The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1903-07-31

J. Woufd tlre little fctc that evening
IN one so1fthc smaller halls and direct
ing NE 70 hc there rs master of the
1 qance.< e.<4seompanying tho message was
- h0te rpm no less person than the
Z hersclf, inviting Brandon.
Ihis WIS an honor indecd-an auto.
graph iHyitation from the hand of Ma
| Hut Sthe mastcrful rascal did not
seeni 70 eonsidcr 1t anything unusual
ana whep handed him the note upon
his sretufh from the hunt lie simply
fend nds1tsgarelcssly over once, tore it in
| pieces 9Nd tossed it away. l believe
the DHkfS OF buckingham would have
gikfu kuOOO CROWNS to receive such Il
snote aud wOuld doubtless have shown
-lt 70 hait the court I'm triumphant con-
fidehe e86eeforc the middle OF the night
10 TINS great captain of the guard IL
| was putsn scrap of paper. He was glad
4 10 We c1tancverthclcss and with all lis
setf restraint and stoicsm could not
/ sercchu his pleasure.
branaoA MT once accepted tho invita-.
lion ID HePersonal note to the princess.
Ihe poiohrss or this actually took my
breqth, and 1t seems at first to have
startied Riary little also. AS you
must know by this time, her dignity
royal wQs subject to alarms and quite
her most troublesome attributc-vcry
apt TO receive damage In her relations
! with Brarslon.
| MarySdid not destroy BrandCn's note.
despite the fact that her sense Of dig.
/ nifty had bccn disturbed by 1t. but after
she bad read 1T slipped of into her pri-
vate room, road it again and put it OH
her cscrltoirc. Soon she picked It up.
reread itsand. after n little hesitation.
| put II infIcr pocket 1t remained i'm
the pocket for Il moment or two, when
| out 1t catnc for another pcrusal, and
then she unfastcned her bodice and nut
1t in her bosom. Mary had been so in
1 tent upon what she was doing that she
had not seen Jane, who was sitting
i quietly In the window, and when she
| turned and saw her she was so angry
she snatcbed the note from her bosom
and threw it upon tho floor, stamping
her fOotsin embarrassment and rage.
How lElrc you watch me. hussy?"
she cried ''You lurk around as still rs
| thagraye,q and have to look into every
nook aDdecorncr wherever go or have
Eyou spying Oh me-"
dId not spy upon you. Lady Mary"
said Jspe quietly.
I Don't answer me! know you did!
wailtgou t6:be lessssllent after this.
1 Do yoil sstSset. Cos,rI Ii0rS sing Sor STUN
/ BILE; do something, anything, that I
may hear you"
Jane rose, picked up the note and Of
fered it to her mistress, who snatched
1t with one hand while she gave her
sharp slap with the other. Jane ran
| out, and Mary, full Of anger and shame,
| slammed the door and locked 1t. The
| note, being the cause Of all the trouble,
she impatiently threw to the floor
again and went over to the window
bench, where she threw herself down
to pout In the course Of five minutes
she turned her head for one feeting
| instant and looked at the note. and
| then, after little hesitation, stole
| over to where she had thrown 1t and
picked 1t up. Going back to the light
at the window she held it In her hand
moment and then read 1t once twice,
| thrice. The third time brought tho
smile, and the note nestled In tho
| bosom again.
Jane did not come off so well, for her
mistress did not speak to her until she
called her in that evening to make her
toilet. BY that time Mary had forgot
ten about the note IN her bosom; so
when Jane began to array her for the
dance 1t fell to the floor, whereupon
both girls broke into laugh, and Jane
kissed Mary's bare shoulder, and Mary
/ L. fka ton 90
were friends again.
So Brandon accepted Mary's invita-.
tion and went to Mary's dance. but his
going made for him an enemy of tho
most powerful noblcman In the realm,
and this was the way of it:
Those parties Of Mary's had been 60
| Ing on once or twice week during the
entire winter and spring. and usually
included the same persons. 1t was
| sort OF coterie. whose members were
more or less congenial and most of them
very jealous Of interlopers. Strange
as 1t may seem, uninvited persons Of
| ten attempted to force themselves ia,
and all sorts Of schemes and maneu-
| vers were adopted to gain admission
TO prevent this two guardsmen with
halberds were stationed Mt the door,
Modesty. | might say. neither thrives
nor is useful ut court.
| When Brandon presented himself at
the door, his entrance was barred, but
lie quickly pushed aside the halberds
and entered. The Duke of Bucking-
ham, proud, self important individu-
al, was standing near the door and
saw 1t all. Now, Buckingham was
one Of those unfortunate persons who
never lose an opportunity to make a
mistake. and, being anxious to display
his zeal on behalf Of tho princess, stop
ped up to prevent Brandon's entrance.