River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1918-04-11

mother referred to-" Hedwig held her
head very high, "I-she was unjust.
Am never to have any friends?"
Friends, highness? One may have
friends, of course. It is not friendship
they fear"
"What then?'
"a lover" said the countess softly.
''It is impossible to see Captain Lar
isch in your presence, and not
realize"
"GO on"
Sand not realize, highness, that he
is in love with you.'
"How silly! ~ said the Princess He'd
wig, with glowing eyes.
"But highness I" implored the count
ess. eff only you would use little
caution. Open defiance is it's own de-
feat
81 am not ashamed Of what I do"
said Hedwig holly.
| Ashamed! OF course not. But
things that are harmless In others in
your position-you are young. You
should have friends, gayety. I am"
| she smiled grimly in the darkness,
mot so old myself but that 1 can 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 a bell told of the
Blessed Sacrament being carried
through the streets to some bedside of
the dying. The Princess Hedwig
bowed her head.
It 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."
"Fight? What chance have to
fight?" Hedwig asked scornfully.
"One thing, of course, could do"
pursued the countess. "On those days
when you wish to have tea with-hise
royal highness, could arrange, per-
haps, to let you know if any member
of the family intended going to his
apartments"
1t was a moment before Hedwig
comprehended. Then she turned to
her haughtily. 'When I wish to have
tea with my COUSIN" she said coldly,
II shall do it openly, countess"
She left the balcony abruptly, aban-
doning the countess to solitary fury,
the greater because triumph had
seemed so near. 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-waiting fashion, to be sure
to get even.
Things were going very wrong for
Milky Larisch.
Perhaps, at the very first, he had
been in love with the princess, not the
woman. It had been rather like him
to fix on the unattainable and wor-
ship it from afar. Because, for all the
friendliness of their growing intimacy,
Hedwig was still a 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
gloves, he hoped he cut decent figure.
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 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. It was not 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 to a chair.
That was all. But when it was all
over, and Hedwig was only a trifie
wobbly and horribly Inundated,
Milky Larisch knew the truth about
himself, knew that he was in love
with the granddaughter of his king,
and that under no conceivable circum-
stances would he ever be able TO tell
her so. Knew, then, that happiness
and he had said a long farewell, and
would thereafter travel different
roads.
So that night he started out to think