Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1914-02-04
CHAPTER XII.
rhe Mother Of a Prince.

The Mother Of a Prince.
The walls of the palace at Ancona
dropped to the sea; against them the
waves danced. Out on the blue wa
ter lay a feet OF fishing boats, and the
wind tapped torn sails. and the sun
light glanced on battered bulls and
Uttered decks. The woman who sat
by an open window of the palace
pushed the black trailing Of her gown
from her, as IL the somberness hurt
her eyes; she laid her head against
the window-frame and stared al the
breeze-tossed waves and the fishing
feet.
1T may be our only hope OF escape
THOSE wretched boats" she said, half
aloud. and her blue eyes we're full OF
sadness. almost of hopelessness.
A sound caught her ear, and she lift
ed her head quickly. The door into
the next room was partly open and
some one moved there, that was all
She turned. the lines of her figure
falling again into a melancholy pose.
The doctor takes a long time" she
spoke. and gazed out once more to the
water.
There had been a spirited young
girl years before who had romped In
the gardens OF Malmaison. who had
led the laughter which echoed through
those avenues OF lime and plantain.
whc1e sweetness and vivaeity had
drawn the figure Of Napoleon himself
into the vortex OF gladness which was
her atmosphere. Always brightness
seemed 10 follow her through the en-.
chantment OF the place; always she
seemed to move in gaiety. Today, on
a March morning of 1880. this was she
--Hortense.
The daughter OF France she had
been. the queen OF Holland, and now
for years an exile. Here. III. a fugi-
tive. in her nephews palace at An
coma. with the Austrians Mt the gate
of the city. she waited in anxiety al
most more intense than she could bear
the word of the Doctor as to her son
Five days before, at Forli. her older
boy had died, and her sore heart
stirred with a sickening throb as she
thought of this other--Louis-~n her
Nhatht gyms M Aut Ahbnl btSbHu
in a high fever, III with tho disease
with which his brother had fallen. A
woman's soul might well be over
crowded with such sorrow and such
fear. but there was more. Her two
boys had thrown in their lot shortly
before with the Italian revolutionlsts.
and had fought, and had distinguished
themselves. And now that the revo.
luton OF the Romagna was a failure.
that the Austrian army wac advanc-
ing VIGOROUSLY, now that death had
taken the older to safety, the younger
-Louls-the invalid lad In the room
beyond. was 10 imminent danger He
was excepted from the general am
nesty; the natural ways of escape
were closed. for the authorities OF
Tuscany and OF Switzerland had let
her know that the Prince would not be
permitted In those territories. From
Rome two of her sous uncles, Card.
nal Fesch and King jerome. had sent
word that If he were taken by the
Austrians he was lost And at the
moment when Hortense had decided TO
carry her boy of to Turkey by way
of Corfu, an Austrian feet Appeared
in the Adratic.
In such a critical state were the
affairs of the black-gowned woman
who gazed from the palace windows
to the sea. The doctor was with her
son. The boys condition seemed TO
her no better. but worse than the day
before; she waited an official verdict.
frhn ffaars az nd 81.
a tall man came In.
Doctor" she stammered and
stopped-she feared to ask
Your majesty the old man said
graveiy. Il grieYe to be the bearer
of bad news"
He is worse. Doctor" The words
came with gasp, she felt that she
could not free more trouble
Yes. your Majesty, the fever has
increased since yesterday With his
youth and strength we may hope-tf
he is carefully nursed-but to move
him would be Madness
Queen Hortense struck her hands
together What can / do? What can
/ CO.." she demanded. and the doctor
stood gravels regarding her. helpless.
with ali his devotion TO the house of
So1aParte. to suggest way out III
ne stays he VIII be taken-they will
execute him. II he goes he will die
on the say she cried in an agony
OF indeeision. Doctor tell me. think
for mellow can save him?"
And the doctor still stood silent.
suffering with the impotent desire 70
help her. Tiff only the Austrians
might think that the Prince were
gone. he stammered, and hated him
s.3g Ger the futility Of the words. But