The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-04-08
make these, my two best loved friends,
acquainted.

How do you do. Master Brandon7"
said Lady Jane, holding out her plump
little hand, 30 white and soft and dear
to me. II have heard something of you
the last day or 30 from Sir Edwin, but
had begun to fear he vas not going to
give me the pleasure of knowing you.
] hope 1 may see you often now and
that 1 may present you to my mis-
tress."
With this her eyes, bright as owe
| grown dewdrops, twinkled wish n mis-
chicvous little smile, rs IL to sag, "Ah,
another large handsome fellow to make
n fool Of himselfP
Brandon acQuiesced In the wish she
had made, and after the interchange
Of n few words Jane said her mistress
was waiting at the other side OF the
grounds and that she must go. She
then ran off with Il laugh and a cour
tesy and was soon lost to sight behind
the shrubbcry Mt the turning of the
walk.
In n short time we came to q summer
house. near the marble boat landing,
where we found the queen and some
of her ladies awaiting the rest of their
party for n trip down the river which
had been planned the day before. Bran
don vas known to the queen md sever
al of the ladies, although he Ind not
been formally presented ut m audi
encc. Many OF the kings friends CHI
joycd n considerable Intimacy with the
whole court without ever receiving the
public stamp OF 'ognition socially
which goes with nal presentation.
The queen, seeing $, sent me off to
bring the king. Aft, / had gone she
asked If any one had seen the Princess
Mary, and Brandon told her Lady Jane
mad said she was ut Ii other side OF
the grounds. T%hereupon her majesty
asked Brandon to find the princess and
to say that she was wanted.
Brandon started Off and soon found
a bcvy of girls sitting on some benches
under n spreading oak, weaving spring
flowers. He had never seen the prin-
cess, so could not p, Scly know her.
AS n matter of fact d know her as
soon as his eyes rested OH her, for she
could not be mistaken among n thou
sand. There was no one like her or any
thing near 1t. Some stubborn spirit OF
opposition, however, prompted him to
pretend Ignorance. All that he had
heard of her wonderful power over
men and the scrvilc n in which
they fell before her had aroused in
him Il spirit Of ~antngonism and had be-
gotten a kind OF distaste beforehand.
He was wrong in this, because Mary
was not n coQuettc in any sense Of the
word and did absolutely nothing to at
tract mon except to be so beautiful,
sweet aid -winning that they could not
let her alone, for all Of which surely
the prince of fault finders himself could
in no way blame her.
She could not help that God had seen
fit to make her the faircst being on
earth, and the responsibility would
have to lie where 1T belongcd-with
God. Mary would have none OF it.
Her attractivcncss was not u matter
Of ~volition or intention on her part.
She was too young for deliberate snare
setting. though 1t often begins very
carly in life, and made no effort to at
tract men. Mans love was too cheap
a thing for her to strive for, and I am
sure In her heart sue would infinitely
have preferred to live without it-that
Is, until the right one should come.
The right one Is always OH his way
and, first or last, is sure to come to
every woman-sometimes, alas, too
late and when he comes, be 1t late
or early, she crowns him, even though
he be Il long cared ass. Blessed crown,
and thrice blessed blindness-else there
were fewer coronations.
So Brandon stirred this antagonism
and determined not to see her manifold
projections. which he felt sure were
exaggerated, but to treat her as he
would the queen, who was black and
lcathcry enough to brighten n satyr,
with all respect due to her rank, but
with his w opinion Of her nevcrthe-
less safely stored away in the back Of
his head.
Coming up to the group, Brandon
took off his hat and, with a graceful
little bow that let the curls full around
his face, asked, Have / the honor to
find the Princess Mary among these
ladies!'
Mary, who I know you will ut once
say was thoroughly spoiled, without
turning her face toward him replied:
us the Princess Mary n person of 30
little consequence about the court that
She is not. known to q mighty captain
of the guard?"
He wore his guardsman's doublet,
and she knew his rank by his uniform.
She had not noticed his face.
Quick rs q flash came the answer:
II cannot say Of what consequence the
Princess Mary Is about the court. It
Is not my place to determine such mat
tiers. 1 am sure, however, she Is not
here, for I doubt not she would have
given a gentler answer to a message
from the queen. I shall continue my
search" With this he turned to leave,
and the ladies, including Jane, who
was there and saw 1t all and told me
of 1t, awaited the bolt they knew would
come, for they saw the lightning gath.
ering IN Mary's eyes.
Mary sprang to her feet with an an
cry flush In her face, exclaiming: 'Tn-
solent fellow, I am the Princess Mary.
II you have n message, deliver It and
be gone" You may be sure this sort
of treatment was such as the cool head
ed, darling Brandon would repay with
usury; so, turning upon his heel and
almost presenting his back to Mary, he
spoke to Lady Jane:
"Will your ladyship say to her high.
ness that her majesty the queen awaits
her coming at the marble landingT"
mo need to repeat the message,
Jane" cried Mary. ~ have ears and