Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-04-03

| most OI SLLEiuuu Wuo u uco'>
created and to be adored.
Now, when Mary returned the whoie
court rejoiced. and was anxious rol
Brandon to meet her and that they
should become friends. There wouid
be no trouble in bringing this meetihe
about, since. as you know. was upon
terms of intimate friendship with Ma.
~ and was the avowed ana. as
thought, at least hoped. all but accept
ed lover Of her first lady in waiting ana
dearest friend, Lady Jane BolingbroKe'
brandon. 1t Is true. was not noDle' not
even an English knight. while was
both knghted and noble, but ne was
of as old family as England Doasted
and near of kin to some or the Dest
blood of the land. The meeting came
about sooner than | expected and was
very near failure. 1t was on the sec
ond morning after Mary's arrival AZ
Greenwich. Brandon and ! were walk
ing in the palace park when we met
Jane. and ! took the opportunity 10
make these. my two best loved friends
acquainted.
"How do you do, Master BrandonT'
said Lady Jane, holding out her plump
little hand, so white and soft and dear
to me. II have heard something OF you
the last day or so from Sir Edwin, but
had begun to fear he was not going to
give me the pleasure of knowing you.
/ hope l may see you often now and
that may present you to my mis-
| tress."
With this her eyes, bright as over
grown dewdrops, twinkled with mis-
chievous little smile, as if to say, "Ah,
another large handsome fellow to make
q fool of himself"
/ Brandon acquiesced in the wish she
had made, and after the interchange
Of few words Jane said her mistress
was waiting at the other side Of the
grounds and that she must CO. She
| then ran off with laugh and cour-
tesy and was soon lost to sight behind
the shrubbery at the turning Of the
walk.
! In short time we came to summer
house near the marble boat landing,
I
Of her ladies awaiting the rest OF their
party for a trip down the river which
had been planned the day before. Bran
don was known to the queen and sever
al of the ladies', although he had not
been formally presented at an audi
ence Many Of the kings friends en-
joyed considerable intimacy with the
iri a
public stamp of recognition socially
which goes with formal presentation.
The queen, seeing us, sent me OF to
bring the king. After l had gone she
asked If any one had seen the Princess
Mary, and Brandon told her Lady Jane
had said she was at the other side of
the grounds. Thereupon her majesty
asked Brandon to find the princess and
to say that she was wanted.
Brandon started off and soon found
a bevy of girls sitting on some benches
under a spreading oak, weaving spring
flowers. He had never seen the prin-
cess, so could not positively know her.
As a matter of fact he did know her as
soon as his eyes rested on her, for she
could not be mistaken among thou
sand. There was no one like her or any
thing near it. Some stubborn spirit of
opposition, however prompted him to
pretend ignorance. All that he had
heard Of her wonderful power over
men and the servile manner in which
they fell before her had aroused In
him a spirit of antagonism and had be-
gotten kind of distaste beforehand
He was wrong in this. because Mary
was not a coquette in any sense Of the
word and did absolutely nothing to at
tract men except to be so beautifui,
sweet and 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 fairest being on
EARTH and the responsibility would
have to lie where it belonged-with
God. Mary would have none of 1t.
Her attractiveness was not matter
of volition or intention on her part.
She was too young for deliberate snare
setting. though it often begins very
early in life and made no effort to at
tract men Mans love was too cheap
a thing for her to strive for, and | am
sure in her heart she would infinitely
have preferred to live without it-that
Is, until the right one should come.
The right one is always on his way
and, first or last, is sure to come to
every woman-sometimes, alas, too
late-and when he comes, be it late
or early, she crowns him. even though
he be long cared ass. Blessed crown.
and thrice blessed blindness-else there
were fewer corouations.
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
leathery enough to frighten a satyr
with all respect due to her rank, but
with his own opinion of her neverthe-
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 fall around
his face, asked, Have l the honor to
find the Princess Mary among these
ladies?'
Mary, who I know you will at once
say was thoroughly spoiled, without
turning her face toward him replied:
as the Princess Mary person of so
IiftIa copcaouapco ahouf the court that ]