The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-02-15
The Slave of a Princess.
BY EMMA S. CHESTER.

twas not very deep laid, and it did
not in the end prove altogether success
full, but being scheme, and devised by
the Princess Moll, her brother has chosen
to record it. She came to US rather late
in our lives, and found, if not exactly a
welcome, at least perambulator in our
halls and bib at our table.
There were four of us in or just out of
college when, at the beginning of long
vacation, we were called upon to rejoice
at her arrival. "Quite little Princess" I"
mother remarked, when for the first time
we stood in a row before her, and pre-
sented our compliments, or what mother
was pleased to term as such, to the roll of
muslin and lace in bassinet; and some
how from that hour our sister was known
as "the Princess Moll."
Tom was in uniform, and I in cap and
gown, and for this reason we believed
the Princess selected us as her fav"rites
from the first. "Gadr' said Tom, with
q mixture of horror and astonishment,
slook at her make eyes at mel Do they
do that usually at her age?"
But Tom is inordinatel y. vain, and the
'eyes' of which he spoke were the mere
languid roll of pair of blue optics that
might quite as we'll have chanced upon
me a. him.
Well, Moll had come to stay, we dis
covered, but with the exception of an
occasional cry from the nursery or the
roll of the perambulator under our win
dows, we heard and saw little of her.
tom went back to West Point, and
Winthrop joined the Sophomores of
Cornell. To Malcolm and me, who were
engaged in choosing profession, re-
mained the privilege of becoming better
acqua nted with the Princess Moll.
She had reached the age of eighteen
months when was first called upon to
rescue her from position of peril.
Gradgrind, the maid-my mother is
English, and calls her American servants
by their surnames, to their own mystiti-
cation and resentment-had ''stepped.
off a piece" and left the perambulator
oscillating On ledge of rock at New
port.
1t was charming day, and the Prin-
cess was, I observed, as 1 gathered her
from the sand into which the peram-
bulator had evidently plunged, arrayed
in her best. She wore little coat of
silky cloth, and white plush cap that
reared up in the crown in an altogether
fetching manner.
Happily no one but Gradgrind, who
was instantly threatened with dismissal,
received any injury from this mishap;
but it was the beginning of a curious
alliance on my part with the Princess
Moll.
In the extremity of my wrath ban
ished Gradgrind from the spot. She
came back. however or rather she did
not actually go-and besought me, with
wringing hands, not to report her care
lessness to my mother. In van. l was
adamant until she began to cry, when l
told her that the thing must never be re-
peated, and myself adjusted AIoll in the
coach.
The Princess seemed instinctively to
perceive that Gradgrind, whom she never
appeared to love, had in some mysterious
way come oil conqueror in this affair, and
pouted her disapproval at both me and
the maid. When I stepped back to allow
the coach to preccde me, she made frantic
gestures with her hands, which were en-
cased in small white mittens, and fairly
drove Gradgrind from her post. She
then bent her eyes upon me in an imperi-
Gus manner, which caused me to cringe.
"Ah, but, dear Princess" mentally
expostulated, 1--WE are on the avenue, and
it is the hour for Miss Reardon's ride.
You couldn't-you uou!lHt have your
brother turn nursery maid here"
But the mittens continued to beat the
air, until, ,mutt"ring to Gradgrind: "Keep
close beside me-" l took my place at the
helm and m serably trundlcd the coach.
Moll gurgled triumphantly, as well she
might, as it was the successful preface to
her scheme. Daily after that she con-
trived to attach me to her train, until
one morning Malcolm, encountering the
interesting trio at the gate, demanded:
81 say, is it Gradgind or Moil2'
Now Gradgind, who had face of the
heavy, manly type, and a figure like an
encyclopaedia, was not the sort of person
to call forth that kind of remark, and
could afford to laugh good-humoredly.
''Don't you sec the fix Pm in-the kind
of Prisoner of Chillon pvc got to bc2 It's
a scheme of Moll's to cnslave me, and
there's no more escape from her than a
Morn. She's had me at the Casino and
on the avenues till I'm the figure of the
day. She stops at the Bazaar and calls
my attention TO the rugs; and she even
went so far as to demand Persian lamp,
which-Hcaven help II bought for
h"r, and permitted her to carry home"
Maicolm .rinncd. "As if she didn't
try her little game on me, and as if I'd
allow myself to be gulled that way
Gradgind to the Princess aloll, and tie
Princess Moll to Gradgrind. I'm tie
slave to no infant" So was slave,
and to an infant. Well, had suspected
it. But why should Malcolm stand there
tapping racket his arm, and grin
ming like gargnyle2 l suppose the fc!-
lows of my club looked that WAY when |
passed and Miss Reardon.
had discovered the intention of the
Princess to thwart all possibility OF a
match letween me and the latter, for
which she had taken the popular method
Of making me appear ridiculous in the
eyes of the one woman before whom |
desired to shine. Only that very morn-
ing we had passed her, the Princess i'm
billing the juice of an orange through q
column of striped candy. while I wiped
the escaping nectar from the front of hel
coat with my handkerchief. Ora lgrind