Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-05-24
liearee. WIN a grlrl,


George is an iuvetcrate gossip, ana
had l. told him that | was OF to huri-
tania the news would have been In
London in three days and in Park lane
In week. / was therefore about to re-
turn an eyasiye answer when he saved
my conscience by leaving me suddenly
and darling across the platform. Fol
lowing him with my eyes, | saw him
lift his hat and accost a graceful, fash
ionably dressed woman who had just
appeared from the booking office. She
was perhaps year or two over thirty,
tall, dark and Of rather full figure. AS
George talked saw her glance at me,
and my vanity was hurt by the thought
that, muffied in q fur coat and neck
wrapper flor it was a chilly April day.
and wearing soft travelling hat pulled
down to my eyes, must be looking
very far from my best A moment
later George rejoined me.
you've got charming travelling
companion" he said 'That's poor Bert
Bertram's goddess, Antoinette de Maui
ban, and, like you, she's going to Dres-
den-also, no doubt, to see the pictures.
It's very queer, though, that she doesn't
at present desire the honor of your ac-
quaintance"
Il didn't ask to be introduced" OBJ
served, little annoyed.
"Well, offered to bring you to her,
but she said, Another time. Never
mind, old fellow, perhaps thore'll be a
smash, and you'll have chance of res
cuing her and cutting out the Duke of
Strelsau."
No smash, however, happened, either
to me OF to Nine. de Aauban can
speak for her as confidently as for my
self, for when, after nights rest in
Dresden,I continued my journey she
got into the same train. Understand
ing that she wished to be let alone,
avoided her carefully, but saw that
SIZE went the same way as I did to the
very end Of my journey, and took OPP
portunities Of having good look at
her when could do so unobserved.
AS soon as we reached the Rurita-
MAN frontier (where the old officer who
presided over the custom house favor
ed me with such stare that l felt
surer than before of my Elphberg
physiognomy) bought the papers and
found in them news which affected my
novel its. For some reason which
was not dearly explained and seemed
to be something of q mystery the date
of the coronation had been suddenly
advanced, and the ceremony was to
take place on the next day but one.
The whole country seemed in stir
about 1t, and it was evident that Strel-
sau was thronged. Rooms were all let
and hotels overfowing. There would
be very little chance of my obtaining
a lodging, and I should certainly have
to pay an exorbitant charge for 1t. l
made up my mind to stop ut Zenda, a
small town fifty miles short of the cap
ital ard about ten from the frontier.
My train reached there in the evening.
I would spend the next day, Tuesday,
in a wander over the hills, which were
said to be very fine, and in taking
glance at the famous castle and 60
over by train to Strelsau on The
Wednesday morning, returning at
night to sleep ut Zenda.
Accordingly at Zenda / got out, and
as the train passed where l stood on
the platform I saw my friend, Nine.
dc Mauban, in her place. Clearly she
was going through to Strelsau, hav-
ing, with more providence than I could
boast, secured apartments there. l
smiled to think how surprised George
Featherly would have been to know
that she and | had been fellow travel
ers for so long.
was very kindly received at the
hotel-it was really no more than an
inn-kept by fat old lady and her
two daughters. They were good, quiet
people and seemed very little interest
ed in the great doings at Strelsau. The
old lady's hero was the duke, for he
was now under the late kings will
mastes Of the Zenda estates and OF the
castle, which rose grandly on its steep
hill at the end of the valley, a mile or
SO from the inn. The old lady, indeed,
did not hesitate to express regret that
the duke was not ON the throne instead
of his brother.
"We know Duke Michael" said she.
"He has always lived among us. Ev-
cry Ruritanian knows Duke Michael.
But the king is almost stranger; he
6as been so much abroad not one in
Ten knows him even by sight"
"And now," chimed in one of the
young women, "they say he has shaw
ed off his beard, so that no one at all
knows him."
SHAVED his beardw exclaimed her
mother. "Who says SOP
Johann, the dukes keeper. He has
seen the king"
"Ah, yes. The king, sir, is now at the
dukes shooting lodge In the forest