The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-06
The Kings Widow
By Mrs. Baillie Reynolds

Just WHAT"
"That I'm not going to give you up, to
Theobald or anybody else"
She stiffened.
eff you are really Leonhardt, how can l
marry Theobald or any one else?"
"Several ways to arrange that. To give
the alarm now would perhaps be the quick
est and cheapest"
"Are you making fun of me?" she flashed
out, half amused, half angry at the power
of the nameless emotion which was invading
her.
"N-no. Not exactly. l am only trying
not to be too serious-I daren't be serious
there isn't time for-Ah, if you knew!" She
felt the eloquence of the broken, hardly
suggested plea. His voice failed, and for
few ominous moments she heard only his
labored breathing.
"If l could but see him. she thought
desperately. Zone look would tell me-"
He won his fight for composure, and
presently went on murmuring:
"Im king without throne-an outcast
"a dead man! Theobalds waster, but
he's alive and quite popular in society. If
l were the magnanimous hero l should
say-T renounce my shadow of claim; go,
marry the man you love!' What 1 want to
make you understand is that l decline to
say anything of the kind, and nothing will
induce me to!
"Neither Theobald nor any man but my
self shall be your husband. That's a bit
awkward--eh?
You're going to be Queen of Panonia,
make no mistake about that! But, by the
splendor of Heaven, Theobald isn't going to
be king there. Because l am Again he
paused and listened, adding sharply after
moment: you're not faint, are you? l
haven't made you ill.,"
ooh, don't know! How can l tell? I'm
lost. l hardly know who l am. Where do
you come from? How did you reach me?"
have been laugh if he had not been very
careful. "Ah, that's my Odyssey. And
there's no time for that either, tonight. Be-
cause, you see, l mustn's stay-or the old
Swashbucker will have my blood! Ye gods!
If he knew where l am at this moment"
1.-THE Grand Duke!''
eyes, God bless him! He didn't want me
to tell you anything at all until l am back
in my capital with my army behind me. l
didn't mean to myself. declare / am like
the Irishman who passed three public houses
and went into the fourth to reward resolu-
ton. It's all Theobald's fault, confound
him! He rushed me! The thought that he
might kiss you has been driving me mad! In
the garden, the other afternoon-'
"Leonhardt!'
He made sound like a sob, sound to
tear the heart-strings. "Oh say that again!
No, don't. Don't, for PHYS sake Don't
tempt me! Just to hear you say my name
is more than l can standard I've got to
GO"
"You can't go. It's impossible"
"But l must! Anton is waiting for me,
and sweating in pure terror because he
doesn't know where l am
canton of the Forest Guard?"
eyes. Wonderful chap up to point, but
has never been in love. Couldn't under
stand my planking down all my hopes of
reigning in one scale, and the chance of
few words with you in the other! All, but
it was worth it! Do you hear what say?
Even if they take me, it has been worth it,
Evadne, my wife-my wife!'
In response to the call of that voice,
hardly knowing what she did, the girl put
out both hands in the pitch blackness to
find him. Starting under the touch, he
gripped them both, held them a moment at
arms length, then, as if relinquishing the
struggle, dropped his forehead down upon
her knees. She felt the warmth of his
flushed face, the tremor of his young body,
which seemed to emanate strength, or mag
netism.
"You mustn't, you mustn't" he repeated