Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-02-10

love"
.sThen, why don't you get marriedI"
"Impossiblel She is princess"
"Ohl then
"Look! yonder she goesl" exclaimed
my friend. ''Do you see that landau
| near the old gentleman with white
whiskers and hooked nOsel She is
here at this hour every day-our eyes
nave met-and judge of my follyl 1t
seems to me that there is something
singular-marked-in the way she looks
at me-"
"why, that is the Princess Olga
Dragomirof."
"You are acquainsed:'
every we'll acquainted. Her grand
father is the millionaire NeopO,
banker Ghirolandi. There is to be some
grand 'tra.la.la' tomorrow afternoon at
their house, musicale, followed by
dance. Shall present youl"
"Could youl"
"Nothing easier. Our families are
very intimate. GhirOlandis friends are
our friends"
"Then l shall 6c delighted-Joo de-
lighted-to accept. But what's the use,
since love without hope"
"Who knowsl Princess Olga is rather
eccentric. She is, perhaps, capable Of
taking fancy to you"
"Thanks-much obliged"
"Don't be vexed. Will you go with
mei"
"Yes, will 60"
Olga aud her maternal grandfather,
the immensely rich Orlando GhirolAndi,
lived at Paris in a fine house on Rue de
Ia Boetie. They moved in the most
select circles and entertained with mag
nifcence.
People sometimes wondered why the
princess did not marry. Everyone
agreed that she was virtuous, charitable
and devout, after the manner of Rus
SLAMS, who still keep a certain depth OF
mysticism in spite of the friction of nine
teenth century cynicism.
But the young lady was odd to the
very limits of eccentricity, even, some
people said, TO the limits of ruieness.
She was good musician aud played
well on the violin. But, after executing
some classical concerto so as to excite
the admiration OF connoisseurs, she
would dash off into an absurd refrain
of popular melody and would seem de.
Gohted with the annoyance of her au-
d;cuce. When she wcut out walking
with her grandfather, or her prim Eng
lish companion, she never failed TO stop
the little street musicians aud ask them
torrent of outlaudish questions in an
outlandish Italian patois she had learned
dear knows where. One Of her most
unaccountable eccentricities was that she
persisted in appearing everywhere, even
in ball dress, with an cmbroidercl
handkerchief hearing initials not her
own, and stained with spot of ink that
was beginning to turn yellow. One oil
two of her mos, intimate friends had
vcntured TO ask her why she carried
such a strange object, and she had an
swered very gravely; "Hush! it has a
history"
She treated all remOnstrances with in
difference, even those OF her grand
father, who spoiled her. Pretty and
ricb, the singular little princess might
easily have made 4 good matca; bat she
declared that there was only one man
in the world she would marry, and that
it was extremely unlikely he would ever
ask her hand.
Affairs were thus, when received
Signor Ghirolaudi's permission TO pre-
sent my friend George Breval. George
was already very much in love. Olga
received him prettiIy and granted him
the waltz he begged. But although he
was said to be the most graceful man in
Paris, he behaved like an awkward
schooiboy, and was so afraid of saying
ANYTHING foolish that he scarcely opened
his mouth.
"Mademoiselle, he remarked at last,
"the more look at you the more certain
| feel that l have seen you somewhere
that we have meet before
"You are right" she answered seri-
ously; we have meet before, and il we
ever grow well enough acquainted l may
tell you where"
"Wont you tell ME now
"No; not yet"
"Is this the mysterious han lkerchici
that is supposed to be your fctichi" he
queried. "May look at it' 1t reminds
me of one lost under peculiar circum
stances"
She drew it gently away, turning it SC
that the initials could not be seen.
"Some other time," she said, II may
tell you all about it,
George had to wait her good pleasure
but his curiosity was piqued, aud he
thought of little beside the charming
princess.
One day, some weeks after, be re
peated his questions and pressed for a
reply. "Tell me-" he said, "wherc
have we met beforel"