Evening star., 1896-09-12

hand to get tight hold Of and to squeeze
little. II necessary: and so we set for
ward to find the princess.
We went about forty steps and came
to door. which my guide opened. We
then seemed to be in a sort of long corri-
dor or passage. with low vaulted stone
roof. Some small amount OF light stream
ed through the cracks of a doorway at the
further end. by aid Of which l could make
these observations. l suppose could have
got alCng now without help, but l still
kept hold Of the hand. and perhaps pressed
little tighter. l could also note an an
swering pressure now and then.
We ascended four or five steps to reach
this further door. and opening it. We found
ourselves in a large chamber. This apart
ment had several windows. but the dusk
had come. so that the light was still i'm
perfect 1 could now. however. note the
appearance Of my companion. She was a
pretty girl OF about eighteen or nineteen
years of age. with trim form. long braids
or blonde hair and a retrous5e nose. She
snatched her hand away from me and went
on ahead through another door, casting
oack at me, as she went, look Of per-
ness and roIuetry.
The next room we entered was lighted by
candelabra, as, In fact. were all of the
further apartments through which she took
me: and so We went on, up and down stair
ways through corridors and suites Of
apartments. and large salons, till thought
there was no end to 1t; and all this time
had not seen soul beside the girl with
the turned-up nose. AS We proceeded the
furnishings and decorations became more
elegant. One large salon was hung around
with dngy life-sized portraits of bewigsed
and powder ed old dignitares and soldiers;
another seemed ghostly and fearsome with
suits of armor and old spears and swords
ana blunderbuSSes and banners
At last We entered a suite Of chambers
IN WI 1ch the belongings seemed more taste
1ui end mere feminine. Here" said 1 to
myself, is where I meet the princess"
and 1 was not mistaken. The apartment
INTO which 1 now followed Melanie for
that was the girls name as l afterward
discovered, was small and cozy; 1t was
nuns and furnished in soft blue and gar
ret, and was absolutely full of exquisite
pictures and ornaments and objects of lux
Lfy. In the center Of the room was a small
table with a cover laid upon it for two,
with linen of dazzling whiteness and a pro-
Ius1on or silver utensils of quaint and an
tique pattern.
Melanie motioned me to walt where
was. and going to a small archway which
Iommrnicated &C with another chamber. said,
IN respectful tone. to some one there:
He Is here. your hghness"
l had removed my cloak and made quite
a presentab!e appearance In the blouse and
knickerbockers of my bicycle costume. 1t
was picturesque. If not conventional In
moment or two there sounded the rust
ling OF silk and Of dainty lingerie and a
iady OF great beauty stood before US.
she was young. not over twenty years of
age at most. and she was rather tall. and
her hgure. though somewhat slender was
graceful and rounded in its outlines. In
strlking contrast were the wavy masses of
her dark brown hair. the limpid gray of
her eyes and the soft whiteness of her skin.
Her face was oval, her features small and
perfect. She was in evening dress, and
her arms and neck and shoulders were like
the marble Of statue. She was somewhat
naughty In her manner, and there seemed
to be an air of melancholy in her face,
which was apparent even when she smiled,
as she did now.
She acted for Ynoment ~ }rraso,,+o
or hesi.ating, and then gave me her hand
and said:
MY dear baron. you did well to come at
once"
1 bent low and pressed my mustache
against the coral tips Of her small fingers
and answered:
You would have seen me sooner. your
highness. could 1 have managed it."
She took her hand away from me before
1 was half through with 1t.
Herr baron. do you know that you are
most imprudent?'
II have been thinking the same thing.
your highness. for the last five minutes"
1T was expressly understood that you
were not to come before dark, and your
carriage drove up half an hour ago in open
daylight and took up a position among
the shrubbery of the park, where every one
with half an eye could see 1t. You are GER
tainly not yourself tonight. herr baron"
your highness is right, as usual" muir
INJURED. submissively
when 1 gave my word did not intend
that the affair should be advertised as you
seem to wish 1t. One would think that Won
rever planned an elopement before, or per
haps. 1t Is an everyday matter for you to
run away with princess?'
Il can assure your highness that II is
not" l answered. for I had made up my
mind that, no matter what I would ai
here strictly to the truth
Il thought that your conduct needed a
reprimand, and for that reason and also
because I wished to make certain further
stipulations as to the program 1 had Me-
lanie send word to you in your carriage by
one of the grooms that you should come to
me at once by the postern door in the Bur
gerschlact wall. 1 hope that now you un-
derstand matters fully"
If had said that I understood ANYTHING
at all about 1t would have lied, so I was
silent.
Il also thought" she continued. "that
you might not object to some slight reneat
with me before we start; so, pray be seat
ed and will defer my injunctions until
afterward.''
So saying. the princess glided into one
OF the chairs at the small supper table and
touched bell and Melanie stole noiselessly
into the room and prepared to attend us.
Now. those of my readers who have en-
joyed petit souper en- tete-a-tete with a
real flesh and blood princess, at the same
time beautiful and young, and only those
can imagine my feelings on this occasion
The reader naturally asks what does all
this thing mean? I think that the question
is a very proper one In fact, 1t is the very
down to table with the princess. I stated
the case to myself as follows:
This lady has arranged to elope with a
certain baron, whose name have not vet