The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1911-07-27

woman across the seas VINO hath won
thy love? :. Aye, ever that
.know-thst thou dost love this fair
daughter Of the English. Dtdst thou
not lose the picture Of her that was
taken with the magic box OF the sa-
htbs? Ii II for her SAX that
thou dost deny me, o my husband!
10 she more fair than !, are her lips
more SWEET"
Il am not thy husband" he declared
vehemently, appalled, by her rsvsrsion
TO that delusion. Till this hour I
have never seen thee; o Ia the ga
hiba OF any concern to thee. Let me
50, please"
But she had him ta.t and he could
not have shaken her OF but with vio-
lenoe. He had bean a strong man In
deed who had not been melted to ten
d~erness by her beauty and her dis
trsss. She lifted her glorious face TO
him. pleading. insistent, and played
upon him with her voice OF gold. Yet
a moment gone thou didst tell me |
was greatly gifted with beauty. Have
l changed in thine eyes, O my king?
SuhSl lhOu lObh uIOI inlS pun bSdhAy
and hear me tell thee of my love-and
indeed | am thine, altogether thine.
LAljil-aEd harden thy heart against
mef . What though it be as thou
hast said? What though thou art OF a
truth not of the house of Rutton, nor
yet a rajput? Let us say hat this Is
so, however hard II be to credit, even
40 a 800, .o n.~,h pa, thp
ren~unciation9"
Il know not thy meaning, Rance,
l."
Come, then, and | will show thee.
my king. Come thou with me. .
Nay, why shouldst thou falter2 There
is naught for thee to fear-save me-"
She tugged at his hand and laughed
low. in a voice that sang like smitten
glasses. Come, beloved"
Unwillinsly, he humored her. This
could not last long. The WON
an half led. half dragged him to the
northern boundary of the garden,
whore they entered a little turret
buildsd out from the walls over an
abyss fully three hundred feet In
depth. And here. standing upon the
verge of the parapet, with naught but
a foot-high coping between her and
the frightful fall, utterly fearless and
unutterably lovely, Naraini flung out
a bare, ~jeweled arm in an eloquent
gesture.
See, my king" she cried, her voice
vibrant, her eyes kindling as they met
his. Look down upon thy kingdom.
North, south, east, west-look! she
commanded. Wherever thine eyes
may turn, and farther than they can
see pom the clearest day, this land Is
all thine for the taking. Look
and tell me thou hast strength to re-
nounce II and me. beloved"
She opened her arms with infinite
allure. 1T Is so little that is asked
Of thee-only to ascend thy fathers
throne and be honored Of all Bharuta,
only to WELD the scepter that IL thine
by right, only to reign an u~ndlsputed
king in two Observation-Disclosures
and thy Naraini's hearth"
Il am very sorry" he returned. 1T
Is quite impossible. Besides, 1t seems
that you leave the sirkar altogether
out of your calculations. 1t may not
have occurred to you that the supreme
government of India may have some
thing to say about the contemplated
change"
He saw her bite her lips with cha
grin, and the look she flashed to his
face was anything but kind and ten
der. "Arre," she laughed derisively.
And Of what account ia this frail.
lettering sirkar's will besides the VIII
of the Body? or what avail its dicta
against the rulings Of the Bell? Thou
knowest-"
Pardon, | know nothing. | have
told thee, Rance, that | am not Har
Dyal Rutton."
She was mistress Of a thousand ar
tifces. Brought TO a %standstill on the
one line Of attack, she diverged to an
other without a culver of an eyelasb
to betray her discontinue.
Yea, thou hast told me" she purred.
But |, Naraini, | know what | know.
Thou dost deny thyself even as thou
lost deny me, but art thou
willing to be put to the proof, my
king?"
IF you've any means of proving my
identity. | would thank you for ma
king use OF II, Rance.
There is the test of the Token,
Lalji,"
II am not aware of IT,"
THE test Of the Token-the ring
that was brought to thee, the signet
of thy house. Surely thou hast IT with
thee?"
He thrust a hand within his shirt
and brought forth the emerald. Here
1t u.s." he told the woman, cheerfully.
Now this test2"
place It upon thy 1nger-so, even
upon thy little finger, as was thy IA
theirs wont with II. Now lift up
thine arm, so, and turn the stone to