The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1910-07-14

me. | was still young. saw ny
people then as / had not before.
saw also the monarchies OF Europe.
All, ROW knew what oppression
meant, Now l knew what class dis
tinction and special privileges meant!
/ saw what ruin it was spelling for
our country-what it will spell for
your country, if they ever come to
rule here. All, then that dream came
to me which had come to my father,
that beautiful dream which justified
me in everything l did. My friend,
can it-can it in part justify me-
now?
"For the first time. then, | resolved
to live, | have loved my father ever
since that time. | pledged myself to
continue that work which he had I'M
dertaken! l pledged myself to better
the condition of humanity if l might.
There was no hope for me. ! was
condemned and ruined as it was. My
life was gone. Such as had left, that
/ resolved to give to-what shall we
call it?-the idee democratique.
Now, may God rest my mothers
soul, and mine also, so that some time
] may see her In another world
pray l may be good enough for that
some time. ! have not been sweet
and sinless as was my mother. Fate
laid a heavier burden upon me. But
what remained with me throughout
was the idea which my father had be-
Queathed me-"
"Ah, but also that beauty and sweet
ness and loyalty which came to you
from your mother" l insisted.
She shook her head "Wait!" she
said. Now they pursued me as
though l had been criminal, and
they took me back-horsemen about
me who did as they liked. l was.
say, sacrifice. News of this came to
that man who was my husband He
had not the courage of the mobiles left
But he heard of one nobleman against
whom he had a special grudge, and
him one night, foully and unfairly, he
murdered.
News of that came to the emperor
My husband was tried, and, the case
being we'll known to the public, it was
necessary to convict him for the sake
of example. Then, on the day set for
his beheading, the emperor reprieved
him. The hour for the execution
passed, and, being now free for the
time, he fled the country. He went to
Africa, and there he so disgraced the
state that bore him that of late times
/ hear he has been sent for to come
back to Austria. Even yet the en-
peror may suspend the reprieve and
send him to the block for his ancient
crime. If he had thousand heads
he could not atone for the worse
crimes he has done.
But of him and of his end l know
nothing. So, now, you see | was and
am wed, and yet am not wed, and
never was. l do not know what l am,
nor who l am. After all, cannot tell
you who am or what | am, because
myself do not know.
1T was no longer safe for me in
my own country. They would not let
me go to my father any more. AS
for him, he went on with his studies,
some part of his mind being bright
and clear. They did not wish him
about the court now. All these mat
tiers were to be hushed up. The court
of England began to take cognizance
of these things. Our government was
scandaliZed. They sent my father, on
pretext of scientific errands, into one
country and another-to Sweden, to
England, to Africa, at last to America
Thus it happened that you met him.
You must both have been very near
to meeting me in Montreal 1t was
fate, as we of Hungary would say.
"As for me, l was no mere hare
Drained radical. | did not go to Rus
STA, did not join the revolutionary
circle of Paris, did not seek out Prus-
STA. That is folly. My father was
right. 1t must be the years, it must
be the good heritage, it must be the
good environment, it must be even
opportunity for all, which alone can
produce good human beings! In short,
believe me, victim, the hope of the
world is in real democracy. Slowly,
gradually, was coming to believe
that"
She paused moment "Then, one
time, monsieur met you, here in
this very room! God pity me! You
were the first man l had ever seen
God pity mel believe LOVED you
that night, that very first night We
are friends. We are brave You are
man and gentleman, so l may say
that, now. l am no longer woman
l am but a sacrifice.
opportunity must exist, open and
free for all the world" she went on
not looking at me more than l could
now at her. 81 have set my life to
prove this thing. When I came here
to this America-out of piQue, out of q
love of adventure, out of sheer daring
and exultation in imposture-then |
saw why was born, for what purpose I!
1t was to do such work as | might to
prove the theory of my father, and
to justify the life of my mother. For
that thing | was born. For that thing
! have been damned on this earth;
may be damned in the life to come
unless l can make some great atone
ment. For these I suffer and shall al
ways suffer. But what of that? There