The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1906-03-03

| her for it."
| Maurice understood her to refer to
the kiss given and returned in the
darkness of the night. He knew not
| OF how many other indiscretiOns he
was now TO bear the brunt, or he had
| turned on the spot and fed once more
| across the river
Princess" he said, standing hum
bly, before her, Il did wrong. But con-
slider the temptation, the darkness OF
| the night"
The darkness of the night" she
said, stamping her foot, and in an in
| stinctively mocking tone; you are in
| deed well inspired. You remind me OF
what l ventured that you should be
free. The darkness of the night, in
| deed. l suppose that is all that sticks
| In your memory, because you gained
| something tangible by ii. You have
| forgotten the walk through the corri-
| dors OF the palace. all you taught me
In the rose garden. and-and how apt
pupil you said l was. Pray. good
| Master Forgetfulness. who hath for
| gotten all that, tell me what you did
| IN Courtland eight months ago."
| Il came-I came" faltered the Spar
hawk, fearful of yet further committing
| himself. Il came to find and save my
dear mistress"
our-dear-mistress? The prin-
cess spoke slowly and the blue eyes
hardened till they overtopped and beat
| down the bold, black ones of Maurice
Won Lynar: land you dare to tell me
| this-me. to whom you swore that you
had never loved woman in the world
before, never spoken to them word OF
wooing or compliment. Out of my
sight fellow, The prince, my brother.
| will deal with YOU
Then all suddenly her pride gave
way. The disappointment was too
keen. She sank down on a silkcov-
cred ottoman by the window side, Sob
bing
Now Maurice Won Lynar was not
quick in discernment where woman
was concerned, but on this occasion
he recognized that he was blindly play
ing the hand of another. a hand, more
over. of which he could not hope to
see the cards. He did the only thing
which could have saved him with the
princess. He came near and sank on
/ one knee before her.
Madam he said humbly and in
moved vice, Il beseech you not to be
angry-lot to condemn me unheard.
In tho sense of being in love. l never
loved any but yourself. l would rather
de than put the least slight upon one
so surprisingly fair, whose memory
has never departed from me, sleeping
or waking, whose image. dimly seen.
has never for a moment been erased
from my hearts tablets
But you said just now that you
came to Courtland to see your dear
mistress'?"
The young man put his hand to his
head.
You must bear with me- he said,
eff perchance for little my words are
wild. l had, indeed, no right to speak
of you as my dear mistress
"Oh. it was of me that you spoke"
said the princess, beginning to smile
little; Il begin to understand"
"Of what other could l speak?' said
the shameless Won Lynar, who now
began to feel his way little clearer.
Il have indeed been very i'll, and
when l am in straits my head is still
unsettled. 1t springs from secret
wound that at the time l knew moth
ing Of
AS he kneeled thus the princess
bent over him with quizzical express
sion on her face:
You are sure that you speak the
truth now? Your wound Il not causing
you to dote?"
Nay" said the Sparhawk; indeed,
It's almost healed"
Where was the wouud?" queried
the princess, anxiously.
There were two" answered Won
Lynar diplomatically; lone in my
shoulder at the base of my neck. and
the other, more dangerous. because in
ternal. on the head, itself"
Let me see."
She came and stood above him as
he put his hand to the collar of his
doublet, and, unfastening a tie, he
slipped it down little and showed
her at the spring Of his neck Werner
Won Orseln's thrust.
And the other" she said, covering
it up with little shudder, that on
the head, where is it?'
The youth blushed, but answered
valiantly enough.
"It never was an open wound. and
so is little difficult to find. Here,
where my hand is. above my brow"
Hold up your head" said the prin-
cess. "On what side was it? On the
right? Strange, I cannot find 1t. You
are too far beneath me. The light
falls not Alright. All, that is better!"
Won Lynar looked at the princess.
Their position was one as charming
as it was dangerous. They were
Luz To annthnr fhair