Cañon City record., 1903-12-03
wearing an air of ,-ignity. Cards were
r,,.a,.o.nL a, Il ,S tho t,nma proDressed

wearing an air of ,-ignity. Cards were
proposed. n. d as the game progressed
she gradually Iii''ent again and be
came affable and familiar as earlier in
the evening. Brandon. however, was
frozea. He WIS polite. dignified and
defe.ei-sial to tie ladies. but the spirit
of the evening YVES gone since, he hhc
furnished it all with lis free, offhand
manner. full of life and brightness.
After short time. Mary's warming
mood failing to thav our frozen fun
maker. and in her heart infinitely pre-
ferring pleasure to dignity. she said:
''Oh. this is wearisone. Your game is
far less entertaining than your new
dance DO something 10 make me
laugh. Master Brandon"
Il fear you must call in VIII Som
mers." lie replied. If you wish to laugh.
| cannot please you in both ways. 50
will hold TO the one which seems to
suit the princess
Mary's e.. - laahed. and she said
ironically:
THAT soun,.s very much as though
yon cared 10 plca:e me in any way
Her lips parted. ;...d she evidently lad
something unkind ready to say. but she
held the breath she had taken to speak
il with and after one or two false starts
in as many different lines continued:
But perhaps | deserve it. ask you
to forgive me. and hereafter desire You
three upon AL proper occasions. whel.
we are by ourselves. to treat me rs one
of you as a woman, a girl. | mean.
Where is the virtue OF royalty If 1t only
means being put upon n pinnacle above
all the real pleasures of life. like fool
lsh old Stylites ON his column? The
queen is always preaching to me about
tie strict maintenance of my dignity
royal as she calls it. and perhaps she
is right. But out upon dignity royal.
say /. 1t is n terrible nuisa.cc. Oh.
you don't know how difficult it is to be
princess and not fool Thete-' And
SIZE sig ghed in apparent relief.
Then, turning to Brandon: you have
taught me another good lesson, sir,
and from this hour yon are my friend.
If you will be, SO long as you are
worthy-no, l do not mean that;
know you will always be worthy-but
forever. Now we are at rights again.
Let US try to remain so-that is, l
WILL" and she laughingly gave him her
hand, which he. rising to his fee,,
bowed low over and kissed, rather fer
vently and lingeringly, l thought.
Hand kissing was new to us in Eng
land. excepting in case of the king and
queen at public homage. 1t was lit
tie startling to Mary. though she per-
mitted him to hold her hand much
longer than here was any sort of need
o., uha
easily see from her telltale cheeks,
which were rosy with the thought of
it.
So 1t is when a woman goes on the
defensive prematurely and without
cause. 1t makes 1t harder to apply the
check when the real need comes.
After little card playing l express
ed regret to Jane that ! could not have
dance with her for lack Of music.
II will play, IL the ladies permit"
said Brandon, and he took Lady James
lutte and played and sang some very
pretty little love songs and some comic
ones. too in style not often heard in
England. so far away from the home
of the trout 1dour and iute. He was
full of surprises. this splendid fellow.
with his accomplishments and graces.
When we had danced as long as we
wished-that is. as Jane wished; as for
myself, l would have been dancing yet
Mary again asked us to be seated.
Jane having rested. Brandon offered to
teach her the new dance, saying he
could whistle an air well enough to
give her the step. l at once grew un-
easy with Jealous suspense. for ! did
not wish Brandon to dance in that
fashion with Jane. but to my great
relief she replied:
mo. thank you; not tonight" Then.