Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1916-12-29
The Prince Of.
a Hundred
Years
A Love Story
By AGNES q. BROGAN

mirror putting the last touches to her
toilet. A card bearing a mans name
lay on the dresser before her She
was preparing to go down to see him.
but the preparation was rather for de-
lay than for her adjournment
She knew very we'll for what he had
come. He had been to see her often
before for the same purpose He had
offered her his love She had neither
declined nor accepted him. She had not
declined him because she was not sure
but that she would regret having done
so if she did. and she had not accepted
him because it did not seem to her that
she felt a change which she considered
would come over her once she had been
stricken by the little god.
When she could think of nothing
more to add to her toilet. when she
had for the last time adjusted the rose
in her hair, sm0othed away crease
here and there in her costume. she
placed her hand upon the doorknob
and stood frresolute.
what shall say to him?"
She could not decide. Turning, she
looked through the window and saw a
peaceful garden. And there, too. in
the garden was a woman.
The very young girl burst tempestu-
ously into the peaceful garden. and
her eyes were bright with tears.
II came for q sight of you. Felice,"
she said, Ito calm my troubled spirit
, Sc IF
| will have his answer. Now, how is a
girl to be sure of her heart who has
not seen the world? One might say
yes today and be filed with regret
tomorrow.
"Oh, for sign by which we women
might know our own true prince when
he comes! You remember the olden
fairly tales. and your gift for making
different stories of each to satisfy my
! demand for Just one moreT Always
found you here among your flowers.
Felice. understanding of each rebel
lious. childish mood.
well. I'm rebelliOus child again
! today. and will rest my wayward
head upon your dear shoulder while
you weave for me a new version Of
shall it be The Sleeping Princess and
the Prince Who Awakened Her After
a Hundred YearsY"
Musingly the woman smiled; then
low she told the story:
1.-The princess sat high on the garden
wall while her golden tresses streamed
out in the breeze like shimmering
fan. Upon her cleaning crown was
perched saucily soldiers cap. and
from beneath it's brim she glanced
half shyly. half daringly, at the young
prince beside her.
IAN you wear my cap" he warned.
I shall surely steal kissr
with soft nnirthful laugh the girl
| sprang to the ground.
"'Never in oil your Ife.' she Knocked.
shall you kiss me-
'For moment their eyes met stead
f! lily. his gravely pleading. hers bright,
yet fearful: then the girl ran swiftly
! down the path.
charmed intent, the prince gazed
after her departing figure: then from
its case cane his violin, while the I'M
| spoken lons.ngs which he himself had
hardly known breathed forth in music
From her hiding place the girl
watched him. gloried in the sweet serl-
| BUSINESS of It's eyes, the firm cut of his
youthful chin. delighted in the straight
| forelock witch her theft Of his cap
left uncovered
"When as the music quivered to a
minor key. slowly the girl crept back
! to sit at his side. Hand in hand they
fingered. Willie the young. pale moon
rose in the tky.
Tomorrow you will come againT
! pleaded the prince at parting.
"Overcomr by new and inexplica.
! bic shyness the princess shook her
! head. Tomorrow l shall have duties,'
she told him.
$50 while the roses doomed and the
!; bees dronett In the garden. there the
young prince waited his lady's pleas
ure. glad for smile that she gave
him. silent before her tauntings. speak
, ing his love In music.
"And, as in teasing mood, the prin.
cess danced from him one day down
the winding path toward the river. she
came upon another youth. one who
bowed low before her. as a subject
salutes his princess. one whose eyes
were filed with a worshipful adora-
tion.. which the princes eyes, in all
=, their tenderness. had never shown.
THE princess motioned to the youth
to rise from his place at her feet. and
her heart was filed with the spirit Of
adventure.
"'Come.' she said. you shall teach
me to row your boat on the river and
shall gather for me lilies out far, where
I cannot reach them
"And as the youth bent eagerly to
his oars she was gay and friendly and
kind as she had never been in the
presence Of the prince
"'Your eyes, the youth reverently
told her. *are blue as the sky at early
evening: your hair is like cloth Of
gold: your lips have stolen their Grim.
SOn from the herrioa' "'->p