West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1907-03-28

"You speak as II you would be
pleased to hear me say Yes TO that"
she said.
Would Yes be trueY'
Yes" / just heard her breathe. and
she went on IN an instant: "Be careful.
Rudolf; be careful, dear. He will be
mad now"
what, Michael7 If Michael were the
worst
what worst IL thereT'
There was yet n chance for me. Con
trolling myself with a mighty effort, /
took my hands of her and stood a
yard or two way. l remember now the
note OF the wind in the elm trees out
side.
III / were not the king" | began.
"If 1 were only n private gentleman
Before l could finish her hand was in
mine.
III you were II convict in The prison
OF Strcsl0u you would be my king" she
said.
And under my breath / groaned.
God forgive me-" and. holding her
hand In mine. l said again:
IF / were not the king
flush, hush she whispered. IL
don't deserve i'll don't deserve TO be
doubted. All, Rudolf. does a woman.
who maTries without love look on the
man as / look OF your"
And she hid her face from me.
For more than n minute we stood
there together. and /. even with my
arm o her. summoned up what
honor and conscience her beauty and
the tolls that | was In had left me.
"FlavlH." | said In n strange, dry
voice that seemed not my own, II am
not
AS l spoke-as she raised her eyes to
me-there was n heavy step on the
gravel outside, and Il man appeared at
the window. a little cry burst from
Fldvia as she sprang back from me.
My half finished sentence died ON my
lips. Sapt stood there. bowling low. but
with n stern frown on his face.
"a thousand pardons, sire said he.
but his eminence the cardinal has
waited this quarter OF an hour to offer
his respectful adieu to your majesty"
i met his eye full and square, and l
read in it an angry warning. How
long he had been II listener knew not.
but he had come In upon us in the nick
of time.
I'VE must not keep his cmlnence
waiting" said L.
But FlayiH, in whose love there lay
no shame, with radiant eyes aud blush
ing face held out her hand To Sapt.
h said nothing. but no man could
have missed her meaning who had
ever seen n woman In the cX~altatiou
Of love. a sou yet sac smile passed
over the old soldiers face. and there
was tenderness i'm his voice MS. bending
to kiss her hand. he said:
I'm JOY and sorrow, I'm good times
and bad, God save your royal high
ness."
He paused and added, CHANGING Mt
me and drawing himself up TO military
erectness:
But before all comes the king-God
Sve the king
And Flavia caught ut my hand and
kissed II, murmuring:
"Amcn! Good God, amen!"
We went into the ballroom again.
Forced to receive adieus, ! was sep
arated from Flavia. Every one when
he left me went to her. Sapt was out
II in Of the throng, and where he
had been g%lances, smiles ana .whis-
pers were rife. | doubted not that,
true TO his relentless purpose, he was
spreading the news that he had learn
ed. To uphold the crown and beat
Black Mlchael-that was his Que re-
solve. Flavia, myself-aye, and the
real king In Zenda-were pieces i'm his
nnmn and ~ MN ln,., ~, I,,-;,,-.
with passions. Not even at the walls
of the palace did he stop, for when at
last l handed Flavla down the broad
marble steps and into her carriage
there was a great crowd awaiting us.
and we We're welcomed with deufening
cheers. What could | do? Had |
spoken then they would have refused
to believe that l was not the king; they
might have believed that the King had
u mad. BY Sapt's devices and my
own u%ngoverned passion l had been
forced on, n the way back had
closed behind me, and the passion still
drove me in the same direction as the
devices seduced me. l faced all Strel-
sau that night as the king and the ac
cepted sultor Of the Princess Fluyia.
At last. at 3 In the morning. when
the cold light Of dawning day began Ia
steal I'm, | was In my dressing room.
and Sapt alone was with me. | sat
like n man dazcd. staring into the fire
He puffed at his pipe. Fritz was gone
to bed. having almost refused TO speak
to me. on the table by me lay n rose
1t had been I'm Flnvia's dress. and as
we parted she had kissed It and given
II to me.
Sapt advanced his hand toward the
rose, but with n quick movement !
shut mine down upon Il.
That's mine" / said. mot yours
nor the kings either"
1--WE struck n good blow for the king
tonight" said he.
turned on him fcrcely.
whats TO prevent me striking q
blow for myselff' I said.
lie nodded his head.
81 know what's I'm your mind" he
said. Eyes. lad. but you're bound in
honor"
Have YOU left nae nny honorf'
"Oh. come! To play a little trick on
% Rirl"[
you can spare me that Colonel
Sapt. n you would not have me utterly
~