The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-06-07
By Harold MACGrath "

lemonade at-at % cents a glass.
She
Jack" came in wondering tones,
'for mercy's sake, what are you telling
me?"
Phyllis, can you not look back, per-
haps as i'm dream, TO an old inn where
soldiers and ministers in hurry and
confusion moved TO and fro? No; |
dare say you were too young. The
Princess Hildegarde of Hohenphalia
is your sister" | rose and bowed TO
her respectfully.
"My sister, the princess? l a prin-
cess? Jack" Indignantly, you are
hooking me! 1t is not fair!''
Phyllis, as sure as | stand before
you all have said is true And now
let me be the first to do homage to
your serene highness," taking her hand
despite her efforts to withdraw it ana
kissing ii.
1T is unreal! Impossible! Absurdv'
she cried.
Let me repeat the words of the
French philosopher who said, AS
nothing is impossible let us believe in
the absurd" said |.
And does she know-the Princess
Hildegarde? My sister? How strange
the word feels on my tongue"
mo; she does not know, but present
~ she Will"
Then Phyllis asked in an altered
tone, And what is all this to you that
you thrust this greatness upon me, a
greatness, | assure you, for which l
do not care?"
l regarded her vaguely. l saw
precipice at my feet. l could not tell
her that in making her a princess l
was making Gretchen free. l could
not confess that my motive was pure
ly a selfish one.
1T was a duty" said l evasively.
and in what way will it concern
the Princess Hildegarde's affairs-and
yours" She was rather merciless.
why should it concern any affair OF
mineY' | asked.
You love her, and she loves you.
May she not abdicate in my favor?'
And if she should? with an accent
Of impatience.
Phyllis grew silent Forgive me,
jack impulsive!y. "But all this is
scarcely to be believed. And then you
say there are no proofs"
Not in the eyes Of the law" l re-
piled. But nature has written it in
your faces" was wondering why
she had not gone into raptures at the
prospect of becoming a princess.
1T is a great honor" she said after
some meditation, land it is very kind
Of you. But | care as little for the
title as | do for this rose" And she
cast away one Of Pembrokes roses. 1t
BODIED i'll for my cousins cause.
The next person / saw was the chan
cellor
"WellY | Intercepted.
"There can be no doubt" he said.
but with an expressive shrug.
Life would run smoother if it had
fewer butts and ifs and 'perhapses.'
What you would say" said |, sis that
there are no proofs. Certainly they
must be somewhere"
But to find them" cried he.
Il shall make the effort. The pur-
suit is interesting"
The expression in his eyes told me
that he had formed an opinion in re-
gard to my part. "Ah, these journal
istsw as he passed on.
Everything seemed so near and yet
so far Proofs? Where could they be
found if Wentworth had them not?
If only there had been n trinket, n kerr
chief even. with the Hohenphalia crest
upon it! l shook my fists in despair.
Gretchen was so far away, so far!
| went in search of her. She was still
surrounded by men. The women were
not as friendly toward her as they
might have been. The prince was
standing near. Seeing me approach,
his teeth cleaned for an instant.
"Ah," said Gretchen, there is Herr
Winthrop, who is to take me in to
support
1t was cleverly done, thought. Even
the prince was Of the same mind. He
appreciated all these phases. AS we
left them and passed on toward the
supper room / whispered:
Il love your