Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-07-22
At Mrs. Schuyler's -.. Ball .-..
By l.. c. HOWE
scopyright. 1908. by Daily Story Pub. Co.,,

'XXTITH all the wealth of the Roth w bilts back of her, Caroline had been brought up with the belief that she must not Let herself go too cheap, ly. Nothing else than an English earl, or Russian prince, could aspire to her and her famous silver mines. So when Prince Austerlitz and his suite came to visit America, and incidental ly to find an heiress wealthy enough to retrieve the Austerlitz fortunes, the world and his wife pointed to Caroline, Rothbilt and said:
 ssShe is the one. There is no other who stands a ghost of a chance to be, princess. She can outbid all the heir- esses of America; her wealth is fabu- lous."
 Mrs. Cortland Schuyler was the for tunate leader of society, upon whom was conferred the honor of introduc- ing the prince and his suite to the world of America. She had planned 8 ball that should outrival the Bradley Martins. The only disappointment she had had in her preparations, was the fact that Caroline Rothbilt had been unable to accept her invitation to the dinner that should precede the ball; Caroline and her fabulous wealth had been one of the drawing cards in at- tracting the prince Notwithstanding her absence, however, the dinner was pronounced the most magnificent ever given in New York, and the dance that followed was as brilliant and sumptu- ous as a colossal fortune could make 1t.
 Caroline was late at the ball, and Mrs. Schuyler was almost in despair, when the prince had asked for the third time if the lovely Miss Rothbilt were not to appear at all. Her en- trance was all the more effective when she did arrive, and the prince watched her eagerly from his place beside Mrs. Schuyler, as she pointed out the heir ess to him. Flushed, radiant, her SUI perb shoulders and neck rising flower like from a filmy pink cloud of drapery. the famous Roth bilt pearls gleaming softly on her bosom and in her hair, she drew the attention of everyone in the room as she made her way to her hostess.
 The rooms were filled with the most beautiful women in America with & gay sprinkling of brilliant foreign uni- forms of the prince's suite against a background of sober, conventional evening dress. The gorgeously deco rated house, full of priceless paintings and bronzes and tapestries made an appropriate setting for the gay scene. Caroline felt that she had stepped into some old-world palace.
 With ill-concealed eagerness her hos tess brought up the prince and his secretary to be presented to her, and all the world stopped 8 moment in it's mad career and watched the porten- tous meeting. Both lmen bowed low before her in their courtly foreign fashion, and both looked upon her with open admiration in their eyes That much the world could see.
 The prince was magnificent speci- men of manhood. One could tell at g. glance that the blood of a race of nobles flowed in his veins. Tall and muscular. with the body of Greek athlete, and the head of an Adonis, he was in striking contrast to his secre- tary, who was small, prematurely old, with face lined with dissipation; g. face weak, hninteresting, almost re- pulsive to beauty-loving Caroline. She imperiousIy turned her back upon4hirn, leaving him to the tender mercies Of her hostess. As long as destiny had ordained her to be the wife of a great man, what good fortune that such g. one as this prince should be sent to her!
 When their eyes met 8 swift electric flash thrilled them both. "It Is des- tined" he murmMred to himself.
 She refused the secretary curtly. when he pleaded for a dance, andta look of hatred and hurt pride followed her and her prince, as they moved toward the ballroom, & stately couple in their youth and perfect physical beauty. He danced as only an Austrian can, and after their third waltz together. with eloquent eyes he bent his beauti- ful head down and whispered: You waltz disdnely, as no American have ever ssan. One would think you were an Austrian"
 She was indignant at herself, as she felb the color mount into her cheeks, end knew that he, too, saw 1t, for he murmured low: "You are "a beautiful blush Vose In that gown, which is like bit of sunset cloud. Come In here, where 1t is cool.n and he lead her to- ward tho great, diSaasraashted conr aeryataExe