The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1920-10-21

shattered hall door, and, WITH infinite
care, passed through and closed it be-
hind her. Then, hesitent, ]perturbed,
distressed, she looked down the long
reaches, lonely as q deserted avenue,
as if considering a direction for
flight. She paused, torn between the
tugging hard of convention and de-
sire, that dragged her in diverse ways.
of tire blood of proud and lasting
kirgs, certain to find her place upon
some potent throne, inevitably des-
tined to rule, endowed by nature, and
trained r~eligiously to hat small caste
whose slightest wish becomes a
necessity with the people beneath.
ain, al happiness lost, the world bar
rem, the future a desert, if now she
closed her ears to the cry of her heart.
A choice of queendom lay before her;
one over a vast number whom she
might serve, and assist, with a high
nobility of purpose, and the other over
enc subject, a strange, brusque, many
sided man who would give Of strength.
and soul, and fealty, all that he had to
give and if need be, uncomplainingly
as a duty, reverently as a sacrifice, his
life.
Life stretched before her like the
corridor, in two directions, each lead
ing from the other. Steadily, with
clear eyes and clarity of mind, she
weighed one route against the other,
and then, with bent head, and tremu-
lous breath, she made her decision.
She turned, retraced her steps, opened
the door very gently, stepped inside
the room she had left, and closed the
door behind. Kent, grave, embar-
raised, and yet determined, came but
a moment later from his sleeping
chamber, and closed the door leading
to it; but not with his habitual direct
ness and decision. This was not the
man she had seen confidently strid-
ing his way, staring direct with the
radiation Of personal power and pur-
pose, intent on some goal beyond 9TH
er eyes. Instead, there was about
him a curious attitude of awkward
ness, appeal and reverence, a strange
lack Of confidence. For an instan~ on
ly she forced herself to meet his eyes.
They cried their message to hers
across the silent, waiting room. The
that day the future of a nation was
being ~irrevocably decided, became
hushed and still. She seemed to hear
in that same soundless silence the
struggle Of his mind as it fell upon
ard conquered his tongue. Forced by
decision to meet this poptentous is
sue, she heard him coming toward
her. His voice sounded as If reach
ing her from a long distance, so quiet,
SO gentle, SO grave it was in this de-
cisive moment of it's existence.
YOU" it said, 'are a princess. 1
am nothing, save hat which I am
a man who has done his best. A
plebeian man, Princess Eloise, be-
all that I have tried and all
Il at Ihave done. may seem insignif-
cant in your eyes. But what I am, I
am"
The voice paused in that time she
stood with hands crossed above her
breast not daring to lift her eyes to
hisk paused as if gathering power to
find the way.
IT should not dare to speak," It pro-
ceeded. more frnly, had YOU not
said what you did a while ago You
said that you weuld have given any
thing" he hes4tuted and spoke
scarcely above a v48spsr, Rs If a
repetition Of her worAs vsps profana-
tion, as il he, . pnft-at, approached
! % snds and knees to comics
that you would have
a.- my friendship, 70,
gou had wanted tt
He spoke the last
ling the ultimate