The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-26
The American HeireSS.

1all upon the emptiness of the ROOM
Outside, through the palace windows,
the garden lawns were outlined with
small hedges of box and could be dimly
seen through the autumnal mist, to
which the colorS Of the opal were i'm
parted by a ray of sunshine falling on
the golden foliage of the park
At the beginning of winter Versailles
basked in the calmness and quiet OF the
day. so dreamlike in the vaporous at
mOsphere that the time flew by unWit-
tngly and the hours and nature herself
seemed to remain stationary behind a
crystal curtain. Versailles had opened
its galleries and windows on the hori-
Eon, and eternally contemplating the
past the mirrors on the walls reflected
the shadowy and cloudy forms.
A step sounded in the far off rooms,
and slowly, with frequent Stoppa ges,
seemed to draw nearer. The pictured
faces on the walls seemed to grow anx-
ious, the large eyes Of the princesses
and lords became more fixed, as though
listening The steps came nearer. They
were those of a woman, for the rustling
OF her dress could be heard on the floor
The steps were now so near that it be-
came painful strain to await the COM
ing of the young woman, for she was
young; footsteps reveal age and
even character. She came nearer
Louise de Lorraine glanced more stern
ly out of her gray-blue eyes, and, as
though giving way to a secret attrac-
~ADA-s N4AE NO44lc1A4 ~ AO Ainl0 CHLGANQ NCll
up to her
Louise de Lorraine, Princess of Tu-
renne and then Duchess Of BOuillon-
by Natter" read the visitor on the
frame.
Yes the proud eyes seemed to
Princess of Turenne." The young
woman had uttered these words with a
foreign accent. which sounded in her
mouth like a flower dropping to rest on
3 costly fiSGlIP better still 10
fume exhaling from a flower. Resplend-
ent with youth and health, free in her
movements and decided in her bearing
she was American.
The pictured face and the living one
stared at each other. One would have
imagined that the Duchess de Bouillon
wished to draw out from the living
creature before her the fire and flame
which made her alive. while she was
only a picture adorned with wreaths,
with the haughtiness of her glance, and
disdainful lips attenuated by trivial
painter.
The American stood dreaming in
front of the nobility and coldnes of the
princess. Was it to come closer to the
charming presentments of the great
come to Versailles. to those very rooms
where the pearls which she saw on
those delicate hands had once shone?
I have new strength in my blood /;
inherent races nave united TO make me
the woman I am. and yet
Yes" says Louise de Lorraine,
Duchess of BouillOn, you envy the
pure race which We represent. the
daintiness Of our hands, our sovereign
gracs.''
NO. no, lovely portrait, mysterious
woman. whose prim grace has been rem
dered by Natter. but not your daring
majesty do not envy you the beauty
of your hands nor the lily whiteness of
cOrf7Tl6yinu
long as those of your sisters, and my
mixed blood gives my nails more
brightness than your pure blood gives
yours am aware of my beauty, and I
secrets.
In the former days the aIchemists
prepared poisonous mixtures with
which the beautiful Afedicis, the prin-
eesses OF Spain, Austria. England and
France, enhanced their beauty and
fought against old age and its disfig-
urements- The juice of poisonous
flowers was extracted and made into
philters Of youth. But the color of
your cheeks was only impaired by the
mysterious concocttons of the Iabora-
tory, and your eyes owed their bril-
hancy to the help of belladonna.
am beautiful because of my
strength. the culture of nv energy. r
have replaced chemistry by gymnastics.
l glow with health and all my limbs are
tremendously formed. I do not wish to
be merely an ornament and part of the
decorations of life; 1 am d human force
now that is no longer derived from the
hearts of men"
Then it is not our beauty, our race,
our elegance that you envy? 1t is the
ne we nave led, that you regret not to
nave Known? Our court, our gorgeous
entertainments, the luxury of these nal
aces the magnifcence of our equi-
pagesc"
NO no." replies the American wo-
man The luxury that I enjoy is great
er than yours. lively portrait Only a
short time ago one of my sisters was
married, and if you were not an efigv
hung up in museum you would have
known that the whole world marveIed
at the entertainments and the wealth
which was displayed at the ceremony.
Inere was nothing but flowers under
the brides feet; they cost a million of
francs A million of flowers for one
wedding day, dear princess In the
whole of your life you never had a
quarter or half so much
our levels? Ours are finer The
American girl had five millions worth
OF diamonds among her wedding pres
ents.
Your entertainments We have less
goa on our dress, but we spend it Law
lshiy to hear the finest singers. the best
arusts We give a hundred thousa nd
francs to painter to have our smile
carried down to posterity; your painters
died in poverty
Your equipages? You never knew an
automobile, electricity or steam. bean
tltul portrait. Travelling for US is a
perpetual pleasure. I have crossed the
Atlantic to see a ballet, and 1 have OF
Ten come over merely to buy a hat.
CUR NE Is a continual whirl of pleas
ure- When you died, what could you
remember of this world where YOU
hved? A palace. and a park 1 have
gone all around the world. I have lived
among the mousmes with their hair
auoIhed with chrysanthemums; 1 have
slept under a tent: 1 have spent NIGHTS
IN sledSe near the north pole.
IN my eyes you can see the fire of
Nesuvius and the mirage of ali the ar
chipelagoes that 1 have seen in the
tropical seas. For the gorgeous pro-
cessions of India. where I have Soon
Fajahs pass by on their beJeweled eie-
phants; for the Persian gardens. where
j haze hean I'M a.cica 10