The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1899-02-23

"Is it too much,,' said the princess
sottly. "to ask what the .birthright
WASP
1t was too much decidedly, and yet
before he knew he answered. emusic.
"Ahl" murmured his questioner.
|" And now?'
Now" said Van Rensselaer,, smil
! ing once more as he shrugged his shout
ders, "now, / am Darby But perhaps
Darby and Joan are not indigenous to
Russian society =. = --.+,,....
! Through the orchids face was smil
ing greetings to him
"How despairingly charming!' sigh
ed the Russian as she laid down her
lorgnette. And that is .)oan?''
There was an evaporation for Van
/ Rensselaer, in the finality of this wom
ans intuitions.
Princess, he said when next they
turned toward each other, II am haunt
ed by a resemblance. l think my sub
conscious mind, if have one, had gone
wandering over time and space to veri
fy it when you caught me napping. !
have never seen but one woman who
y
/ my student days She also was prin-
| eess-of Bohemiar' "
THAT was once my country" she re.
tplied
Van Rensselaer, laughed. But not
hers-or mine There is another and
greater Bohemia where such as you
imay not dwell Yours is geographically
located. The other is not Itis No Mans
Land AS it happened, that other prin-
tcess belonged to both Bohemias
"Who was she-and what?'
Pardon me. She had your eyes. but
mot your ancestry She was gypsy VIC
| linist i'll Prague | have never since
tEeen eyes like hers until tonight, and
II shall never again hear tone like that
froln her violin.
If he thought he had vanished her
| no was mistaken. She drew in her
breath with an odd little sigh and look
led at him from under her lowered lids
I II again read your thought, mon
sieur, and honor You for it.. You are
saying to yourself that her real rank
was as far above mine as your Bohemia
was a happier land to dwell in than
let us say Russia''
1t was after dinner when the women
were grouped in knots in the long draw
| ing room that the princess managed to
learn what she wanted to know of her
peighbor at the table.
| evan Rensselaer-oh, yes I" said the
hostess. "We call him Fortunatus; ; he's
euch lucky dog. He's the last of an
Impoverished old American family-if
there is such thing as an old family
in so young a country-and was quite
out of sorts with fortune when he met
his wife l believe he was knocking
about Europe consorting with all sorts
of shabby musical people, studying to be
pianist. She fell SO desperately in
love with him that her father was
obliged to allow the marriage. She had
always had her whims gratified, and
she threatened to kill herself if denied
this one. There was some delay about
it, and then the wedding took place,
with the colnpact-so / have been told
that be was to give up his profession
III fancy that was no great hardship, .
she laughed, ''as the price was s., 900,
900 down and the hand of the richest
heiress in America 1t is not difficult
meter to be rich, prinoessr
~ think it is sometimes very diff
cult" was the surprising answer
1t was at the bidding of scented
note with a coronet OH it that Van Rens-
selaer found himself few days later
entering the apartments of the Russian
"It's laundering annoying sort OF
h koxy ind md
hope she won't be up to it again, - be
grumbed.
She was clad in flowing red garments,
ornamented with gold -filigree, and a
finely wrought gold girdle hung down
from the clasp to the hem. Van. Rens-
selaer felt the costume to be so barbar'
ic as to be out of good form-too theat:
rical-and yet her manner was simple
enough
"We were speaking that night" she
began as if they had just left off, "oi
music, Hungarian music, or were we
only thinking of it? was hoping you
would play for ME today
II never play, never touch piano
any more - And he felt thrill of an
noyance, as if some one had pushed
1against him roughly.
The princess arose and crossed the
room, taking up a violin that lay or
the open piano "Then you will lister
to me?' she said. !. >:
1t was Schubert, and she played with
such mastery of the instrument, such
sympathy and love of the work, thai
Van Rensselaer, was moved out Of hi
reserve, He laid aside his hat ant
gloves and sat down by the piano. Once
more he threaded through exquisite
harmonies and filed the scheme with
the piano accompaniment he knew 81
well. For more than an hour they play
ed with no words save: "Do you re
member this?'' OF "Another composer
has solved that problem thus-you know
it,, - leading and following by turn
through those paths where only must
clans may walk in happy knowledge.
~*"And now, said the princess at last
lido you remembers" She stood straigh
and tall in her barbario reds, the golt
ornaments cleaning in the late slantinl
light. and Van Rensselaer, had no nest
to wait for the strains that were com
ing. He was back again in student days
and through the cigar smoke of the mu
sic hall in Prague he could see the gita
ana, more slim and girlish. but witt
the same strange eyes and the blu
black hair, while above the clink OF tn
beer glasses and the soft shutting o
I the walters feet he could hear tn
.witohery of her gypsy musio-that hal
remembered strain that" had teased hin
go often through the intervening years
Back and forth flashed the bow Will
her figure. swayed to the mad motions
and then came the sad cadence with tn
hoo s,lass, actorizo