The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1900-06-05
FROM BOHEMIA.

line and pervasive personality. Clear
ly she was not attractive, he decided,
and then, as she finished what she had
been saying to the man who took her
out and turned toward Van Rensselaer,,
he instantly reversed his judgment
under the compulsion of her dark eyes.
Whether or not she was handsome by
ordinary standards he could not have
told, but attractive and interesting GER
tainly, and inexplicably odd. With her
large red Tipped mouth and cleaning
white teeth she might have been quad
room or she might have posed to good
effect as gypsy queen in private theatre
Gals. She spoke to him in French.
II suppose you are a senator or a gen
eral, or perhaps a cabinet member? You
American men are so ostentatiously
plain in dress You abstain SO carefully
from wearing your decorations on your
evening coats that poor foreigner may
not know"
He laughed She was audaoious even
for princess.
II am sorry, your highness, but
have neither office nor insignia to my
name Indeed have been puzzling my
| inglorious head not a little to know
why am placed SO illustriously at your
sideP'
But he knew, and SO did she, that it
was because he spoke French like Pa
risian and was the cleverest diner out in
Washington. 1t was not until the first
entree 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 hazarded suggestions
as to the composition of the dish before
them.
Permit me, monsieur, che broke
off suddenly. "Allow me one more
guess, more intimate-personall am
clairvoyant, it has been said, and l
have taken a great liberty. l have been
reading your thoughts. Will you allow
me to tell your
Van Rensselaer, bowed, smiling his
incredulity
"You do me much honor, madameP'
Every we'll You were looking down
the table moment ago when / address
ed you, past the green and gold Bohe,
milan glass. l do not know what you
saw, but it was something very far
away-oversea, think" He flushed
slightly and assented. 1--WE spoke of
the entree, your mind on other things
| said, 1t is made of fish, l fancy, and
you replied, Since it is a game of guess,
| choose lobster. What you were think
ing was, 1T is the world old mess of
pottage-to be henceforth my daily
breadr Nest ce pas, monsieur, un bon
hasard?"
Van Rensselaer, finished his wine and
set down his glass. He was not smiling
now, and the flush had died out of his
cheek He looked at her with gravity
very like displeasure.
Your highness is indeed clairvoy-
ant. It was not a guess. 1t was the
truth. Princesses always tell the truth.
do they not?'
She made no reply, and the jewels in
her piled up hair burned not half SO
deeply as her eyes. He wished that peo-
pie who were clairvoyant would not
fall to his lot at dinner. 1t was distinct
ly uncomfortable and not conducive to
good digestion.
sis it too much,' said the princess
softly. ito ask what the birthright
WASP
1t was too much decidedly, and yet
before he knew he answered, emusic. T"
"Ahp' murmured his questioner
"And now?"
"Now," said Van Rensselaer,, smil-
ing once more as he shrugged his shout
ders, ''now, l am Darby. But perhaps
Darby and Joan are not indigenous to
Russian society.
Through the orchids face was smil-
ing greetings to him.
Chow despairingly charmingP' sigh
ed the Russian as she laid down her
lorgnette. "And that is Joan?''
There was an evaporation for Van
Rensselaer, in the finality of this wom-
an g munitions.
"Princess, he said when next they
turned toward each other, II am haunt
ed by a resemblance. l think my SUBJ
CONSCIOUS mind, if have one, had gone
wandering over time and space to veri-
fly it when you caught me mapping. !
have never seen but one woman who
looked like you-it was years ago IN
my student days She also was prln-
sess-of Bohemia"
"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
Land AS it happened, that other prln-
cess belonged to both Bohemias. I"
"Who was she-and WHAT"
pardon me. She had your eyes. but
not your ancestry. She was gypsy VIC
linist in Prague. | have never since
seen eyes like hers until tonight, and
| shall never again hear a tone like that
from her violin"
If he thought he had punished her,
be was mistaken. She drew in her
breath with an odd little sigh and look
ed at him from under her lowered lids.
81 again read your thought, mon
sieur, and honor you for it. You are
saving to yourself that her real rank
was as far above mine as your Bohemia
was happier land to dwell in than
let us say Russial !"
! It was after dinner when the women
were grouped in knots in the long draw
ing room that the princess managed tc
learn what she wanted to know OF hel
neighbor at the table.
evan Rensselaer-oh, yes" said the
hostess. eve call him Fortunatus; he's
such a lucky dog He's the last of an
impoverished old American family-ii
there is such thing rs an old family
In SO young country-and was quite
out of sorts with fortune when he met
his wife | believe he was knocking
about Europe consorting with all sorts
of shabby musical people, studying to bt
pianist. She fell SO desperately il
love with him that her father wal
obliged to allow the marriage. She hae
always had her whims gratified, ant
she threatened to kill herself If denied
this one. There was some delay abou
it, and then the wedding took place
with the compact-so have been told
that he was to give up his profession
fancy that was no great hardship,
she laughed, "as the price was 50, 1000,
900 down and the hand of the riches
heiress in America. 1t is not Difficult
meter to be rich, princessr
81 think it is sometimes very diff
cult, !" was the surprising answer.
1t was at the bidding of scented
note with coronet on 1t that Van Rens
| naiaar fnnnd himsalf q few DAYS late