Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-07-10

dead in II Iutpdurri of scattered petals
on the GRASS. II WAS 81 garden for low
crS and Il n.2., for lovers.
Econ went 40 She open window and
l'n',"l ont. - Jared not let his feet
1;..c tnr Ill cctinn of his eyes. though
T." was :,:r Nat somewhere in the
.-.r,en Mi. '!oWbray ana the empcr-
~ We're to IL, found
They will comr in again this way"
Lc said to himself. for they will want
People to think they have never left
the music room. and for that very rea-
son they wont stop too long. They
must have some regard for the conven-
tons If | watt
He did not finish the sentence In his
/ mind Nevertheless he examined the
/ resources of the window niche with a
/ critical eye.
/ There WAS IL deep Enclosure between
/ the window frame and the long,
/ straight curtains of olive green satin
which matched the decoration Of the
/ music room. BY drawing the curtains
Il few inches farther forward one could
make a screen which would hide one
! from observation by any person In the
room or outside in the garden. So
! Egon did draw the curtain. and, framed
in his shelter like a saint In a niche, he
stood peering into the silver night
The moon was rising over the lake,
and long, pale rays Of level light were
stealing up the paths like the fingers
of blind child that caress gropingly
the features OF beloved face.
Egon could not see the whole gar
den or all the paths among the roses.
But II the emperor and his companion
came back by the way they had gone
he would know presently whether they
walked in the attitude Of friends or
lovers. 1t was SO necessary for his
plans to know this that he thought II
worth while to exercise a little pa
thence In waiting. or course, II they
were lovers, goOdby to his hopes. and
he would never have so good a chance
rs this to make sure.
All things in the garden that were
not white were gray as doves wings
Even the shadows were not black,
and the sky was gray, with the soft
gray Of velvet under a crust Of dia-
monds which flashed as the spangles
on woman's fan flash when 1t trem-
bleS in her hand
White moths. happily ignorant that
summer would come no more for them,
drifted out from the shadows like rose
petals blown by the soft wind On a
trellis a crowding sisterhood Of pale
roses dropped their heads downward
In memento mort. 1t was silver
hight, u night Of enchantment
Leopold had meant to take Virginia
but only to see the moon rise over the
~Iter, turning the great smooth sheet
OF Jet into silver shield, for there
had been clouds or spurts Of rain on
| other nights, and he had said to him
| SELF that never again perhaps would
| they two stand together under the
white spell of the moon. He had
meant to keep her for five minutes, or
ten at the most. and then to bring her
back. but they had walked down to
the path which girdled the cliff above
the lake. The moon touched her gold
en- hair and her pure face like bene-
diction. He dared not look ut her thus
for long, and when there came a sud
den quick rustling in the grass Mt their
feet he bent down, glad Of any change
in the current Of his thoughts.
Some tiny winged thing Of the night
sought n lodging In bell shaped flow.
er whose blue color the moon had
drunk. and as Leopold stopped the
same impulse made Virginia bend.
He stretched out his hand to gather
| the low growing branch OF blossoms.
which he would give the girl as a
souvenir of this hour. and their fingers
met. Lake and garden swan before
the eyes Of the princess as the en-
pcrOr's hand closed over hers.
Her great moment had come. yet
| now that 1t was here. wOmanlike, she
wished 1t away, not gone fOrever-Oh,
nO-but waiting just round the corner
Of the future.
1.-THE flowers are yOurs-I give them
to yOu," she laughed, as II she fancied
| 1t was In eagerness to grasp the dis
puted spray that he had pressed her
fingers.
you are the one flower I want
flower Of all the world" he answered
| in chOked voice. speaking words he
had not meant to speak. But the ice
barriers that held back the torrent of
which he had told her had melted long
ago and now had been swept away.
Other barriers which he had built up
in their place-his convictions, his duty
as a man ut the head Of a nation
were gone too. Il love you." he STAN
mered. Il love you far better than
my life, which you saved. I've loved
you ever since our first hour together
| on the mountain, but every day my
love has grown thOusandfOld until
now it's greater and higher than any
mountain. l can fight against myself
| no longer. l thought l was strong,
but this love Is stronger than I am.
Say that you care for me-only say
that"
Il do care" Virginia whispered. She
had prayed for this, lived for this, and
she was drowning In happiness. Yet
| she had pictured different scene, a
scene Of storm and stress She had
heard in fancy broken words Of sor-
row and noble remuneration on his lips,
and in anticipating his suffering she
had felt the JOY her revelation would
give. Il care-sO much. so much! How
hard it will be to partv'
IF you care, then. We shall not be
parted" said Leopold.
The princess looked up at him In
wonder, holding back as he would
, have caught her in his arms. What
could he mean? What plan was in his
mind that, believing her to be Helen
Mowbray, yet made it possible for
him to reassure her so?
Il don't understand" she faltered.
"You are the emperor. and I am no
more than
you are my wife II you love me-"
tn,