The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-02-12
sc Glya's s.
Cbaperon
BY Virginia Leila Wenfx
Copyright, 1906, by E. c. PARCELS

Drought nef caDleKram.
| 1t was message from her lord and
master in Chicago declaring that heI
| immediate presence was required. Al
once all the brightness faded out of the
Tuileries. for the frivolous gayety OF
Paris had been especially attractive to
natron of the west.
But, mother, you'll have to go alone
It'll be whole month before my sing
ing lessons are finished, you know"
broke in Elya who was having her
f1axen hair shampooed by a real Pari-
sian hairdresser.
Mrs. Dix clasped her ring bedecked
hands when she agreed about anything
You'll have to have chaperon, OF
course, dear" she added Now. who
can we get on such a little notice."
There was silence for moment
while the deft fingers of the hairdress.
er ran through the faxen hair with a
soothing touch Then Elya's glrlish
voice sounded in delightful treble:
'Oh, mother! l know the very per,
son. She's terribly nice and awfully
ladylike' (Elya always emphasized her
adverbs and used indiscriminate ones
at that, "end she's an American, and
that's the best of all-oucht' In her
eagerness she'd turned her head Bit
too suddenly, and some soap had got In
her sapphire eyes
oh. | know who you mean" helped
. out Mrs. Dix, while her daughter strug
gled with the soap. You mean Miss
C1emmens, the governess to that little
English boy who died last week: Yes.
she's looking for another engagement
that's true. And she certainly is a
lady"
So Miss Dorothy Clemmens of New
York was engaged to chaperon E1ys
Dix for a month In Paris and Their
bring her back to America
To console herself for her mothers
departure. Elya had Miss Clemmens
secure tickets for that nights opera.
She sat In a box in her young beauty
set of by 5000 Paquin gown and Sc.
renely allowed the audience to stare.
Already she was learning that the
mission of the beauty is to support
modistes and to be stared at Behind
her, ROBBED in some soft, inexpensive
gray stuff with q narrow white lace
collar, sat her chaperon.
The opera was "Siegfried," the scher
20 of Wagner's great symphony as
Lavignac has called It, Upon Miss
ClQran1nnof eli,
not heard an opera for over q year, II
fell like gracious dew and fetched
sweet refreshment When the orches
ira tells the mood of Siegfried in the
second act. feeling the first fret OF
awakened passion, her eyes shone like
stars, her lips parted slightly, and just
at that juncture a man in the audience
caught her perfect profile as she leaned
slightly forward.
That same look, downward and side
wise and smiling! That exquisite head
in its cloud of wavy dark hair! Pau
Demarest brushed away the years that
had blurred it all, and then suddenly
he remembered. Yes, he remembered
oh, 1t was so long ago, so many years
ago,
And she was in the same box with
that gay little butterfly. that American
firt. Eiya Dix Bless Elya Dix! 1t was
the first time he had ever felt grateful
to her He would make his way to her
box at the end of the second act.
why, Mr. Demarest! I'm awfully
glad to see you Il honestly am
Thought you'd forgotten me. And I'm
all alone now mother sailed unex.
pectedly for home this morning-and
I'm all alone now" Elya greeted him
in her young untamed effusiveness az
he entered the box
"All alone|' he questioned gravely.
"Well, there's Miss Clemmens here
my chaperon BY the way, she's ar
American too. Miss Clemmens, Mr.
Demarest You've heard mother SPEAK
Of him, I'm sure Oh, here come
Dickie Marston and Bob Sawyerl
How terribly Jollyw Elya reached Out
her daintily gloved hand to greet two
newcomers.
They were of the aggressive type
these two English chaps, and in few
seconds Demarest made his way to
Miss Clemmens in the rear.
do you know, Miss Clemmens," he
began curiously. the last time / saw
you you wore your hair i'll two braids,
and wrote poem and dedicated it to
the curls at the end"
His voice and mouth We're grave. but
there was smiling CLEAN in his eyes.
Miss Clemmens glanced rather blank
ly from beneath her heavy lashes at
this man well under forty.
Il think" she began, with calDl
dignity BETTING her positlon-but just
then, on the very second word of re
prevail, fash of understanding radiat-
ed over her tired, lovely face. You
surely you're not Prince Paul?"
'"The very same-princess.'
Paul Demarest bowed very low
"But-but why Demarest''- pursued
Miss Clemmens with puzzled uncer'
tainty.
"A grand-uncle over here without
any closer issue left me his money and
estates, providing I'd take his name in
the bargain l took them all" The
light raillery in the voice changed tc
seriousness. But I'd have known you,
princess. If you went by any name I'M
der heaven
For PHYS saker' dimpled she. Then
she added with wistful dignity: "But
l must have changed a deal since then.
That was nearly twelve years ago.
Just fancy
Il don't see the changes" said he
gallantly ITO me you're just the
same
But, oh, how tired she looked-his
gay. light hearted little princess! And
how he longed to fold her protectingly
in his arms The wide divergence in
that moment between what this man
wished to do and what he did do
stands for civilization.
DO you remember those glorious
sails we used to have on Long Island
sound?'' he asked constrainedly, pick
ing up the fan which she had dropped
Remember? The Partisan opera
house and the hum of chattering voices
faded away. In their place came the
big. blue sound covered with white
sails, and no voice save that of Prince
Paul. teaching her the "Marselllaise" In
French. Oh. what voice he had And
the salt spray was again on her tanned
cheek, the wind blowing through her
hair
Once upon time" began Paul Dem
Arrest, there was a young chap with
a lot of Ideals and ambitions and that
sort O. thing who went to spend a
summer in quiet little place on Long
Island. 1t seemed absurdly. irritat-