People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 January 1893 — AMERICAN PUSH. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AMERICAN PUSH.

By EDGAR FAWCETT.

Z' (pPVRIOHT, 1891 ' 5v the Author? AiuANce.

• CHAPTER X.— Continued. Clarimond smiled very coldly. “If you had chosen to dwell here in peace, you would have had slight cause to complain of tyranny. As it is, your continued sojourn is one of suSerano* alone.’' * “Sufferance!” gasped the princess. “Precisely. You came here with two motives. The first was to pit yourself against faiths and principles of mine which are a part of my very life. The second was to try and force me into a ■narriagwof the merest loveless convention. The weapons you have used in either case were the same that dealt my dead father the keenest grief, and perhaps drove him prematurely to his grave. Yours, madam, is a stormy and truculent spirit. I inherit nothing of it, but possibly I inherit from you alone the strength of will which too long has clothed itself in forbearance. That •trength of will you shall now have a chance to test. As I said, you will be watched. Being the lady highest of rank in my kingdom, I will accord you the right of receiving my guests on Thursday. But if the least sign of discourtesy is shown by you toward any guest who crosses the threshold of my palace, on the morrow you shall be conducted where the turbulence and rebellion of your disposition may boil and foment to the discomfort of others rather than my own. There, now, I think it is all quite plain between us.” “Quite plain!” muttered the princess. “Yes, I see—l see. You wish to crowd your rooms with vulgarians.” “You need not gaze upon those vulgarians unless you so desire. Certainly a number of people whom yeti will rate w vulgarians will present themselves.

Among these will be a young lady—ap American, or an Anglo-American, I night more Iruly call her--with Whom 1 shall open the ball. Her name is. Kathleen Kennaird, and I the first quadrille with Her. Sheds the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, the most beautiful I would ever expect*, to see, though I should live two dives instead of one. But were she a hunchback negress, fresh from Africa in her beads and warpaint, it need matter nothing either to you or those assembled. lam masters 1 am’ king. Far actions I jiccoupt to no one save myHe passed, with an air of unwonted but very distant pride; down along the* waxed floor of the spacious saloon. But rhe, who had heard him with ope or two convulsive shudders, now gave a kind of wrathful spring, both hands hanging ' clenched at her sides. “You will account to your emperor!” she called. “You are not so great as you vaunt yourself, Clarimond of Saltravia! You—you are just mad enough to marry this creature. I recall now that one of your cousins, the king of Saxony’s own nephew, too, disgraced himself by a low marriage. No doubt it is in your blood to do such horrible things. But I will prevent this.” The princess’ face glistened with little beads of sweat and her eyes were blazing. “I will go to the emperor at once, I will.” She recoiled, for Clarimond hurried back toward where she had stood, h<lf cowering in her frenzy. It seemed to • the princess that perhaps he might actually mean her some personal violence, though if her mind had proved less clouded by anger and dismay she would hhve realized that from one of his usually gentle spirit such a course, in any circumstances, would have been unthinkable. All that the king meant to do was to seize the bell-rope which a brief while ago he had desisted from seizing. But now reaching the spot where it hung he gave it a strong pull, and almost immediately two footmen, in the royal livery, answered his summons. “You shall go at once to the emperor,” he said, in a low and very .tranquil voice. “I will give these men orders for carriages afid will see that a special train -is prepared for you the instant you reach—” ge ■ ’ ’ “No, no,” broke hoarsely from the princess. “Send them away! I—l did i not mean what I said.” In a trice she had grown piteously humble “I—l was more than half in joke, my dear Clarimond;” and »little pathetic let of

toagtkver uroir* from her Up*, !!%» M •ffete spirit from a ruined fountain The king looked at her with great Steadiness for a second or two. “As you wish,” he then said, and gave a sign of dismissal to the two servants, who promptly vanished. The princess had indeed pulled In ■ail Her son had seemed to her, daring the few past minutes, like -a rock against which she would only waste her strength in vain. Besides, she waa immeasurably proud of his kingship, and would have-suffered untold regret if the emperor had presumed to attempt his deposition. It was all quite clear to her mind in this brief interval; she had 'gone -too far. She might have known that the lion in him would suddenly turn on her like this. He would,, keep the very letter of his menace, too, unless her tactics were changed forth with. Revolting in tfieir democracy though ahe held Iris views to be, hereafter she mdst conform to them or leave these lovely Saltravian hills. And surely she was quartered here in a most magnificent way. Her two or three Italian palaces were nothing to this, in which so lordly a suite of chambers had been allowed her. And then jthis enchanting valley, so radiantly improved in spite of all hes grumblings to the contrary! And the waters, too; she had no idea of the wondrous good they would do her rheumatism. It might all get stupid in the wintex. but the winter was still a good distance off. Time enough to slip est to Rome or Naples again by the end of November. And then there was Bianca d’Este. The girl’s love for her son was now almost a madness. For that most seemly of unions there was yet a hope. Yes, a hope—why not? “School yourself,” darted through the princess’ mind, “to a self-effacement difficult yet not impossible. In the end he may yield, and marry tier. Then your turn will come in real earnest, for if once there is a queen, if once there are little princes and princesses, he will grow more conservative. Men always do. That possible horror of his marrying the American girl (God knows there’s nothing rash he would not do, just now) must be met by subtlety, since high-handed measures have become mere blows in the air.”

Even roughly to put in words the lightning-like reflections of Clarimond’s mother makes them seem deliberative, not intuitive, as they surely were. When she again confronted her son, after the departure of the footmen, it was to show, both in speech and mien, a meekness and complaisance that she had never remotely hinted until now. “Henceforth you shqjl have no further cause for complaint,” she said: “I shall abet you in all your plays and purposes. Try me, and you shall no t be disappointed. I admit myself thoroughly vanquished. Your will is my law.” She bowed her head, and Clarimond, who knew her better than she knew herself, smelt deceit as if it were some odor that suddenly had freighted the air. A* the same time his native generosity and fair-mindedness made him hope this abrupt conversion meant more than its first blush would imply. “Agreed, then,” he said, with a reserve that expressed patience and sadness interblcnt. “But pray bear in mind one matter. If the emperor should have the presumption, which I greatly doubt, to concern himself in any of my personal affairs, however important or however trivial, I should as promptly resent such meddling as though it were the work of an officious subject. Though my answer should cost me my scepter, slight a one as it is, be assured that I should not hesitate to make it, and make it firmly. lam not so enamored of reigning that the emperor’s frowns or smiles can appeal to me as such mighty forced of my own destiny, nor shall you ever find me in the mood to regard him as if he were a schoolmaster with a birohen. rod. And now,” he proceeded, “I shall ask, you kindly to send me the list of those whom you haye already invited to the state ball. Such a course bn your part will enable me to avoid errord’which might otherwise occur, since J wish to makb out a list of my Qyvn, anQ-desire that it should npt clash with yours?’ “It shall be sent you to-riight,” was the reply, “or to-moirow, ir you prefer.”

“To-morrow will be quite early epqugh,” answered Clarimond, and with a bow he (Quitted* the great, bright-lit vacant apartment, ending an interview which was least agreeable of the many which he had held with his mother, and which had perhaps caused him more secret pain than any which he at all ’had held since his accession to the Saltravian throne. •, < * CHAPTER XL The court was already furbished with rich material for busiest gossip; but a few more morrows were destined to cast in shade even so pregnant a topic as Clarimond’s cogent reprimand of Prince Philibert. The king had been seen publicly strolling through his own grounds with Kathleen; he now as publicly visited her at the hotel, spending hours each day in the pretty sittingroom which Mrs. Kennaird at once secured for his own and her daughter’s comfort, as downstairs they would almost have been mobbed by gaping foreigners. The mental condition of Mrs. Kennaird, at this particular time, was one of hysteria, narrowly verging upon dementia. The king’s open admiration for her child filled her with a feeling toward him which might have given her, if she could have looked upon herself just as she now was, and looked from normal eyes, many shivers of shame. She had impulses to fling herself on her knees before Clarimond, and press her lips to his hand, telling him that he was the most godlike being the world had ever seen, and that his goodness in giving heed to Kathleen roused hqr deathless maternal gratitude. The American snob, who is apt to be the most mettlesome and affirmative of alj snot>3 yet ,recorded, had risen rampant in Kathleen’s mother. She could not sleep; she could scarcely eat a morsel, and then did not know of what food she partook. At first she had ideas of sending to Paris for a robe in which to array her child at the etale V»IL

Then, after this plan had been t stead by Kathleen, she grew reconciled to the idea that the girl might create a more striking effect if clad with the utmost simplicity. After all, let her be attired in the plainest of white frocks. What Other beauty in all Saltravia could stand so trying a test? “Yes, it m wiser," she said, excitedly, to Kathleen. (Of late she had done and said everything excitedly, yet with her effort to appear self-repressed hardly better concealed than that of the fugitive ostrich.) “My dear,,you are quite right. People will look at you more, and in so doing they will see you as you really are. Besides, it’s in far nicer taste.” “Oh,” said Kathleen, shrugging her shoulders, “I should like a handsome gown; what girl in the circumstance* wouldn’t? But to telegraph to Worth or Felix, and to send either of them money wo equid so dl afford!—why, the very thought of it is pure nonsense, mamma, as you must be aware.” “I wasn’t thinking of the expense," replied Mrs. Kennaird, with a little irrepressible catching of the breath. “There are certain things one always can afford.” Kathleen laughed and shrugged her shoulders. “You mean, I suppose, that we could go back to Dresden and economize more severely than we’ve yet done.” “Oh, no; I didn’t mean that. I—l didn’t mean that in the least,” said her mother. Kathleen gave no answer, divining what had really been meant. If her mother only knew the actual substance of her late conversations with the king! They had principally talked of her past engagement to Alonzo Lispenard. She had been very frank; she had told Clarimond everything and had found in him a most gracious and friendly listener. He had asked her many questions, to all of which she had replied with candor. As regarded the imBrcsston that she had made upon him, she could not doubt that it had been one of strong fascination. This in itself was nothing new; most men, under a certain age, had shown her but one sort of homage. To have a king show it was entirely novel, and not a little

dizzying. Moreover such a king as he, filled to his finger-tips with all the graces that please women, handsome, courtly, amusing, in countless ways, the choicest of male companions! For three afternoons he dropped in upon her, and in each time her mother received him in her blandest fashion, contriving soon to slip from the apartment and leave them together. Mrs. Kennaird had no fear of the faintest imprudence on Kathleen’s part. If she had thought at all on this subject it would have been to decide that her daughter’s American blood would save her from even a dream of folly. Besidrs had she not already, learned that Clarimond was the most honorable man in his own kingdom? Let people chatter, as they undoubtedly were chattering. Among the hotel-residents it was jealousy, pure and simple. What chiefly concerned this very agitated lady was the question of how Alonzo had thus far acted and of how at any moment he might take it into his head to act Here he was, returned to Saltravia, the bosom friend of the king’s bosom friend. He must have heard that Clarimond was intensely captivated with Kathleen. Everybody was talking of the affair. Stories had got afloat that the princess of Brindisi had already pleaded by letter the intervention of the emperor. “You are so reticent, my dear,” she said to Kathleen one evening at the end of the king’s third visit “You never will tell me what he says about Alonzo to you. Does he not mention him?” Rarely, mamma, and then always with kindness.” “Kindness, m—yes.” Mrs. Kennaird pursed her lips a little. • They’re stillfriends, then?” “Friends? Oh, yes.” “I suppose Alonzo hasn’t dared to say a word against you, Kathleen. Otherwise he’d certainly have relieved himself of untold spleen, my dear.” »■ '“He never carried grudges,” the girl said, as if her own thought was her sole auditor. “Well, even if he didn’t! Heaven knows he had a monopoly of most other faults!” At this particular time any praise of Alonzo was for some reason

specially nauseous to Mrs. Kennaird. “And as for keeping silent about us to the king, why, there isn’t the least doubt that he’ll do so. How would ho dare do otherwise, now that Clarimond has become your actual slave.” “Mamma! Mammal” exclaimed Kathleen. “You will make me so ridiculous ifanyoneby chance overhears you in these mrfjds.” “Moods?” bristled her mother. “What moods? I’m excessively reticent! You are so droll at times, Kathleen! As if any mother could bear more calmly than I do the splendid, the unparalleled honor which overhangs you.” . Kathleen looked fixedly at the speaker, with her eyes moistening a little and her under lip would not speak like this,” she faltered. “It distresses me so.*' Her mother continued, however, stating that she had not the vaguest doubt Clarimond would soon startle his court more keenly than he had dreamed of startling it before; that Kathleen had only to wait a little while longer and the stars would drop ripe and shining in her lap; that all past anuoyance, mortification, defeat was to end gloriously in unique triumph. Kathleen listened, and then slipped, as soon as she could, into the privacy of her own chamber. The king had said that he would revisit her to-day. There was only an hour yet before the time of his coming. She did not want to *see him again, and yet she did want to see him again. What was it? Did if; mean that he might bring her certain tidings of Alonzo? Did it mean this? Did it really mean this? Or was she infected with the fervor of her mother’s overleaping ambition? Her mother! The sense of that personality, that companionship, so tremendous,*so drastic in its influence, its domination, terrified her. She looked, into her own brain, as it were, and found there nothing but a depressing tumult How would she act

tndud to required <4 her? No, no; the need of such action would not, could not, coxae. He, • ' king! It was fatuity to dream of what her mother had ao boldly prophesied. Her hands were at intervals very treat* , ulous while she dealt with her toilet; and once or twice she felt as if she must desist from it and seek the one sort of aid that just then would have been least to her taste. But when the king came she received him with much composure, Iler motbur was to-day in visible throes. Tc Kathleen her disarray was pathetic. The perturbed lady gave one or two spasmodic curtsies which were a mournful travesty of her usual serene equipoise. She was so drunk with the heady wine furnished by the fact of this fourth royal visit that exhilaration made her almost stagger. Clarimond, calm and gentlemanlike as usual, appeared to notice nothing. “Perhaps," thought Kathleen, “he is used to such grovelling servility. Poor mamma, will she ever get out of the room with a decent grace, she who has prided herself for years on doing nothing awkwardly?" But at last the door closed on Mrs. Kennaird’s ducking and cringing figure As this happened Kathleen breathed an audible sigh of relief. The sigh ended in a feverish laugh, and she said, with sudden candor, to her guest: “It's dreadful how you’ve demoralized my mother. You must see, so I mention it.” “Demoralized her? I?” “Oh! then you don't see, monsieur, mamma isn’t accustomed to kings; that is all.” “And are you?” he said with his sweet, kind smile. They were now seated opposite one another, and near n large window that gave one a fine view of the mountains and a still finer view of his white, many-turreted palace. “No,” she answered. “But mamma— Oh! you mual have noticed. You’re a royalty, as they call it, and you’ve turned her head. It’s odd, too, for she has met all sorts of great people—prime ministers, dukes, even the English prince himself. ... I seem so vulgar when I talk liko this! Ido hope you’ll excuse me. No doubt, you are used to embarrassing people, especially Americans.” He shook his head, smiling. “I have always thought it ratliar liard to embarrass Americans,” he replied. “One in particular,” he added; and then his smile deepened, as he watched her with a glance full of drollery both frank and sly. •‘lf you mean me, monsieur,” she returned, with a slight shrug, “I am somehow proof against all Surprises. It’s very scandalous, no doulft, to ao- i knowledge as much at my age.” [to be continued.]