Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-16
A Sentimental
Journey @
And Its Results.
BY GILBERT DAYLE.

It was about 4 o'clock one Afternoon
in February, and Hippesley was sitting
on the veranda Of the Cafe de Paris a
Monte Carlo He sat deep in thought
his ears mechanically listening to the
strains of the little Hungarian band
few yards away from him. He was
thinking of the reason that had brough,
him to the place. He had been abroad
for IL years, yet within month of his
return he had left again and hurried
to spend few days on the Riviera be
fore taking steamer at Marseilles.
1t was absurd, he knew 1t, but the
longing to see her face again was IRE
sistible. He would not seek an oppor
tunity of speaking with her. The
scheme on which their lives had beer
worked out made this impossible. Hi
simply had an overwhelming desire tt
see her. Then he could 60 back to hi.
lonely life, not happy; he could never
be that, but with fresh picture Of
the one woman he had ever loved.
He noticed smart carriage draw uI
before the broad steps Of the Casino
and almost simultaneously a man ant
a woman came out Of the building
The man was middle aged, a trife
heavy in build and faultlessly dressed
He handed the lady into the carriage
Hippesley, as he caught sight Of hel
face, gave a start and clutched hold OF
the table. She was young English
woman, magnificently beautiful.
The color left his face, and he rivet
ed his eyes on her. He watched hel
smilingly say "goodby" to the man or
the steps; then the carriage turned anc
drove rapidly away. AS 1t vanished
from sight he sank back in his chair
his mouth twitching His throat seem
ed dry and parched; he stretched for
ward and drank some tea at a gulp
Then the voices Of two men talking
lust behind him reached his ears.
"That was the Princess Zandra. Sh'
Is living at the Villa Erondel, at Beau
lieu"
Enormously RICH"
"She was till a day or so ago" Tit
man lowered his voice. Hippesle!
found himself straining for the mex
words. 81 happen to know" came II
almost whisper, that the late prince
was sufficiently i'll advised to invest
nearly all his money in an enterprise
that has recently come to the ground
with a crash, and the princess. who
never had the slightest suspicion of hel
affairs not being in satisfactory state
has suddenly been told that anothei
year at her present rate Of expenditure
will leave her penniless."
"What will she do?'
go on living as she has done ant
marry again. Women with such beau
ty can pick and choose. There are nj
hard places for them. RumOr says /
will be the man who has just left her
He Is not a good man, but he Is pas
sionately in love with her and mil
lionaire twice over"
Hippesley rose from his seat and
making his way round to the terrace
sank into seat. He felt he could heal
no more. 1t was all so curious, so star
tlingly strange. To think that the cir
he had left living with her father OF
the outskirts Of quiet English coun
try town should have developed int
this wonderful Princess Zandra, whose
beauty was known throughout Europe
And they had loved one another! HI
had gone abroad with the hope o.
making a name for himself, Of being
able to claim her. But Ill luck hat
logged him, and the time had never
come when he could write to her. HI
had left her free, and as the year,
went by, bringing nothing but persist
ent failure, he knew that 1t was not 70
him to possess the only thing he count
ed worth having. Occasionally scrapl
Of intelligence as to the course her LII
had taken drifted to him. Her father
had died, and she had gone to live will
a wealthy aunt in London. From stra.
papers that reached him he Learned
that her beauty had caused quite sen
sation in society. Then at last came
the news that she had married for
eigner of great position, Prince Ian
dra.
He wondered II she ever thought Of
him-remembered the night he hat
confessed his love to her. Not a day
had passed In those long years Of fail
ure but her image had been before
him. Now, at length, when he hat
achieved some slight success, it was
too late. All that was left for hin
was to take the absurd little journey
Of sentiment.
Early next morning he travelled t.
Beaulieu. He got out at the railway
station and, following the path thai
led round to st. Jean, passed the fish
ing village and gained the Point. There
he sank down on the ground and gave
himself up to his reflections. 1t was
q perfect morning, cloudless sky, the
air soft and pregnant with the per
fumc of the roses that grew right to
the edge Of the tiny cliff. Some 80 feet
below him was the sea, not ripple Oh
its smooth surface, the clear blue tints
cleaning In the sunshine.
Presently he was aware Of woman
gazing curiously at him. The next
moment they had recognized one an
other. She went suddenly pale, and
her lips parted in wonder.
"Ralph" she gasped.
He looked at her mutely. He was
face to face with her at last, and the
blood went throbbing through his
veins.
Eyes, just Ralph" he said mechanic
ally.
She held out her hand, and he took
it awkwardly.
"And to think it Is you after all
these years. she said softly.
Hippesley did not speak. His
thoughts had flown back a dozen years
to the night when he had left her. An
indefnable idea came to him that she,
too, was thinking Of the same thing.
81 won't lie," he said abruptly. 81
am not here by chance. I heard you
were on the Riviera, and after all
these years wanted to see you again
just to see you; had no notion Of
speaking"
She gazed at him steadily, as If try
Ing to read his thoughts.
'You have loved me all this time"