The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-04-26

some day, | shall mix again In great
affairs, shall again spin policies in
busy brain, match my wits against my
enemies, brace my muscle to fight
good fight and strike stout blows. Such
Is the tissue Of my thoughts as, with
gun or rod in hand, wander through
the woods or by the side Of the stream.
Whether the fancy will be fulfilled 4
cannot tell, still less whether the scene
that, led by memory, l lay for my new
exploits will be the true one-for
love to see myself once again in the
crowded streets of Strelsau or be.
meath the frowning keep of the casts
of Zenda.
Thus led. my broodings leave the fu
tuse and turn back on the past. Shapes
rise before me In long array-the wild
first reyel with the king, the rush with
my brave teatable, the night in the
moat. the pursuit in the forest, my
friends and my foes. the people who
learned to love and honor me, the des-
perate men who tried to kill me. And
from amid these last comes one who
alone of all of them vet moves on
earth, though where know not, yet
plans (as l do not doubt wickedness,
yet turns women's hearts to softness
and mems to fear and hate. Where is
young Rupert of Hentzau. theaboy who
eame so nigh to beating me? When his
name comes into my head I feel my
hand grip and the blood move quicker
| through my veins, and the hint Of
| fate. the presentiment, seems to grow
stronger and more definite and to
whisper mistakenly In my ear that l
have yet a hand to play with young
| Rupert: therefore I exercise myself in
arms and seek to put or the day when
the vigor Of youth must leave me.
One break comes every lear in my
quiet life. Then go to Dresden, and
there I am met by my dear friend and
companion. Fritz Won Tarlenheim.
Last time his pretty wife Helga came
and a lusty, growing baby with her.
And for a week Fritz and l are to-
gether, and l 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 Fritz carries with him to
Dresden a little box; in II lies a red
| rose. and round the stalk of the rose
is a slip Of paper with the words writ
ten. -Flavia-always." And
the like / send back by him. That
message and the wearing OF the rings
are all that now bind me and the
queen OF Ruritania, for--nobier, as /
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 thousands by her
self sacrifice. There are moments
when dare not think of IL. but there
are others when | rise iD spirit to
where she ever dweIls; then l can
thank God that love the n0blest 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 see her face again-the pale
face and the glorious hair? OF that ]
know nothing. Fate has no hint, my
heart no presentiment. do not know.
In this world perhaps-nay, 1t is Ike.
ly-neyer. And can IL be that some.
where, in a manner whereof our flesh
bound minds have no apprehension,
she and will be together again, with
nothing to come between Us, nothing
to forbid our love? That I know not,
nor wiser heads than mine. But IL II
be neyer-If I can never hold sweet
converse again with her or look upon
her face or know from her her love
why. then, this side the grave / will
live as becomes the man whom she
loves, and for the other side | must
pray a dreamless sleep.
THE END.