SO
nigh to beating me? When his name
comes into my head feel my hand. grip
and the blood move quicker through my
veins; and the hint of Fate-the PRESENT.
definite, and to Whisper insistently in INV
ear that l have yet a hand to play with
young Rupert; therefore l exercise myself
in arms and seek to put of the day when
the V1gor OF youth must leave me.
One break comes every year in my quiet
life. Then I go to Dresden and there
am met by my dear friend and companion.
Fritz Won Tarlenheim. Last time his
pretty wife Helga came and a lusty crow
ing baby with her. And for a week Fritz
and I are together and hear all Of what
falls out In Strelsau; and in the evenings,
as we walk and smoke together, we talk Of
Sapt, and Of the king and often Of young
Rupert; and, as the hours grow small, at
last we speak Of Flavia. For every year
box; In 1t lies red rose and round the
stalk of the rose is a slip of paper with
the words written: "Rudolf-Ravia-al-
ways" And the like I send back by him. q.
That message and the wearing of the rings
are all that now bind me and the Queen
of Ruritania. For-nobler, as l told her,
for the act-she had followed where her
duty to her country and her house led her,
and is the wife Of the king, uniting his
subjects to him by the love they bear to
her, giving peace and quiet days to thou
ments when dare not think of it, but there
are others when rise in spirit to where she
ever dwells: then 1 can thank God that
love the noblest lady in the world, the
most gracious and beautiful and that
there was nothing in my love that made
her fall short in her high duty.
Shall l see her face again-the pale face
and the glorious hair? OF that 1 know
nothing; Fate has no hint, my heart no
presentiment. I do not know. In this
world, perhaps-nay. it is likely-never.
And can 1t be that somewhere, in man
ner whereof our flesh bound minds have no
apprehension, she and I will be together
again, with nothing to come between us,
nothing to forbid our love? That 1 know
not, nor wiser heads than mine. But IL II
be never-if l can never hold sweet con-
verse again with her, or look upon her
race or know from her her love, why, then.
this side the grave, 1 will live as becomes
the man whom she loves; and for the other
side must pray dreamless sleep.
(The end.)
NEW YORK GROWING RAPIDLY.