Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1912-04-02

actors, financiers come oftener from
the people than from the mobiles"
Anna was so affected by the charm
he had for her that it was by an Ell
fort she collected her thoughts tt
reply: These things are true, but
they are not all the truth. Man!
able persons of lowly birth are al
their lives socially imperfect. MOBILES
receive them for their talents; bui
the mobiles still feel there is a socia,
gulf between them" She knitted
her brows THE cases you cite ant
mine differ; yon may receive greal
though humble geniuses and dismiss
them when you choose. But you
would make me your wife; where
you go am to go, what you do J
am to do. ! am to share your life
and to help or hinder you. You
know that your friendship has beer
to me the most precious fact of my
life; you know that | esteem you
and admire yon as man and as Q
ruler of men. You stand higher
now than you did as an hereditary
monarch. The nation having chang
ed its form of government was not
willing to change its ruler. Modern
ideas removed your crown, but could
not remove you; the nation recog.
nized you as its greatest and best
man. whom it could not do without
And it would be natural that you
would have from me my greatest
admiration. To me you seem won.
derfully great. l will tell you what
! hesitate to tell you. will acknowl
edge that love you. more than any
one in the world, more than the
whole world. But / will not, l can.
not marry you. care too much
for you, to have you weighted down
by your social inferior"
you love me. You have confess.
ed it," he cried. "You must be mine
ii you love me. am no longer king.
You are my equal in a republic"
you have many years before
you" she went on, as If he had not
interrupted. "Your life will broad.
en- and deepen in it's influence. I'm.
der the republican order you will be
in sympathy with the larger world
as never before. You will play a
great part in the state-craft and the
politics of mankind. You will be
more and more one of the leaders
of humanity. BY a marriage such as
you think of now, you would cripple
yourself, even in these republican
days"
He walked back and forth, and an
swered as If he had not followed all
she said.
As / have listened to you, | have
read my own heart more clearly
than ever before. have realized
that it was my love for you that in
fiuenced me to resign the throne. It
is true that recognize the power
OF modern ideas. and that our nation
will prosper under the new order.
But had l never seen you, or had you
not been a woman Of the people. !
would have continued to be a king.
/ would have allowed the change to
come after me. My love for you
made me know that form that sep
arated me from you and your class
was a wrong one. learned that
position that forbade me from mar
rying you was one that no real man
should retain. You have thus oeeh
the cause. unconsciously, innocently.
of revolution
He knelt before her with clasped
hands.
"Bnt since you will say that the
class distinction between us remains
and that you will not marry me as
president of the republic, / Will 40
more. will resign my position !
will leave my social class. VIII
become q workingman VIII you
marry me them"
He looked at her entreatingly.
Her bosom heaved. and her color
came and went She spoke her
words in evident pam.
"Not even then. You would be
untrue to your trust, and your duty
to mankind. Even as a workingman
there would be still between us the
difference OF your kingly inheritance
and your training. You cannot
change that.
He seemed to himself like drown
ing swimmer.
There is nothing possible but for
you to carry on your great work In
the world, which all people, and !,
too. expect OF you. You may go in
to this work with the consciousness
that my love and thoughts will fol-
low you. that my friendship will al
ways be yours, and that every sue
cess of yours will be my greatest
Her voice trembled, and tears
came.
II, is useless to say more. For 10
me my duty is clear: cannot and
will not be weight upon your life.
You must go now. for can endure
this strain no longer.
He bent before her, upon his
n 49, .f-.l.