The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1909-04-21
c H A pTER TX
The King Wakes
CONTINUED from last week.

In
1 snowcrest above, where man and mans pas
sions were things unknown, and the meadow
and cabins below, where in the midst of seeming
peace and purity, was bred rapine and cruelty and
death.
In the full beams (for the air yet chill in
the shade) beside the cabin sitting the king,
disconsoate, perturbed, seethlns With his thoughts.
Within the cabin Sir Hugo, onetme court jester,
slept-slept in spite OF himself, after a night OF
selfimposed vigilance.
A hundred yards away, just at the edge of the
shade cast by double pine whose two trunks were
united at the base, olling upon little outcrop OF
gray granite, ensconced the queen, and at her
feet, hafreclined, like courtly cavalier, Captain
Del Orc. His droopin g-brimmed, rapscallion hat
in its every curve the hat of rogue-lay careless
ly flung beside him. He wore the jacket of blue
velvet and the tasselled white sash of yesterday;
evidently his one gala attire. In his manner, as
stretched lazily half at length he looked upward at
her, was a dash of hooking Difference, tnge of
audacious familiarity.
Cast aside its early morning usefulness having
passed, the black domino made somber blotch
against the gray of the granite. In her pink and
gold ball gown the queen as if at sally from the
captain, leaned and hirted him across the shout
ders with fan which (akin, probably to the toilet
set) he had bstowed upon her.
nut of the corners of his eyes the king moodily
- watched the by-pay, while, wandering from it,
but returning and his mind toiled here and
there amidst the tumultuous events of the last
twenty-four hours.
Yesterday lay upon him like nightmare-and
yet forsooth, had he slept soundly that he
ought to have slept it away The queens tittering,
empty laugh sounded upon his ears, and he
frowned, with rown born half of perplexity and
half of annoyance
Doris! In heavens name what has happened to
her! The change-he unable to grasp it. This
painted woman Doris? This person who seemed
bent upon proving only her shallow frivolity.
swayed by the clumsy batteries OF common
bandit?
Was she insane? If So twas scurvy master
stroke by which ruthless heaven had countered up
him. taking what it had no right to take, and
giving what it had right to give. He had not
intended to deserve much. A little rage burned
in his heart he pictured to himself that days of
grace had not been allowed him. and that he had
been given opportunity to repent and him
self Had he but suspected, of course he would
not have gone he did No. He would not
have sown had he but foreseen what he would
reap. There injustice in it-aye there was,
somewhere He regretted while at the same time
he resented. And thus he fumed and strove against
reality; sought here palliation, here lenency,
as man will when within himself he is at once the
judge and the prisoner in the dock. While he pro-
tested, he would also have cried for mercy
Again he heard the queens laugh. painted like
herself She evidently in great feather. He
shifted uneasily His mind flew to the world be-
low where kingdom-his kingdom, dear to him,
no matter what might obtrude to sway him-was
at stake. Revolutions that had been the word