Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-05-31
JENNIE BAXTER. JOURNALIST
BY ROBERT BARR,
|IL TfGDUChcSS Of ChiSGIhuTSI' 5 BOIL
tconvrirht. INN. Nv Rohort parr.l

tCorvrirht 1000 wv Robert Parrl
Tho room which had been allotted TO
Jennie Baxter in the Schloss Stein
heimor enjoyed most extended out
look A door window save access to a
stone balcony, which hung against the
castle wall like a swallows nest Mt the /
caves of house. This balcony was Just |
wide enough to give ample space for |
one Of the easy rocking chairs which I
the princess had imported from America
and which Jennie thought were the
only really comfortable pieces of furni- !
ture the old stronghold possessed, much
as she admired the artistic excellence
Of the medieval chairs. tables and cab
inets which for centuries had served
the needs of the ancient line that had
lived in the schloss The chair was as
modern as this morning s daily paper,
its woodwork painted n bright scarlet,
It's arms like broad shelves, its rockers
as senstivelv balanced as a marine
compass fact, lust suCh chair as
one would find dotted round the vast
veranda of an American summer hotel
In this chair sat Miss Jennie two open
letters on her lap and perplcXity in the
dainty little frcwn that family ruiiod
the smoothncss of her fair brow. The
scene from the high balcony was one to
be remembered; but although this
was her last day at the castle, the girl
saw nothing Of the pretty town OF
Meran so far below, the distant chalk
line down the slope beyond which
marked the turbulent course of tho
roaming Adige, the lofty mountains
sll around or the farther SHOW peaks,
da2zlingly white against the deep blu
Of the sky.
One of the epistles which lay on her
lap was the letter she had received frols
the editor recounting the difficulties he
had met with while endeavoring to
make arrangements for reporting ade-
uuately the Duchess of Chiselhurst 5
ball the other was the still unanswered
invitation from the duchess to the
princess Jennie was flattered to know
that already the editor who had en-
gagged her with unconcealed reluctance,
now expected her to accomplish what
the entire staff was pOwerless to effect.
She knew that had she but the cour-
age, il was only necessary to accept the
invitation in the name of her present
hostess and attend the great society
JUNCTION as Princess Won Steinheimer
Yet she hesitated, not so much on ac-
count of the manifest danger of discov-
Ply, but because she had grown to like
Me princess, and this impersonation,
If it came to the knowledge of the one
most intimately concerned as 1t was
almost sure TO do, would doubtless be
regarded as an objectionable liberty.
AS she swayed gently back and forth
in the gaudy rocking chair she thought
of ccnfessing everything to the princess
and asking her assistance; but, ponder
ing on this, she saw that it was aking
everything on one throw of the dice. III
the princess refused, then the scheme
became impossible, as that lady herself
would answer taie letter and decline the
invitation. Jennie soothed her accus-
ing conscience by telling herself that
this impers.nation would do no harm
TO Princess Won Steinheimer or to any
one else. for that matter, while 1t would
be of inestimabe assistance to her OWL
journalistic career. From that she drift
ed to meditation on the inequalities o.
this life the superabundance which
some possess, while others, no less de
serving, have difficulty in obtaining thu
scant necessities. And, this consOlin}
train Of thought having fixed her re
solve TO take the goods the gods scat
tered at her feet or rather threw int
her lap, she drew a long sigh of deter
mination az there came a gentle tap Il
the door of her room and the voice 0
the princess herself said. "Alay | com
in?'
Jennie, rapid blush flaming he
cheeks sprang to her feet, flung the let
tiers on a table and opened the door.
The visitor entered, looking charm
ing enough to be a princess of fairyland
and greeted Miss Baxter most cordially
Il am SO sorry you are leaving, sh
said. Cannot You be- persuaded t
change your mind and stay with me
Where could you find more Lowell
view than that from your balloon
here"
cor more lovely hostess o. said tn
girl, looking at her visitor with undis
guised admiration and quite ignorin
the view.
The princess laughed, and as the
now stood together on the balcony sl
put ont her hands, pushed Jennie gent
into the rocking chair again, seatin
herself jauntily on its broad arm, an
thus the two looked like a pair Of mi
rhievous schoolgirls, home at vacation
thoroughly enjoying their liberty.
"Therel Now your are my prisone
about to he punished for hattery chi,
.he princess ~ saw by the motion
the chair that you had Just jumped Il
from it when | disturbed you, so thol
you are back in it again. What wei
you thinking aboutY A rocking cha
ENDS itself deiciously to meditation
and we always think of some one vei
particular as we rock.
Il am no exception TO the rule,
Ighed Jennie. 81 was thinking Of yoI
princess"
"IIow nice Of you to say that, and,
,ne good turn deserves another, here
proof thata certain young lady has bee
amy thoughts "
AS she spoke the princess took fro
ler pocket an embossed case Of Russ
,n,n,J - and Al ,,ln,roJ a .t,i,