The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-11-07

mother referred to-" Hedwig held her
head very high, "I-she was unjust.
Am I never To have any friendsf"
Friends, h%iGhnessf One may have
friends, OF course. II Is not friendship
they fear"
"What thenT"
"a lover" said the countess softly.
ut Is impossible to see Captain Lar.
Isch In your presence, and not
realize"
Go on
"And not realize, highness, that he
Is In love with you"
"How silly ~ said the Princess He'd.
wig. with glowing eyes.
But highness |" implored the count
ess. III only you would use a little
caution. Open defiance Is Its own de-
feat"
~ am not ashamed of what I do"
said Hedwig holly.
Ashamed! OF course not. But
things that are harmless In others In
your ~positlon-you are young. You
should have friends, gayety. I am"
she smiled grimly In the darkness.
mot so old myself but that l Gun I'M
derstand."
Hedwig stood still. The old city was
preparing for sleep. In the place a
few lovers loitered, standing close, and
the faint tinkling OF u bell told Of the
Blessed Sacrament being carried
through the streets to some bedside Of
the dying. The Princess Hedwig
bowed her head.
II seemed TO her, all at once, that
the world was full Of Indebtedness and
death. and Of separation, which might
be worse than death.
81 wish I could help you, highness,"
said the countess. II should like to
see you happy. But happiness does
not come Of Itself. We must fight for
IT,"
Flight? What chance have I to
fghtf' Hedwig asked scornfully.
"One thing. OF course, l could do"
pursued the countess. "On those days
when you wish TO have tea with-his
royal highness, I could arrange. per-
haps, TO let you know II any member
Of the family intended going to his
apartments"
II was a moment before Hedwig
comprehended. Then she turned TO
her haughtily. when | wish to have
tea with my cousin" she said coldly,
Il shall do It openly, countess
She left the balcony abruptly, aban-
doning the countess to solitary fury,
the greater because triumph had
seemed so ncnr. Alone, she went red
and white, bit her lips, behaved ac-
cording to all the time-honored ira
ditions. And even swore-in a polite,
lady-in-walting fashion, to be sure
to get even.
. .
Things were going very wrong for
Milky Larisch.
Perhaps. ut the very first, he had
been In love with the princess. not the
woman. II had been rather like him
10 FIX on the unattainable and wor-
ship II from afar. Because, for all the
frlendlIness of their growing intimacy,
Hedwig was still u star, whose light
touched him, but whose warmth was
not for him. He would have died
fighting for her with a smile on his
lips. But he had no hope OF living
for her, unless, Of course, she should
happen to need him. which was most
unlikely. He had no vanity whatever,
although In parade dress, with white
! plnyae ha honab ha emf "a daCanf Rr.lrp
SO she had been his star, and as cold
and remote. And then, that very
morning, Hedwig had been thrown
Not badly-she was too expert for
that. As a matter Of fact, feeling her.
self going, she had flung two strong
young arms around her horses neck
and had almost succeeded In lighting
on her feet. II vas o at all
dramatic.
But Nikky's heart had stopped beat
ing. He had lifted her up from where
she sat. half vexed and wholly
ashamed, and carried her 10 a chair
That nj all. But when II IA all
over, ana Hedwig was only a trif,
wobbly and horribly Inundated
Milky Lariscf knew the truth about
himself. knew that he was In low,
with the granddaughter Of his king
and that under no conceivable circum
stances would az ever be able &, tel
her 90. Knr~, then. that hsppines,
and he had said . long farewell. ant
would thereafter travel di9ersn'
roads.