The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1901-04-11
BY GILBERT DAZZLE.


in February. and Hippesley was sitting
on the veranda of the Cafe de Paris at
Monte Carlo. He sat deep in thought,
his ears mechanically listening to the
strains of the little Hungarian band a
few yards away from him. He was
thinking of the reason that had brought
him to the place. He had been abroad
for u years. yet within a 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 it, but the
longing to see her face again was ire
sistble. He would not seek an oppor-
tunity of speaking with her The
scheme on which their lives had been
worked out made this impossible. He
simply had an overwhelming desire to
see her Then he could go back to his
lonely life. not happy; he could never
be that. but with n fresh picture of
the one woman he had ever loved.
lie noticed n smart carriage draw up
before the broad steps of the Casino,
and almost simultaneously a man and
The man was middle aged, a trite
heavy in build and faultlessly dressed.
He handed the lady into the carriage.
HippeSley. as he caught sight of her
face gave a start and clutched hold of
the table. She was a young English
woman magnificently beautiful.
The color left his face, and he rivet
ed his eyes on her. He watched her
smilingly say "goodby' to the man on
the steps; then the carriage turned and
drove rapidly away. AS it 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 gulp
Then the voices of two men talking
just behind him reached his ears.
THAT was the Princess Zandra. She
Is living at the Villa Erondel, at Beau
lieu"
enormously riCh?"
"She was till day or so ago" The
man lowered his voice. Hippesley
found himself straning for the next
words. Il happen to know" came in
almost a 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 her
affairs not being in "A satisfactory state,
has suddenly been told that another
year at her present rate of expenditure
will leave her penniless."
what will she do?"
go on living as she has done and
marry again. Women with such beau
ty can pick and choose. There are no
hard places for them. Rumor says it
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 a seat He felt he could hear
no more. 1t was all so curious, so star
tlingly strange. To think that the girl
he had left living with her father on
the outskirts Of quiet English coun-
try town should have developed into
this wonderful Princess Zandra, whose
beauty was known throughout Europe.
And they had loved one another! He
had gone abroad with the hope Of
making a name for himself, of being
able to claim her. But i'll luck had
logged him, and the time had never
come when he could write to her. He
had left her free, and as the years
went by, bringing nothing but persist
ent failure, he knew that it was not for
him to possess the only thing he count
ed worth having. Occasionally scraps
of intelligence as to the course her life
had taken drifted to him. Her father
had died, and she had gone to live with
wealthy aunt in London. From stray
papers that reached him he learned
that her beauty had caused quite a sen
sation in society. Then at last came
the news that she had married a for
eigner Of great position, Prince Fan
dra.
He wondered If she ever thought of
Aforementioned the night he had
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 had
achieved some slight success, 1t was
too late. All that was left for him
was to take the absurd little journey
of sentiment
Early next morning he Travelled to
Beaulieu. He got out at the railwat
station and, following the path thar
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
perfect morning, a cloudless sky, tie
air soft and pregnant with the Pc
, fume OF the roses that grew right to
the edge of the tiny cliff. Some 30 feet
below him was the sea, not ripple on
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.