The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-09-24

for the moment. What eress as
would the kindred Of ~, 1890 e,,
the exalted princess
have said7 The king turned to Count
ess Ellenburg and forced smile.
"The question Of reproof is one for
you, countess" he said frigidly. "And
now about the baroness No, ] mean
wanted to ask If my wishes have
been communicated to the Prince Of
Slavna."
"The prince has received them, sir.
He read them In the presence Of my
messenger and requested leave to send
his answer in writing, unless he might
wait on your majesty"
There are reasons why had better
not see him just now. Ask him to
write, but very soon. The matter Isn't
one for delay" The king rose from his
seat
"Your majesty still wishes me to
send for Baroness DobravaT
The king reflected for a moment and
answered simply, mo"
His brief word broke up the confer
ence. 1t had already lasted longer than
suave and reassuring DR.. Natchef
would have advised. The men went
away with a smile, all Of them, the
king, Stenovics, Stafnitz, round faced
Markart, each smiling according to the
quality of each, their smiles answering
to Max Won Hollbrandt's shrug of the
shoulders. There are things which bring
men to what painful youth was taught
to call the least common denominator.
A horse race does It, prize fight, a
cricket match, battle, too, in some
sort. Equally efficacious very often,
though 1t is to be recorded with reluc-
tance, is a strong Irritation with no
proper issue obvious.
The matter was grave, yet all the
men laughed. The matter was grave,
and Countess Ellenburg did not laugh.
Was that what Stafnitz called her
views and her temperament? In part,
no doubt. Besides, men will laugh at
the side issues of the gravest affairs.
II is not generally the case with wo-
man. Added again to this, perhaps
Countess Ellenburg knew more or di-
vined more. Among glaring diversity
there was perhaps something, an atom,
of similarity between her and Sophy-
not the something which refuses, but
the something which couples high con-
ditions with assent The thousandth
chance Is to most men negligible. To
most women it Is no worse than the
tenth. Their sense of mathematical
odJg Go eor,Ix- op1 cnp,ativ,nc MAJ IN b
Gently imperfect.
1t had flashed across Countess Ellen
burg's mind that maybe Sophy, too,
played for Il big stake, or, rather, lived
for II and so would die. The men had
not thought of that To them the vio-
lent Irritation had Its obvious end and
its passing Inconvenience. 1t might de-
lay the princes departure for awhile.
1t might make his marriage more en-
tlrely an affair of duty and of state.
With this idea they smiled and shrug-
ged. The whole business came under
the head which in their thoughts and
their confidential conversations they
would style nonsense.
1t was not so with the countess. Dis
concerted by that episode of Lepage
and young Alexis, more moved by the
sudden appearance of Baroness Do
bravo as a factor in the game, she re-
turned to prayer.
What now was the form and matter
Of her prayer? The form must go un-
formulated and the words unconjec-
tured. Yet she prayed so long that she
must have succeeded in putting good
face on her petitions.
1t is probable that she prayed for
others as she prayed for herself. She
prayed that the Prince of Slavna and the
Baroness Dobrava might escape temp
tation.
Or that II they fell Again It was
not for her to dictate to Heaven. Heav-
en- had its ways Of dealing with such
sinners.
Yet through all her prayers must
have echoed the words, "It's absurd"
She prayed again most likely against
being suspected Of wishing that the
man who uttered them, her husband,
might soon be dead.
The king dead and the prince slave
to love-to the idle hours Of an un-
profitable love! II was fine vision
and needed vast deal Of covering
with the veil OF prayer.