The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1903-05-21
JENNIE BAXTER: JOURNALIST
BY ROBERT BARR.
-TheDUCheSS Of ChISSe|1uISI'S Boil.
(Coltinusd.)

the best stenographers you have. They
are to relieve one another just rs If
,1sJ " ~ Ss;a,i.ing down parliamentary
speech The men had better be in
readiness at midnight. l shall be here
as soon after that as possible. If you
will kindly run over their typewriter
manuscript before 1t goes to the COM
positors, l will glance at the proofs
when have finished debating.
"Then you hope to attend the ball
yourselfY'
perhaps y
"You have just returned from the
Tyrol, and fear you don't quite APP
preciate the difficulties that are in the
way This is no ordinary society func
ton. and If you think even 81. 600 will
gain admittance to an unlimited guest
you will find yourself mistaken.
$50 understood from your letter.
Again the editorial interjection did
duty for laugh
"You are very sanguine Miss Bax-
ter I wish felt as confident How
ever, we will hope for the best and. If
we cannot command success we will at
least endeavor to deserve 1t. "
Jennie, with the el 900 at her dis
rosal, went to Paris, took rooms at the
most aristocratic hotel. engaged a maid
and set about the construction Of ball
dress that would be Il dream of beauty
Luckily, she knew exactly the gown
making resources of Paris. and the
craftsmen to whom she gave her orders
were not the less anxious to please her
when they knew that the question Of
cost was not to be considered From
Paris she telegraphed in the name Of
the Princess Won Steinheimer to Cla-
ridges hotel for an apartment on the
night of the ball and asked that a suit
able equipage be provided to convey
her to and from that festival
Arriving at Claridge's, she was
aware that her first danger was that
some one who knew the Princess Won
Steinheimer would call upon her. bu.
on the valid plea Of fatigue from her
journey she proclaimed that under no
circumstances could she see any visitor
and thus shipwreck was avoided at the
outset. 1t was unlikely that the Princess
Won Steinheimer was personally known
to many who would attend the balm
fact. the princess had given to Jennie
as her main reason for refusing the in
vitation the excuse that she knew no
one In London She had been invited
merely because Of the social position Of
the prince in Vienna and was unknown
by sight even to her hostess, the Duchess
of Chiselhurst.
It is said that woman, magnificent
ly robed is superior to all earthly trib
ulations. Such was the case with Jen,
ME as she left her carriage, walked
along the strip Of carpet which lay
across the pavement under a canopy
and entered the great hall of the Duke
of Chiselhurst 8 town house. one of the
huge palaces Of western London. Moth
ing 50 resplendent had she ever wit
messed or even imagined as the scene
which met her eye when she found her
self about to ascend the broad stairway,
at the top of which the hostess stood to
receive her distinguished guests. Early
as she was, the stairway and the rooms
beyond seemed already thronged. Splen
did menials in gorgeous livery, crimson
the predominant color stood on each
step at either side of the stair Uni
forms of every pattern from the gor.
geous oriental raiment of Indian princes
and eastern potentates to the more
sober but scarcely less rich apparel Of
the diplomatic corps, ministers of Tie
empire and officers, naval and mill
tary, gave the final note of magnificent
and picturesque decoration. Like trop-
ical flowers in this garden Of color were
the ladies, who, with easy grace, moved
to and fro, bestowing a smile here and
a whisper there, and yet, despite her
agitation, a hurried, furtive glance
around brought to Jennie the convic-
ton that she was perhaps the best
gowned woman among that assembling
OF well dressed people, which recogni-
ton somewhat Gained her palritating
heart The whole environment seemed
unreal to her, and she walked forward
as if in q dream. She heard some one
cry, 1.-THE Princess Won Steinhcimerp'
and at first had difficulty in realizing
that the title, for the moment, per-
tanned to herself. The next instant her
hand was in that of the Duchess of
Chiselhurst, and Jennie heard the lady
murmur that it was good Of her to
come so far to grace the occasion. The
girl made some sort of reply which she
found herself unable afterward to re-
call, but the rapid incoming Of other
guests led her to hope that if she had
used any unsuitable phrase it was ell
ther unheard or forgotten In the tension
Of the time. She stood aside and formed
one of the brilliant group at the head
Of the stairs, thankful that this first
ordeal was well done with.
Her rapidly beating heart had now
opportunity to lessen its pulsations, and
as she soon found that she was practi-
cally unnoticed her natural calmnoss
began to return to her. She remember
ed why she was there, and her discern
ing eye enabled her to stamp on reten-
two ,pop,pru tho uoric1a VII inn op ~