The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1902-11-20
Of you, or saw you, that day at Dick
Thurston's?" The girl drew back.


smiled at his crestfallen face.
1T can't be possible!" insisted
Ashe. ''The Princess Constantia
Gregorius-and l was ass enough to
ask of what! Don't you know, Miss
Gregory-didn't you realize that you
are my Lady of Dreams ?"
"I?" said Miss Gregory-'I your
Lady of-oh, Mr.. Ashe. Remember
that I'm not a resident-not to the
manor born, as it were. I'm Just a
country cousin from Binghamton.
Do you think it's nice to make fun
of me? Constantia Gregorius, in
deed." She laughed out, merry
little laugh.
"'She comes from a land nor near
nor far" said Ashe, guilty of
the banality of quoting his own
verses. Miss Gregory surveyed him
with amusement.
This is too fine a frenzy for me-"
she announced. Aren't you hungry,
Mr.. Ashe? Shan't we go and have
something to eat?" Ashe followed
/ her mechanically.
! Don't you sometimes wear n
cross on that chain" he asked.
Sometimes" she answered, with
lifted eyebrows.
"Weren't you in Morristown at the
Thurstons' last September" he pur-
sued.
"Yes, | was in Morristown, but
only occasionally AZ the Thurstons','
she returned.
"Then you did walk into the library
one Sunday afternoon and tell me
you were the Princess Constantia
Gregorius," he said, positively.
"Mr. Ashe." she said, reprovingly.
Have you twin sister?" asked
Ashe, desperately.
81 am all the daughters of my
fathers house." she said lightly, but
her eyes were dancing as she gave
him his chocolate.
Don't you remember the painful
taking off of Sapphira?' he inquired
stcrnly.
Miss Gregory counted on her fin
gers. "a princess, Constantia
Gregorius, an astral body-let mt
see! a dream, and now liar!" she
said. "Oh, fie, Mr.. Ashe!"
81 have $50 that belongs to you,'
said Ashe, irrelevantly.
II beg your pardon?" said the girl
blankly.
"By rights" asservated Ashe, witt
nod. Half of what l got for thai
my thought and labor are good fol
half, but you furnished the idea
you see." Miss Gregory sat dowI
on the nearest chair and laughed
aloud. Ashe slipped his chocolate
meditatively and watched her.
For a poet" she said at last, "yo,
are most unexpectedly practical
when I've offered to share my in
come with comparative stranger
chimerical, elusive dream-lady a
that?" he asked, raising his eye
brows.
I'm not sure about chimeras, bu
think they were monsters of SOM
kind" said the girl. "And your in
come is too small to be alluring. Mr.
Ashe. If you don't wish any mor
of that chocolate, won't you hav
something cold? No. Well, thel
come back to Mrs. Foster. I'm afrai,
, you'll be borrowing money of IN
next, to say nothing of the way il
which you are straining your poeti
fancy to find fattering names 70
me-" She took his cup and turne,
, away. Before he could follow h
. was seized upon and carried off il
triumph by some fair admirers, an
a quick glance back showed him tina
n fortunate elderly gentleman ha
. taken possession of her, so he re
signed himself to the inevitable, an
, did not see her again until just as h
was leaving. He had looked for he
| to say good-by, but in vain, and Mrs
Foster did not know where she ha
1 hidden herself, so he was startin
off, disappointed, but resolved no
= to let the thing drop, when her voic
| stopped him with his hand on tn
= door.
, "Au revoir, Mr.. Ashe," she sale
: leaning toward him from the loves
step of the stairway. "Au revoir.'
D THANK you," he Responded
D heartily. "And very soon, most fai
4 lady of the realm of my dreams"
That is really loving thing, MI
n Ashe," she said, land / am yer
n proud to think that you think tina
r . l had any part in it,"
But didn't you?" he demanded.
"Do I believe in telepathy?" sh
r asked, mockingly. "Am l an astra
I body, or bad dream?" He shoe
his high hat threateningly at her.
"The truth is not in you, Mac
u emoiselle Sapphira," he announced
:. "Hear the lion growi!" she rotor
ed, with a saucy nod. and turned t
d go upstairs. He took n step toway
her.
Miss Gregory" he said, implol
ingly. "Scriously. now?" she locke
at him over her shoulder with dan,