The Marshall republican., 1908-07-31
~ Z,
ELEVEN I

but checked himself
and let her go. Only
his eyes went with her. and In them
there was more Of pain than anger.
though never before In all his fife per.
haps had he been thwarted In any
strong desire. Passion urged him for
ward. but pride held him back. for
Leopold was n proud man. and to have
his love thrown In his face was TO re-
ceIve mn Icy douche with the blood At
fever heat.
For this girls sake he had In n few
days changed the habits of a lifetime.
Pride. reserve. self control. the wish
not only to appear but to be a man
above the frailties Of common men, To
ambition to be placed and worthily
pIured on n pedestal by his subjects
nil these he had thrown away fss
Helen Now bray.
He was too just n man not to admit
that II one Of his royal cousins a
younger branches had c~ontemplated
such folly M this he would have done
his best To nip that folly while II wal
In bud. lie jcsts at scars who never
Iftl " NouNus uuu uuih isfVi'io ~
learned by his own unlocked for CT.
perlenre what love can mean. what
men viii do for love while the sweet
madness IL ON them. he would have
been utterly unable to understand the
state Of mind.
4 cousin inclined TO act as he was
O bent ~ acting would but n month
ago have found NIL the emperor's iniu.
encc. even force perhaps. brought to
bear In restraining him. Leopold saw
the change In himself. was startled
aud shnmcd by Il. Nevertheless hs
would have pcrsevered. tramplinG
down every obstacle that rose In his
way. lf only the girl had seen things
with his eyes.
She hnd accused him OF Insulting
her. not stopping to consider that even
10 make her morgnnatically his wife
be must give great cause for com-
plant not only TO his ministers, but to
his people. for he was expected TO
marry n girl Of royal blood that the
country might have an heir. II Helen
Mowhrny Ind accepted the position he
offered her. he could never have bro
Ken her henrt by making another mar.
ringc.
Not only would II be difficult In these
days to ind a princess willing to toler-
ate such a rival, but II would have
been impossible for him TO desecrate
the bond between himself and the one
adored woman.
This being the case. with Helen
Mowbrny as his m%organatic wife.
there could be no direct heir to the
throne. Al bis death the son Of his
uncle. the Archduke Joseph. would
succeed. and during his life the popu-
iarlty which wa dcur to him would
he hopelessly forfeited. Rhaetia would
never forgive him for selhshly prefer.
ring hls " private happiness to the
COOL ~ the nation.
H. could fancy how old Iron Heart
voa '.'e,tstein would present this point
OF lew to hi u with fierce e%lopuence.
temples %throbbiIg like the ticking Of a
watch. eyes Melted with bloodshot
veins. but. on the other hand he could
picture himself standing calmly to
free the storm. steadfast In his own
indomita;'le will, happy with love Il
uphold hlm.
But now the will which had borne
him through life In II triumpha, marcf
had been powerless against that Of
this young girl. She would have none
Of hlm. A m whose face was heI
fortune. whose place In life was hard
ly ny high AZ the first step Of a throne
had rc~fused--an emperor.
Hardly could Leopold believe thu
thing that had happened to him. HI
had spoken Of doubling that he hat
won her love. aud he had doubted
But he had allowed himself TO hope
because he had confidence In his staI
and because perhaps II had scarcely
been known In the annals of history
that an emperor's suit should be re
pulsed.
Besides. he had loved the girl 80 pas
~sionately that 1t seemed she could no
remain cold, And he hoped still tina
when she had passed a long night II
reflection. In thinking over the situa
ton. perhaps taking counsel with tina
comparatively commonplace yet prac
tical little lady. her mother, she Nigh
be ready to change her mlnd.
For the irst few moments after thu
staging rebuff he had endured Leo
polI felt that II she did II would be he
turn to suier. for he could never hum
bic himself to implore for the secont
time But M he stood In the soft still
nels VI the night. gazing toward tn
lights Of the house. thoughts Of Wiz
glnia- her youth. her sweetness, be-
beauty dlinmed with grief-ovsrwhelm
Cd him. Could lie have reached her b
would have fallen on bis knsss an
kissed her gown.
by and BY Z vsst tenderness breath
"a tn calm ~ ths thwartsd passiol
A ~ brsast. and plans - Win -
safk saa,s xaIsne.ls! Y A!assE =