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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 1903)
Weary Kings A Modern Romance By Richard Voss JUDICA UN1)CKKD IT AND THREW BACK TOE IIKAVT LID. The (TopyrlsM, lra by J. W. Mullnr.) ciiaptku vii. TJ "lHK first truly festive and Joyful incil of my llf ? ! Never again run I have unothcr like It never again. A young man and a young girl tho two youngest and most handsome brought th food; In a mighty Iron pan a mountain of golden lirown dumplings; In a huge earthen lowl of stewed cherries. It was 119 If a rari of giants was to bo Bated. Pan and I. owl were placed on shining wood trays hefora Miss Fritx. She served mo first, uiid then the Count, for each one two no. three dumpling swimming In purple Juice. I had my high-heaped plate tefore me and may hnv. IooIokI down lit It some what hopelessly, for Fiiddi'nly I heard a poi'l of laughter opposite ire. The fairy creature under the " thri."t picture was laughing at me. That idie was a fairy or Home other unearthly being 1 recognised by tho laugh, for only a Nixie or a Fairy could niter ho (silvery, no bell-like, bo sweet a laugh. First I wan Immensely startled. Then I laughed over my fright and help lessness, and when I began to laugh every body cine begun, too. Kven that finished man of tho world, the Count, and Miss Krlti laughed laughed at me. It was splendid! I did like nil the rest, ate and drank and enjoyed It Immensely. What I had on my plale I ite reilly and truly. Imag ine! A second mountain of dumplings and a flocniHl lake of cherry nance were brought In hy tlin two youngest and most handsome or.es and alKo devoured. If I had not been ashamed I would have eaten a third time of the dumplings. Hut I said, "No, I thank you," modestly, nnd the child, nnd then all of us laughed again like any thing. Now, If that was not a merry meal! Then I heard the iow, sweet voice again as it offered thanks. I saw tho wonder ful ryes lowered again, the pale, slender hands folded reverently. How beautiful the girl was under the martyr picture ot the Christ and the crimson wreath of the red pinks. Then tho haprlest and the most festive meal of my life was at an end. Of course, we hid not only eaten and laughed, but converged. What I said 1 do not know now. 1 can only remember the others, and the pleasure. I felt In tny fin Count, who managed to mike e.en Lola talkative. Ho understands wonderfully well to deal with tha poipl. My handsome, defiant l.olsl talked of his hunting life. Miss Frit told of the terrors Of winter when i he was snowbound In her Alpine farm. Kven the stablemen knew of many Important mutters which needed tell ing. Although tho child bad so lutoxlcated . and enchanted me that the whole world had become a dream to me, I noticed with what calmness and dignity, with what tact, these people knew how to behave In the presence of the son of their King. Pleasant, too, was the moment when wo arose and all In turn gave us their hamls, to the mistress, the Count nnd me. When I turned to look for the child It had dis appearedvanished like an cillii thins- Ah, ttien I became pad. Now the thing was to observe good man ners and let none notice anything. Hut how If 1 should never seo the dear form again? Miss Frits proposed to us to go Into the arbor, whither she would send the often. I begged her not to let us drink it without her. but dared not mention the name of the lovely child, as If I might thereby be tray my young, and ah, so hopeless love, and thus desecrate It. After Miss Frlti left us I said to the Count suddenly: "How did you come to make a part of the "train of a Koyal Prince you, a proud, tree man?" "I was tempted to learn to know thla world." I thought: "It la a mournful world." Aloud I Hold: "I. earn to know it as fast as possible and flee it" "1 should like to remain with Your Royal Highness until you send me away." "It is not In my power to keep you or to send you away. Hut that you know yourself." And after a pause I added in a low voice: "They will take you away from me an oon as they observe that you are liked by me. We may love others as little as If w were monks. Our love appears to be squally sin and guilt." He answered nothing. I held out my band and said: "As long as they let us remain together let us be friends." I was frightened at ray own daring. Only In the Intoxication In which my whole being was could I bars risen to such boldness. But I was glad that I had achieved It, for the count grasped my band with a powerful pressure and held It fast In hla fur a space. So everything cams to ma In this day to make It the most eventful and rich of iny life. First friendship and then love It was almost too much to bear. Count Oebhardt and I sat In the arbor. Since he was my friend now I said to him: "Please seek out Lolsl's mother, and If money can help hor, so help. I am not able today to seo a piece of human misery, well as it might serve me to know It." He looked at me silently as if he did not understand. So I had to make con fession of my disgrace." "Yen, then, I listened. Hereafter you will surely despise me, but you must know it. When I heard my name In the arbor I stood still. Deeply as I was ashamed, I stood still and heard. I heard that you liked me, that you consider me a good man, but fear that before long I will prove myself to be one of my kind. I do not nsk you now why you believe this of me and what is the matter with us all. I know that you must not tell me about It. I would be a bad friend were I to attempt to load you to do something that would violate your duty. If you do not feel that you must despise me too much for my eavesdropping, if I am still loved by you, you will Burely help me to earn tha good belief of Miss Frits. Please help me! I need help, need a friend so much!" I spoke with face turned aside, with choking voice. What a day thla was! When I turned back again after a while the Count said no word 1 met the grave, sympathetic face of the man who was will ing to be my friend. From his eyes there spoke the same pity that I had heard In the voice of Miss Frits when she called me the "poor Prince." Why do all who lovo me pity rue? I had Intended to keep silence, to ask no Questions. Suddenly I sprang up and cried passionately: What is it with my father? Answer me! I beg you, answer me!" And he replied. "The King (s ill." "And my brother?" The Crown ITince is III. At leust he himself thinks so." "lie thinks himself disordered In mind?" "I may not name it." "You are right. Forgive ma. I had in tended not to ask. But I I I am healthy, surely. IOok at me and see how healthy I am! Therefore you should not pity me. And I I remain healthy. My poor father, my poorest brother!" I hid my face In my hand and sobbed. And gently a hand was laid upon my shoulder, the hand of a friend. Gebliardt went to meet Miss Frits and managed to detain her. Meantime I be came calm. Then wo sat in the arbor unfortunately only we three. I wanted to embrace Oebhardt when he asked: "Your niece is not coming?" "The child has work in the garden." "She is charming." "She is good an Innocent." Did you not say your niece had no one on earth except yourself?" "No being on earth." I exclaimed, "Poor thing!" The orphaned child filled me with sorrow in this moment. Yet at the same time I was glad that Jtidk?a, too, was a poor, lonely, human being. It seemed to me as If this fact lessened the abyss-like gulf of separation between us. Why were we separated at all? Because she is a poor orphan and I am a poor son of Kings. Oebhardt asked more about her. "Have her parents been dead long?" "The mother died at her birth. The father, who lived only for her, died a year ago." "Did you not say the little lady had come straight from a convent school?" "Wince her sixth year she has been in a Ursuline convent. When she left it this year she found only graves." I repeated: "The poor little cne!" and added after a few minutes: "Thank God that she is In harbor with you. With you nothing can happen to her, with you one feels secure against storm and sorrow." Never before had I thus spoken to a human being. How could I have done It before? For the first time In my life I felt the liberating and delivering power of the spoken word. I felt Uebhardt's astonished gaze upon me. And the good Miss Flits wore a smile that flowed into my soul like sunsshina. She looked at the Count as if she would ask: "Was I not right?" But he had a serious, thoughtful, almost sorrowful face, such as I hod not seen on him before. Then came IxlsI to ask If I intended to visit his mother. He said we must go betimes if we hoped to return to the Boa Alp before night. I begged the Count: "Go with Ielsl to his mother and teil her that I send my re spects and hope to call on her myself." Oebhardt arose, hesitated, and looked at me. Then I appealed to hlra with ray eyes: "I beg of yon to go and let me stay here, let me be happy, happy one single time! This day will never come to me again." Then he went. I remained awhile in the arbor and tried to talk. Then I said with all possible In nocence: "I know that you are a good housekeeper, and good housekeepers always have more than enough to do. Pray treat me as a friend whom you need not consider to your discomfort. Attend to your affairs and I will troll around. In half an hour I will be in the arbor again.' I departed without waiting for an answer. I went into the garden. An aroma met me as If I had entered a church filled with Incense. Two maids were picking a plant with gray-green leaves and simple blue violet (lowers. I asked them what it was and they told me t liat It was lavender I stood beside them, secretly searching the garden for Judlca, when one of the two said, gravely: "Miss Judlca is yonder, among the rasp be rrics." Doubtless I blushed like fire. I stood like a trapped schoolboy, stayed awhile and tried to talk about plants, and at last saluted and withdrew slowly very slowly. I am sure they laughed behind my back. It was as If I could hear their giggles. They, too, had seen through me at once. So she was there among the raspberries. Passionately though ray beating heart drew me to her, I forced myself to so In another direction. In the great garden I followed paths that led far away from her. I wandered among flowers, and, excited as I was, I still was glad to know them all, because thus I felt myself not such a total stranger in the world. Suddenly I know not how I stood close to the raspberries. It was a veritable grove of plants. But there was nothing to see of a picker. I plunged into the pathless wilderness, pushed tho fruit-laden branches carefully apart and sought the delicate black form longingly. I did nit f nd her And then I failed her name, softly, "Judteaf" My heart beat so loud!y that I did not know If I had really uttered the name. It seemed us If he must hear it beat and an swer with hers. "Here am I." Then I called a little louder: "Judical Judlca!" Almost I cried: "Dear, dear Judlca!" But al! renwhid silent. Again and again I could hear only the beating of my young, and. oh, so ungovernably loving heart. Then I thought the branches near me had moved. No air stirred, and there must have been another cause. The next instant I stood beside her. We were both frightened when we stood opposite each other, so suddenly and so Cloee. Neither of us dared to speak. I fceld my breath, for not even my breath must touch the pale child with the holy eyes. So we stood, silent, without motion. At last I succeeded in stepping back a little only a Utile. And then 1 felt Uss