The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1904-02-04
A RUNAWAY
PRINCESS
By Curran
Richard Greenley
Copyright. 1908. BY T. C. McClsre

/ <8>EE%>E&>&$%ENHN ENNNNNNSSSSW@\
| sIt is useless, your highness, to pro
| test against the things that are" The
baroness smoothed down her laces
with plump little hands upon which
cleaned innumerable rings. Marie
| Amalie Constantia Louise - ''and all
the rest of it, as she said to herself,
Princess of Doldrums, arose from her
low chair with a most unroyal impa-
| tience. Swish, swish, went the silken
skirts over the polished floor, and the
Baroness Won Griefenstein wisely kept
| silence.
Marie Amalie stood at the window
and drummed a tattoo upon the pane.
Below, the little fountain tossed it's
laughing waters and the cuirassiers'
band poured forth the national air.
Marie Amalie was tired of fountains
that played in the sunlight, tired Of the
national hymn, sick to the soul OF the
duchy of Doldrums and all it contain
eG-all because a few short weeks be-
fore the baroness had taken her young
charge with her train to the hunting
schloss and then spent a glad, never
| to be forgotten day.
Somehow knows, for such
things have a way of managing them
seives-the equerries and the princess
maids drifted two by two down the
forest alleys in the languorous after
noon. The baroness nodded in her
chair. and Marie Amalie found herself
alone.
When Marr Davent rode from the
gasthaus that morning he drew long
| breaths Of the forest freshness. For
miles beneath the arching lindens of
the dukes forest he rode at walk, the
| reins hanging loose on the bays neck,
singing snatches of collew glees and
thinking of the far2f GnlnINay whittier
h would soon be going.
lie raised his eyes, and looked down
| the linden reaches-fooked and woke,
so near that the bay reared in sudden
fright. Then Davent slipped from the
saddle and stood, hat in hand. as Marie
Amalie came toward him through the
green twilight.
She did not attempt to excuse hersel;
| to herself, and to no one else did thai
| imperious young woman vouchsafe
| rhyme or reason for her deeds. 1t was
| temptation pure and simple, at time
| when the girl was sore imbittered
against the traditional shackles. A
| prisoned thing. bound and dumb in her
Jewels and laceS, she had known the
shame of the old roue's approval when
| he came to view her, as one would the
points of prize mare, and pronounced
her fit to be Duchess of Grassland.
"Fitv' Marie Amalie ground her white
teeth together at the remembrance Of
1t. But she smiled with level brows in
to the brown eyes of Davent as the
handsome head was bowed before her.
and then trouble began for the Baron
ess Griefenstein. '.:.s %t-# ..e>
Two hours later they parted under
the lindens, he believing her some no.
bleman's daughter in the train of the
young princess; she knowing: all the
facts about him. Marie Amalie came
up the linden walk, thinking deeply
An American, it suited her exactly
She thought of the yacht that lay
even now at Havre; thought. too. Of
the doddering old Duke of Grassland,
who had buried his second wife not a
year before. the pale, pretty princess
out of the north, who had been sold to
him, as they were selling her. :
Marie Amalie went softly up the
marble steps,, through the porticO and
down the hall, her footsteps making
no sound in the thick carpet. She
drew back the portiere that hung in
straight heavy folds. There was
smothered cry from within, rustic
Of paper but before the baroness could
close the drawer white hand closed
firmly upon her wrists. .-. ~...
"What are you doing here among
the private papers of Duke FritzY'
The baroness sank down., gasping.
speechless. as Marie .Amalie lowered
over her. Then the girl made a hasty
examination of the drawer. The key
was in the lock. A fragment of wax
that adhered to the keyhole told the Sc
cret of the baroness access to the pa
pers of the young duke who had killed
himself in that very room years before,
when the Baroness Griefenstein had
been a famous court beauty and Marie
Amalie but a child in the cradle.
Only bundle of yellowed letters,
written in the delicate Italian script
affected by the women of that genera
ton. Marie held them thoughtfully;
then. with sudden impulse, retied the
faded ribbon about them. locked the
drawer and placed the key in her
bosom. The letters she kept in her
hand. With slow smile around the
mischievous red mouth. she passed
through the portiere out into the sum
light. She held the key to the situa-
ton.
The Baroness Griefenstein was SEN
sible woman. She knew herself at the
mercy Of the girl whom heretofore she
had ruled relentlessly. Therefore,
through the weeks that followed she
temporized, telling herself that it was
only for a time. In a month the girl
would be safely married. There were
various expeditions to the forest, even
ing walks, when only the baroness
guarded the pretty princess. The
young American still fingered at the
gasthaus and rode his bay through the
dukes forest.
Meanwhile the women came and
went. intent upon the preparations for
the marriage. All around the luxuri-
GUS room were scattered the silks and
laces, Jewels strewed the tables. And