The Washington herald., 1914-07-19
1S14-1873

must have sought you alone and unat
tended came to live or die as yo
may determine. / love you Do 20
near? love you.
whether you spurn me or whether yo
welcome me, still you must hear m
while my yearnins heart cries for juds
ment Speak, beloved-I await my sen
tence. Is II life or death?"
He raised his pleading eyes to her
and, as they met, her beautiful hea'
dropped lower and lower until 1t almos
touched his own.
He felt the soft touch of her hand
upon his shoulders and, in a voice so in
audible that none but a lovers ear coult
have guessed its sweet import-'I wa
waiting for thee" she said
Arranging Flight.
1t had been with great peril and exer
ton that Eugene had scaled the walls o
the garden, eluded the guards and OBJ
tained this interview ~ith Laura.
The lovers talked long and earnestly
At length, when the creeping hour
warned the lovers that It was time 4
part, the prince said:
Are you ready to speak the irrevoca
Bile words that binds US together as mai
and wife?"
Il am ready" she replied.
part from you. But day after tomorrow
at this same hour Of the night, l shall
be here with the chaplain OF the Princess
de Carigan. who will bless our bridal A
witnesses I shall be accompanied by my
cousins, the Princes Of Cont.
Before your father suspects our love
IL must be sanctifed before the altar oi
God. Then there is no mortal hand thai
can wrest thee from my side.
BE in readiness. my love. and not q
word need be spoken until we are mar
ried. Then away with me TO the Hote
scissors, where those who love may seek
you at your husbands side
Shall leave my dear mistress with
out a word?''
"Assuredly-for II would burden her
with a painful responsibility"
Alas, Eugene" said Laura, looking
anxiously about, some evil spirit is
abroad and tells me that this will never
be-"
Nay. sweet one. fear nothing" He
kissed her and was gone.
TricL-d Into Marriage.
The afternoon OF the next day Laura
received a note saying, Not tomorrow
night-but tonight" II was signed e
That night about midnight, there ap'
peared in the pavilion where Laura was
waiting a priest. a man dressed in III,
same ruSset-colored garments usually
worn by Eugene. and two other witnesses
who wore masks The man in the russo
clothes was also masked and there was
only the light Of one dim cardle in the
room.
In a bewildered trance. Laura heard
the marriage service performed and was
hurried away by a postern gate TO a
waiting carriage.
The next afternoon the Louvois gave q
great reception in honor OF his daush'
ter's marriage with the Marquis d.
Strozzi. The lovers had long been eE'
gagged, he said and had married lt last
rather suddenly. They had departed al
once for Italy.
Laura and Eugene had been tricked
A watching servant whom RarbesieuI
had set about Laura as 4 spy had over
heard the conversation between her mis-
tress and Eugene and had betrayed her
to Barbesieur.
The note had been a part Of the trick.
They knew Laura had never seen the
handwriting OF Eugene.
Seeking. a Career.
The shock TO Eugene was such that
for weeks he was too i'll to leave his
palace. and at times, mis- life was des
paired Of He believed that Laura hac
deliberately forsakCn him. II not, why
did he receive no word from her?
And when he was able to go abroad
again he heard on all sides that Louvois
was never tired Of telling of the letters
he constantly received from his daughter
telling Of the happiness OF the Strozzis IN
their Venetian palace
Some months of painful thoughts en-
sued and then, one day. Eugene sought
an audience with the King. 1t was
grudsingly granted.
Your majesty" said the prince. Il de-
sire a command in your army. wish
to become a soldier-a brave one,
hope
Louis surveyed him with scorn. 81
cannot grant your request said he;
YOU are too siCkly to enter my service"
is that all your majesty has to say
Yes, the audience is at an end. Be
gone"
News from Laura.
Sire" replied Eugene, Il aim at re-
nown and. in spite of my enemies. of my
poverty. and my fricndless condition, /
have strength and energy to attain II.
l am no longer a subject of France. l
bid farewell to my country forever
All this is a matter Of history. and il
is also a matter Of history how Prince
Eugene, Of SavOie. foTsaking France.
took service with the Emperor OF Aus
tria, became the foremost general of Eu-
Louis XIV and destroyer OF his armies
1t was while Eugene, after one of his
great campaigns against the Turks, was
reCuperating in Vienna, that he received
a letter from the Duchess of Orleans.
The duchess said that her daughter had
lately been in Italy and had seen the
Marchioness de StrOZZi
They met but for a moment" said the
daughters hands a little note for you.
which / inClOSe,
strOEzIS Prisoner.
With trembling hands Eugene picked
up the little note which had fiuttered TO
the floor and read:
u am a prisoner-watched night and
day Have you, too. forgotten me? 1
cannot believe il. And after three long
years of suffering l still await your COM
ing"
As rapidly as the means OF travel in
those days would allow, Eugene hurried
to Venice. He found that Laura was,
indeed. a prisoner in the palace OF the
Strozzis 1t was said in Venice that she
II was carnival time and Venice was
He tried to have an interview
with the Marquis de StrOZZi but the
quis beset the princes path with bravos
and every moment in Venice was a mo-
ment OF peril for Eugene.
The fact was that the marquis was
0eeplN, DldulN III lONt WIN l-duld n anu
her scorn kept him in A perpetual men
tai turmoil. She never had acknowledged
him as her husband and had made a
threat OF suicide-which the marquis
knew she would fulfll-if he ever en-
tered her room without her permission.
He wept, he implored. he raved-but
Laura heaped imprecations upon him and
declared that she was the wife of Eu-
gene OF Savoie-and OF none other
RnPture and Pain.
The marquis had a sister the Countess
Connossa, whom he had sold young to
a absolute noble and who hated him