Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1901-04-26
CHAPTER NIX.
Copyright, 1900,
By Harold EacGra,h.


the numerous coy corners. had
danced badly and out Of time. The
music and the babel Of tongues had
become murmurous aud indistinct
Aud so that Is the Princess Hide
gardeG" she said after a spell
Yes; she is your double. Is she not
beautiful
is that a left handed compliment to
met" Phyllis was smiling. but she
was colorless.
What do you think of herr" sup
pressing the eagerness in my voice.
''She is to be envied," softly.
And | grew puzzled.
Jack. for a man who has associat
ed with the first diplOmatIsts Of the
world, who has learned TO read the
world as another might read a book,
you are surprisingly unadept in the art
of discrimination"
That is a very long sentence" said
l in order to gain time enough TO
fathom what she meant. | could not.
So | said, What do you mean?"
Your whole face was saying to the
princess, 1 love you! glance told
me all | was glad for your sake that
no other woman saw you at that mo-
ment. But suppose it would not have
mattered to you"
Not if all the world had seen the
look" modify.
Poor Jack, you are very unluckyv'
Her voice was full of pity. Il feel so
sorry for you. it is all so impossible.
And she loves you too"
How do you know"
81 looked at her while she was look
ing at you"
You have wonderful eyes"
so have been told. | wonder why
she gave you that withered and worm
eaten rose:"
a whim,' | said, staring at the rug.
/ wondered how she came to surmise
that it was Gretchen's rose? Intuition
perhaps.
DO you love her well enough" ask
ed Phyllis, plucking the lace on her
fan, "to sacrifice all the world for her,
TO give up all your own happiness that
she might become happy
"She never can be happy without me
if she loves me as believe" | ad-
NIT that this was a selfish thought to
express.
"Then why is it impossible, your
love and hers? If her love for you is
as great as you say it is, what is a
king, prince or a principally to her?'
ut is none of those. 1t is because
she has given her word, the word of a
placer suddenly.
up Phyllis leaned back among the
cushions, her eyes half closed and a
smile on her lips. II am afraid that If
! loved you l should follow you TO the
end of the world. Honor is a fine
thing, but in her case it is an empty
word. If she broke this word for you
who would be wronged? No one, since
the prince covets only her dowry and
the king desires only his will obeyed
Perhaps do not understand what so
cial obligation means TO these people
who are born in purple"
perhaps that is it. Phyllis, listen
y
has not yet been drawn to its end
Once upon a time-let me call 1t q
fairy story" said |, drawing down 9
palm leaf as if to read the tale from
it's blades. "Once upon a time in 6
country far from ours there lived g
prince and a princess. The prince was
rather a bad fellow His faith In his
wife was not the best, and he made 6
VOW that if ever children came hi
would make them as evil as himself
Not long after the good fairy brough
two children to her godchild, the prin
cess. Remembering the VOW made by
the prince, the good fairy carried ava!
anything about it save the princess
and the fairy. When the remaining
child was years old, the princess died
The child from then on grew like {
wild flower. The prince did his best t.
spoil her, but the good fairy watched
over her just as carefully as she watch
ed over the child she had hidden away
By and by the wicked prince died. TIL
child reached womanhood. The goot
fairy went away and left her. Per
haps she now gave her whole attention
to the other" ! let the palm leaf Sill
back and drew down fresh one, Phyl
lis watching me with interest 9Th
child the fairy left was still child TO
all her womanhood. She was willfu
and capricious; she rode, she fenced
she hunted; she was as unlike othe
women as could be. At last the king
who was her guardian, grew weary o
her caprices. So he commanded tina
she marry. But what had the fair
done with the other child, the twii
sister Of this wild princess? Perhap
in this instance the good fairy diet
and left her work unfinished, to b.
taken up and pursued by convention
al newspaper reporter. Now this pr
TEN. fairy ascertained that the goot
fairy had left the lost princess in tn
care of one of foreign race. Havin
wife and daughter of his own, h
brought the princess up as his niece
not knowing himself who she reall
was. She became wise, respected an
beautiful in mind and form. Fate
who governs all fairy stories, frs
brought the newspaper reporter int
the presence Of the lost princess. Sh
was mere girl then and was sellin
lemonade at-at % cents a glass
She
Jack" came in wondering tone!
FOR mercy's sake, what are you telln
meT
phyllis, can you not look back, pei
haps as in dream, to an old inn wher
soldiers and ministers in hurry an