PRINCESS KARA.

Western Star, 21 December 1915, Page 4

PRINCESS KARA.

SHORT STORY,

By 'Jessie E. Livesay

The Dowager Princess Nada, a stately figure, sat in the lower-room overlooking her son’s vast territory, and as her eyes, still bright 1, oneath the dark pent brows, flashed out upon the cold 'northern scenery, her rebellious heart rose in hot anger against the Almighty, who had given unto her only son five daughters and yet mo heir. . Five years ago Prince Boris had married a beautiful, but dowerless girl, and the Princess -Nada, his mother had frowned upon his choice. Four daughters, one after mnother, were born of this marriage, and, now, on this day of the fifth year, the birth of another daughter was just announced, and the joy bells were set ringing to celebrate the event. But in her lonely room in the towet the Princess Nada was hiddei away from the sight of man, and her heart was sorely angered withip her ; for she feared now there would be no heir born of her son’s flesh and blood to inherit his great name and possessions; and these wouh pass away upon his death to anothoi branch of the family, whoso son? were numerous, but of wild and reckless temperaments, having many vices and but few virtues to recommend them. The thought that in. the future such as they would trail the proud name through the dust and dissipate the treasure laid up for many generations was intolerable to the prolld woman, and she was torn by many conflicting emotions, hatred agh-inst Ihe innocent cause of her distress being uppermost. Tf. only the secret hope which she had cherished during the past few months had been realised and the Princess Xenia had died in childbirth. But alas ! hers was a sound constitu (ion. and (ho birth of each little daughter seemed but to increase het bodily strength and beauty, and, being young, she grew in and in favour with her husband and their subjects.

In the innermost recesses of her mind the Princess Nada'held prisonei a dim, shadowy thought, ugly and evil, yet which she would not permit to escape. It was (he way out of it , And it lay concealed in the dust of (he past in the old cabinet of Rombr antiquity which stood Innan obscure corner of the room where she sat. She thought it was there, and the thought of it ran like a fine thread of scarlet through her mind. If it should come to pass that the princess, her daughter-in-law died, for the sake of an heir the Prince Boris would be compelled to marry again. Now somebody came to the door of the tower-room and knocked thrice upon it with his knuckles before he could gain (ho ear of the Princess Nada ; this was to summons her to the room where the young mother lay. On her way forth the Princess paused for a few minutes before the old Roman cabinet with nostrils dilated and flaming byes. She knew if was- there, but she* folded her arms above her storm-laden " breast and so passed out of the room where temptation beset her. The thought, of it ran like a fine thread of scarlet through hef mind. The Princess Xenia lay flat on her back among a waste of lace-frilled pillows, and beside her sat her husband. silent and thankful that the danger was past, and she was yet alive with her little hand fast imprisoned in his own broad protecting x clasp. Ho did not rise upon his mother’s entrance, and she passed him by without a word of greeting to take up her stand at the foot of the bed. with its ' gorgeous embroidered curtains and canopy, under which the young pjrincess lay, with a faint, sweet smile upon her weary face. "You are disappointed, I fear." she said, softly, addressing the elder woman before her; "hut the child is so sweet and like her father." Then Prime Boris, seeing the bitter grief and anger in his mother’s eyes, wont over to her, and, taking her band, ho raised it to his lips, saying: "It is the will of heaven, mother; we must not complain." "So long as you have the wife whom you love you do not care about the loss of an heir,” said Princess Nacla. slowly.

"It is natural iliy Tihst thought should be one of thankfulness foi her safety—the disappointment of a hope unrealised will be certain tc follow—is it not so, Xenia ? ” She nestled down among her pillows, still smiling. ~ "The little one is so sweet—” But Prince Boris was fully conscious that his mother’s anger was now kindled against his wife, whose words did but serve to fan the flame and so. thinking to change the subject, he went over to a table on which was placed a large bowl ol roses. "Look at these roses, mother, which have just arrived from the south of Prance. Xenia's little sister, Anna, sent them, a well-timed gift. was it now ? " r l he Princess Xada's reply was inaudible. "Ah ! I love roses," eXdaimed Xohia, "'but in this cold northern climate ours they do not grow like those 'Anna has sent ; perhaps It is just as well, for I was told once by a gipsy woman to beware all m.v lifo*of roses and the unknown death" Prince Boris smiled indulgently. "Surely that warning savours o! phantasy,” ho obferved. "These fortune-tellers string absurd, meaningless sentences together in the endeavour to frighten weak, timid minds ; but you, sweetheart, are too " ISO to pay any heed to such palaver.” v And he laid his hand caressingly upon her long bright h a ir which flowed over her shoulders. “Of course not, I told you I loved roses.” Then the Princess Xad a spoke. “Sometimes T have heard that the prick of a thorn will sot up inflammation. and so the blood will become poisoned.”' ,“*ot young and healthy blood like Xenia’s,” cried the prince in ha-stc, ‘‘hut this is scarcely a conversation suited to a sick-room,” he added with a heavy frown, for Xenia's small, flower-like face appeared white and worn. The Princess Xada prepared to withdraw, taking her leave of the pair. But a thought like a fine thread of scarlet ran through her mind. 'flic way out lay with her. 'I his she know. ***** The morning of the following day found the Princess X a d a again in the tower-room, keeping a Solitary vigil. And once more temptation came to her and she went toward the corner of the room where stood the old Homan cabinet ; and having the key fastened to a chain of gold at her girdle she opened it, and upon the empty shelves within the dust of bygone generations lay thick and undisturbed ; but the lower, shelf was swept clean. «, faint, indescribable

odour assailed her nostrils, so that she pressed her handkerchief to her lips, and turned her face aside until the moment of faintness had passed. When she had recovered, she took from the shelf a square, scented sachet, curiously embossed with gold mibroidery, and this she held in her -lands for a few. minutes ; but although she appeared to hesitate, her resolve was unaltered, and she realised fully the thing she was about to 10. * ' She closed the dotf of the cabinet, carrying the sachet witdS her to a small table which stood against the ,vall, and here she lifted one of its nnbroidcred corners, and! there was revealed lo her curious gaze a with;red rose, and a small phial containing a colourless fluid.; this wa' wrapped in a sheet of paper yellow with ago. The Princess Nada bent forward eagerly to decipher the landwriting upon the paper. There were only two lines, and these she road as follows : "One drop in a bowl of fresl water.” Then it came to pass that her hand became palsied for a moment, and she let the paper -fall to the ground. Hut, nevertheless, her wil was unshaken. Here was a secret worthy of all the wicked arts of the Morgias, and it had come into her possession through an old Italiar physician, poor and obscure, to whom once she had rendered a groat service when she was but a‘ girl |iersMf. And all these years she bar preserved that secret, and with it a growing knowledge of power, the power which lay with her to displace and destroy. Now she assur'd herself that nothing short of the present calamity which threatened U befall her family would have persuaded her to make use of such power. Days passed kappily for Princess . Xenia, to whom Prince Boris was devoted in his love and attention. While the newly-born infant appeared to thrive and grow more beautiful. One morning Prince Boris had gone hunting, for it was the season when ■big game was plentiful, and, manlike, the lust to slay was strong within him ; but before starting he | had kissed his princess tenderly. tossing her long bright hair about ' her face that he might not read in i her eyes how great was her desire for his presence, and so, perhaps, consent lo forego his sports. ' When he had loft the Princess Nads sent word that she would spend an hour in the sick-room later, to keep her daughter-in-law company during the prince’s absence ; and the nurst who delivered this message laughed merrily at the manner in whicl (he illustrious patient received the news of a prospective visit from her husband’s mother, for she screwed up her lovely eyes and turned down the corners of her mouth like ft pettish child. •.

The nurse was an Englishwoman, hut she had lived-for some months in the household of Prince Boris, and , was no longer regarded as a stranger within the gates ; she readily guessed what the prince woulc not permit himself to believe, that between the young and the old princess no love was lost. “You had hotter take my sweet little darling away, for she offends her august grandmother,” cried Xenia, gaily. > And fhe_ infant was carried! away forthwith, to ,sleep in the downy nest of lavender-scented silk and ribbons and lace, untroubled as yet by the cares of the wicked world upon which she had entered. The Princess Nada descended „the long, winding staircase from the tower-room slowly, for, being old her joints were stiff, and her step had lost its buoyancy ; but hei fide rebelled against seeking anv aid, even that of a stick. I n one hand i she held three roses, equally beautiful in form, but of different colour*?, one being yellow, another pink, and the third a gorgeous crimson.

She brought them to Xenia’s bed sidd, where still she lay like a pah flower shaken by a rude wind. “See. my child, I have not forgotten you.” she said, and she laid the roses upon the pillow, and the crimson rose '' rested between the yellow and the pink. Xenia's face flushed nt this unexpected token’ of kindness on the part of the-stately darner but when she looked up into the face above hers, endeavouring to express her thanks (he words were chilled upon her lip* for in the elder woman’s eyes she could, read no kindness, only a steady and vindictive hatred. Ther she asked, half-wonderingly : "Why have you given them to me 1 ; rsee you are still angry with me a-boiit-the child. Did you think yov could-deceive me by this gift?"* The face of the Princess Nad a grew so pale that it resembled almost the deathly whiteness of a corpse, but her eyes burned in their sockets like (he fires of hell. She spoke slowly, wi(h monotonous utterances.

“The roses arc a peaco-ofTeHng from mo to you. Will you not accept them ? ”

Xenia look (he flowers then, hold ing them to her nostrils.

“A peace-offering from you—to me,” she murmured, faintly. ‘And she lay back upon her pillows with closed eyes, breathiug softly. The Princess Nada bent over her for a few seconds, examining her features with a curious mixture o* aversion and triumph. “So she wil sleep unto eternity,” she whispered I hen she took the crimson rose from (he relaxed hold of (ho sleeper, and moving towards the window - , she opened it and threw - the flower far out into the snow.—" Yes or No.”