The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-09
PRINCESS BARNABAS.
Whitehall RevieM.l

her mind on the important question as t,
whether she should or should not commit
suicide at the close of the season. 1t was no
very easy for the princess many admirers
to understand why she should perturb hel
mind with such problem at all, but per
turb it she did with that very problem
whether wisely or unwisely
The Princess Barnabas was q very re-
markable young woman, who had proved
the puzzle. the pride and the passion of Lon
don society for three whole Sensational sea
sons. She was not yet four and twenty.
She bore the title OF great Russian prince
who had married her just before
she came of age, at time
when he himself was old enough &c
be her grandfather, and who had consider
ately died within two years of the cere-
mony leaving her the absolute mistress OF
his fortune and his territories, as she had
been during life the absolute mistress of his
heart for the short time in which she swayed
it She was said to be fabulously wealthy.
Her jewels were the wonder of the world,
and she delighted in wearing them in season
and out of season, with a semi-barbaric en-
joyment of their glitter and splendor which
was, like everything else about her, partly
oriental and partly childish. Some time
after her husbands death she had come to
Paris and got tired Of it, and then she
crossed the channel and conquered Lon
don. During one resplendent session little
else was talked about but the Princess Bar
nabas. Society journals raved about
her delicate beauty, which seemed to
belong to the canvases of the last century,
which ought to have been immortalized on
pate tendre, and hymned in madrigals.
Men adored her. Women eDvied her mar.
velous dress and her matchless Jewels The
dying ashes of a seasons scandal fiared up
into marvellous activity around her pretty
personality. She was enormously "the
thing" Enormously "the thing" she re-
manned during second season, after an in.
terval of absolute disappearance into the do
minions of the czar. Enormously "the
thing" she still appeared to be now in her
third season, in spite Of the rival attractions
ofan American actress who had not married
an English duke and an American girl with
millions who had married the bluest blood
and the oldest name in Europe. 1t would
have been absurd for any one to contest the
point that the Princess Barnabas was the
very most interesting figure OF that phantas
NAL dance Of shadows which is called Lon
don society.
Nevertheless the Princess Barnabas was
weary, positively bored II she had been
less Of q success life might not have appeared
so desolate. There would have been a pi-
quancy in the possibility of rivalry which
would have lent new interest to tho taste.
less feast As it was, however, London life
af no hainht Of re
peared to her as drear and gray as those
vast stretches of steppes which lay like q
great sea around one Of the Russian castle.
of the late Prince Barnabas. 1t was during
this fit of depression when the Princess Bar
nabas was graciously pleased to agree witt
the author Of "Ecclesiastes," that life wa.
vanity, that it occurred TO her that in al
her strange experiences she had never vel
committed suicide. She Immediately gave
up her mind to the important problem
whether she should gain this ultimate hui
man experience at once, or postpone it in
definitely.
1t was in this frame Of mind that the
princess went to the great ball at the Rus
sian embassy. As she nestled among her
furs In the dim, luxurious warmth Of her
carriage, her mind was running entirely
upon the various forms OF self-destructior
which had been made famous by celebrated
persons at different stages in the worlds
history, and she could find none that were
sufficiently attractive or remarkable tT
please her. Good heavenslp she thought to
herself, with little shudder which even
the warmth OF her surroundings could not
repress, sis it impossible to be banale even
in thatp and she gave little groan as she
stepped out OF her carriage and up the EN-
bassy steps. The thought was still on her
mind and tracing the least suggestion of a
frown upon her exquisite, girlish face
as she entered the great room and took the
hand Of the ambassadresS The thrill of in.
terest, Of excitement, of admira-
ton, which as matter OF course
attended upon her entrance did not give her
any answering thrill of qualification. She
appeared TO listen with the most gracious at.
tention to the compliments Of the ambassa.
dor. She answered with the daintiest little
cir Of infantife obeisance the old world cour-
tesy Of a white haired minister who would
have been as much at home as she herself in
a salon Of the regent Of Orleans. She con-
descended to entangle in network Of fas-
cination particularly obdurate AMI impas-
sive secretary of state She patronized a
prince of the blood royal and was exceed
ingly frank and friendly with the young
painter Lepell, who knew exactly how much
her familiarity meant but was at once
amused and delighted by the envy itaroused
In Others Yet all the while the Princess
Barnabas was not devoting a single serious
thought to one of her admirers. Every idea
in that vain and foolish head was conferred
upon the one query, "Shall commit suicide
next week, and If So howg"
1t was while in this frame of mind, talk
ing to twenty people and thinking of none OF
them, that her bright eyes, wandering lightly
over the crowded room, CHANGED to fall upon
young man who was standing, in a win
dow recess, which was at least comparatively
quiet-a tall grave, self-possessed young
man, sufficiently good-looking to be called
handsome by an enthusiastic friend. When
the Princess Baranabas looked at him. his
eyes, which were bright, clever eyes, were
fixed on her with look of half-humorous
contemplation. The moment, however, their
eyes met he turned his head slightly, and re-
sumed q conversation with a gray-haired
old man with a red ribbon at his buttonhole
whom she knew TO be foreign diplomatist.
The young mans gaze had expressed an
interest in the princess, but it seemed to be
just as interested in the pale wrinkled face
Of his companion. The Princess Barnabas
seemed piqued. "Who is that young man l'
she asked, half-fretfully, of the secretary of
state.
(which young manp The secretary of
states stolid face gazed vaguely into the
dense crowd Of dress coats and white shout
ders, of orders and stars and diamonds.
1.-THE young man in the window talking to
the gray-haired man."
The secretary put up his eye-glass and
considered the young man in question
thoughtfully. He was never known to hurry
in his judgments or his replies in parlia-
ment, and he did not hurry now, though it
was the Princess Barnabas who was interro-
eating him. and not q member of the OPP
position Then he answered her, weighing
her words with more than judicial delibera-
ton: "He is young fellow named Sim
clair. He is going out TO the east, or some
thing. Why do you askgp
"His face interests me-" replied the prin-
cess N should like to know him. Bring
him to me; or stay, give me your arm, we
will 60 to him.
She rose and dispersed her little knot Of
disconsolate courtiers. Taking thu score