West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1907-05-16

men In my position seem to me dull
and unattractlve. / have little fancy
FOR the whirl OF society and none for
the jostle OF politics. Lady Burlesdon
utterly despalrs Of me. My neighbors
think me an indolent, dreamy, unso-
cable fellow. Yet am young man.
and sometimes | have n fancy-the SUI
perstitiOus would call ii Il PRESENT.
ment-that my part In life Is not yet
altogether played; that, somehow and
some day, / shall mix again In great
affairs, shall again spin policies in a
busy brain, match my wits against my
enemies, brace my muscle to fight n
good fight and strike stout blows. Such
Is the tissue OF my thoughts az. with
gun or rod In hand wander through
the woods or by the side OF the stream.
Whether the fancy will 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 be-
meath the frowning keep OF the castle
OF Zenda.
Thus led, my broodings leave the fu-
lure ana turn back on the past. Shapes
rise before me in long array-the wild
first revel with the king, the rush with
my brave teatable the night I'm the
moat, the pursuit I'm 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 yet moves on
earth Oh fugh where / know not. yet
plans tas do not doubt wickedness.
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 presentlment, seems to grow
stronger and more definite and to
whisper lnslstently I'm my ear that I
have yet hand 10 play with young
Rupert: therefore / exercise myself in
arms and seek TO put of the day when
the vlgOr or youth must leave me.
One break comes every year I'm my
quiet life. Then / 20 TO Dresden. and
there am met by my dear friend and
companion, Fritz Won Tarlenheim.
Last time his pretty wife Hclga came
and a lusty. growing baby with her
And for week Fritz and I are to-
gether and / hear all OF what falls
out In Strelsau. aud I'm the evenings as
we walk and smoke together wc talk
OF Sopt and Of the king and often u
young Rupert and as the hours grow
small nt last we speak Of Flavia. for
every year Fritz carries with him to
Dresden little box; in 30 Hes q rcd
rose, and round the stall. Of The rose
IS a slip OF paper with the words writ.
ten. Rudolf Flavla always" And
the Ike ! send back by him. That
message and the wearing Of tho rings
arc all that now bind me and the
queen Of Burtanla. for nObier. as T
told her for tbc act she had followed
where her duty to her country aad her
house led her AMI is the wife Of tic
king uniting his subjects To bin by
the love they bear 90 hcr. giving peace
ana quiet days 90 thou muds by her
ec'f sacrifice There are moments
whcu ] dare not think Of it. but there
are others Whom ] rise in spirit to
where shc ever dwclls; then 7 can
thank G)l that ! love The noblcst lady
m the world thc most gracious and
beautiful and that there was nothing
in my love that made her fall short ln
her hish duty
CI,.U 4 e.. bor f,1, ..,s..r.. tt IL.
face and the glorious hairf or that I
know nothing Fate has no hint. my
heart no prcscutImcnt / do not know