The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1906-07-19
A Prince of
Hi9hwayrlen
By KATHARINE lyman


er. IL my father mad lived Things hau
been better with me. for | remember
his great jolly laughter when had
behaved IN, or so my mother thought,
yet out OF mere childish roguery and
daring rather than with evil intent
He was not many months dead wnen
my brother Aymer was born.
People used TO wonder that we could
be sprung of one stock-I so dark, he
so fair; I so rude and wild in my ways,
he all gentleness.
was ever lusiy, and as the years
passed l grew strong as young colt.
and manageable as one yet I'M
bitted
He. on the other hand, Kept his tair
delicacy of look, aud was somewhat
frail of health. which made another
reason for my mothers loving him.
since she blamed herself that excessive
grief for my father had weakened the
unborn child.
was lonely till my cousin Joan
came. Her mother, Dame Winchester.
was my mothers sister. and now both
were widowed Therefore they thought
well of housing their grief under one
roof.
But these are childish things. and let
me on to the time of the great war.
My mother was dead before those
evil days befell. or else she had died
of them, perhaps, as many a loyal lady
did. And even at the last dear soul,
she lef; a barbed wound in my heart,
for. said she to me, in those last pre-
cious hours while we yet kept her:
Roger, my son, do you love your cou-
sin Joan?
Il know not. dearest" said |, and
Redeemed, even at that moment, for
was callOw, rough lad, and would
have been ashamed to think upon love
She laid her thin hand on mine. and
| thought she would have kissed me,
for we had drawn closer during her
illness, but what she said was:
Lister, Roger. II Aymer loves her
too, as / fear he does, let Aymer wed
her. You will forget. You will go out
in the world among other men and
will see other ladies to love. You are
strong and valiant, my son; he is gen
tie and delicate. Let him have his
love"
I did not discreditably, aud for my
part in certain exploits came to be
known as Mad Mainwaring."
But, alackl those glories we're we'll
over. and here was |. a ragged cavalier.
with but my horse, my sword and my
little dog. And ere | Joined some gay
friends OF mine. who were making war
in another fashion. a great hunger
came upon me to look upon the home
Of my childhood, TO see that which
| had renounced and visit once again
my mothers grave.
turned my face westward, there
fore, and rode night and day, till the
watery sunset of a spring evening
showed me Kings Beeches, with its
turrets and chimneys black against the
sky.
The window was open and some one
was singing, ripe voice, which | was
slow to recognize as that OF my FRO
Their Aymer
With the song went the thin music
of a spinet / hOisted myself by my
hands on the window sill; yet, ere
bad looked within, l knew what |
should see.
My brother. dressed soberly. yet with
richness, leant by the spinet which my
cousin Joan was playing.
Several years had gone. and some
thing aiEsst matronly bad come upon
my cousins beauty. something so noble
and so tender that | must swear sor-
ever no woman's beauty we're perfect
lacking that The waves OF hes chest
nut hair were rolled away from the
pure outline OF her face. / could see
her little ears and the full, milky
throat below the golden head.
For an instant Toasted on her beau
ty. Then my eyes wandered to my
brother lie looked less slight than of
old, but hig Apollo grace and fairness.
which used to think unbecoming a
man, had not deserted him.
The whole scene was 50 peaceful. so
MI of home, that 1t made his heart
ache who had doomed himself to be
homeless. And then a thought came
to me that sent The blood surging to
my head Why. II was a home scene
looked upon. and this pair, with their
happy quletudc, were no lovers excep.
welded ones.
had wilIed IL so. or The dead had
willed it for me; VT 1 turned to the
night with an og,n on my lips and
despair in ny neart, for never until
then. | tAiRg. had | realized my love
for my 6Ossin And so, swearing
wou,5 AGA come again. lest worse be-
tall s'5ode on to the dell 10 the wood
where niy Salsdin paved the ground.
and neighed the way I had taken.
We, gentlemen Of the road, drop out
Of the world VIC once knew, as much
as II We we're dead
Two years did Tom Selby, Dick La
vader aud myself lead the highway.
mans life, and II said II had not
things to recommend IL | should err
There came a night rode alone, as
fate would have Il. and was scarce
thinking OF business but leant by
wayside gallows in the shadow OF