The Lambertville record., 1898-11-16
FROM BOHEMIA.

FROM BOHEMIA.
Van Rensselaer, had sal through man,
an embassy dinner, eating messy dishe
out of ribbons and frilled papers an,
Offering his polyglut remarks to many
waId his left hand neighbor with som,
apprehension as he finished his soup
making hasty study of the princess
with her blue black hair and her swar
thy side face. There was display o
shoulder and blazing green jewels II
the eofsage, an impression of large out
line and peryasive personality. Clear
ly she was not attractive, he decided
and then, as she finished what she hat
been saying to the man who took he
tut and turned toward Van Rensselaer,
he instantly reversed his judgment
under the eompulsion of her dark eyes
Whether or not she was handsome by
ordinary standards he could not hnv,
told, but attractive and interesting ceI
tainly, and inexplicably odd. With hoi
large red Tipped mouth and cleaning
white teeth she might have been quad
room or she might have posed to goot
effeotasa gypsy queen i'll private theutri
calls. She spoke to him i'll French.
suppose You are senator or II gen
oral, or perhaps cabinet member? You
American men arc So ostentatiously
plain in dress. You abstain so carefully
from wearing your decorations on your
evening coats that Il poor foreigner may
not know. "
He laughed. She waa audaeieus even
for n princess
Il am sorry, your highness, but
have neither office nor insignia to my
nnme. Indeed have been puzzling my
ingloriOus head not ia little to know
why lam placed 81 illustriously nt youi
sidel'
But he knew, and 50 did she, that il
was because he spoke French like Pa
risian and was the cleverest diner out il
Washington. II was not until the iirsi
entreo that they again took turn, and
She passed with evident relief from the
heavy German of the Austrian embas
sador to her more accustomed tongue
They tasted and ha2arded suggestions
as to the composition of the dish bcfor,
them
Permit me, monsieur, F" she brok,
oil suddenly ALLOW me one NOR,
guess, more ntlmate-personal! | an
n ,.lat - In a
have taken great liberty. | have beer
reading your thoughts viii you ALLOW
me to tell YOU
Van Rensselaer, bowed smiling hi,
incrcdulity
You do Inc much henor. mndamep
Very well You were looking down
the table moment agoWhen address
cd you, past the green and gold Bohe
mian glass do not know what you
saw, but it was something very far
away-ovcrSea, | think. He flushed
slightly and assented I'VE spoke OF
tho enlree, YOUR mind on other things.
] said, + 1t 10 made of fish, fancy, and
you replied. Since it is game of guess,
| choose lobster. What you were think
ing wns, 1t is tho world old mess Of
pottage--to be henceforih my daily
breadl N'est ce pas. monsieur, un bon
hasardI"
Van Rensselaer, finished his vino and
fet down his glass. He was not smiling
now. ami the flush had died out of his
cheek He looked at her with gravity
very like displeasure.
Your highness is indeed claiIvoy-
ant 1t was not guess 1t was the
truth. Princesses always tell the truth
do they not?''
She made 10 reply, and the jewels in
her piled up hair burned not hnlf so
deeply as her eyes lir wished that peo.
plo who were clairvoyant would not
fall to his lot at dinner 1t was distinct
ly uncomfortable and not conducive to
good digestion.
"Is it too much, " said the princess
softly, Ito ask what tho birthright
wasy'
1t was too much decidedly, and yet
before he knew he answered, "Music. +"
"AhP murmured his questioner
"And now"
Now" said Van Rensselaer,, smil.
ing once more ns he shrugged his shoul.
ders, NOW. | am Darby. But perhaps
Darby and Joan are not indigenous TO
Russian society.
Through the orchids "A face was smil
ing greetings to him
How despairingly charming" sigh.
ed tho Russian rs she laid down her
lorgnette. And that is JOAN"
There was an evaporation for Van
Rensselaer, in the finality of this wom
AN = intuitions.
Princess, he said when next they
turned toward each other, II am haunt
ed by a resemblance. think my sub
conscious mind, if | have one, had gone
wandering over time and space to yeri-
fy it when you caught me mapping l
have never seen but one woman who
looked like you--it was years ago in
my student days She also was prin
cess--of Bobemia"
THAT was once my country, she re.
piled.
Van Rensselaer, laughed. But not
hers--or mine There is another and
greater Bohemia where such as you
may not dwell. Yours is geographically
located The other is not. 1t is No Man y
Land. AS it happened, that other prin
cess belonged to both Bohemias
Who was she-and what"
Pardon me. She had your eyes. but
not your ancestry. She was gypsy yio-
E..tg s.. \ q.
seen eyes like hers until tonight, and
I shall never again bear tone like that
from her violin.