The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-01

Just as unhesitatingly I allowed him to | put me in the carriage and with flour l ish we dashed away. Finally we turned 1 into a gateway with huge statutes sur | mounting each side, and drove up for mad avenue of evergreens. On reaching | the open space at the end of the drive l l gave a gasp of delight, the view was so
 unexpected and charming. A stately | villa surrounded by a glorious Italian 1 garden that stretched away quite down | to the pines which bordered the river i The villa was of yellow stone, terraced l high, with imposing flights of marble l steps leading up to the portico, and far | handsomer than 1 had expected, from l Toms description As the carriage drew l up I was received with almost eonu- | mental ceremony. There were evidences 1 of festivity on all siues--but even this l did not quite prepare me for the magnif- | cence which greeted me upon entering l I had not dreamed that 1t was to De i such an elaborate affair, and concluded 1 that my invitation over the telephone | must decidedly have been an afterthought | The great reception hall and staircase were gorgeously decorated, and through | charming vistas one caught ghmpses or l the spacious drawing rooms, equally 1es- ! tive It was all as beautiful as "A Mid | summer Nights Dream, and and or chestra in some hidden nook playing d. | viney added the touch of entertainment l Flunldes in chocolate-colored livery | were hurrying about. and the very air 1 seemed charged with joyous expectancy. l I thought if this were an informal luh- l cheon,' what would a formal luncheon 1 be like?
 | As I passed the gallery where the or 1 chestra was playing I saw my dear old Herr Muhler conducting. 1 threw him 1 kiss. and he fairly beamed with delight. | Though I see him but rarely, we are the l best of friends, and he assures me al-
 ways that the world lost its greatest prima donna when I left the stage to 1 marry Tom!
 1 Upon reaching the dressing room ' found myself the first guest, but soon sev-
 eral others arrived in wonderful crea- , lions. and was inclined to resent not i having known that 1t was to be such smart affair. They all seemed to know l each other and were excitedly discussing ! some bride" This mother" "her father 1 "the jewels' and "the presents It was 1 quite like fairy tale, and deeply inter esting.
 1 was listening and leisurely wrestling
 with a refractory glove button, hoping | that perhaps an acquaintance mlght ar
 rive, when one of the maids whispereo' 1 Pardon me, madam, some one wishes | to speak to you.'
 | I supposed, of course, that it was Mrs. | Spaulding, but I was mistaken. It was
 
 the verge of apoplexy, and with him q <, gentleman whom later I found to be very
 distinguished in appearance but at that | moment he seemed even more apoplectlc | than Herr Huhler.
 l "Mein Herr" with German impetuosity ; was about to explode into speech, when 1 the gentleman warnngly said:
 "One moment, please and. taking us into a room near by, politely waved me to
 a seat, closed the door, and began hesitat
 ingly--"This lady, But Herr Muhler i interrupted excitedly:
 "rhis is my Mademoiselle Du Pre-, the great opera singer, famous on two cont- nents.'
 The gentleman bowed-I was too be-
 wldered to say a -"Mademoiselle,"
 he continued, we are in great trouble ana
 perplexity. had engaged Madame Mar
 celia Guerinni to sing today at my daugh-
 ters wedding. I wished my daughter to
 feel that everything had been done that
 money and affection could do, and have
 just received this telegram'-reading from
 a paper he held in his hand:
 Madame Guerrini badly injured in car-
 riage accident on way to station. Taken l to hospital"
 "The disappointment to my daughter l
 can scarcely estimate-she herself has
 chosen the bridal songs. Immediately on
 reading the message I went in great per-
 turbation to Her Muhler, who informed
 me that among my guests was one who
 could far outshine any effort of Madame
 Guerrinis, and that my daughter might yet be spared an unhappy moment on her
 wedding day. Mademoselle, though your
 name Is vaguely familiar, have not the | pleasure of knowing you. Perhaps in my
 eagerness my hospitality may appear sell | fish, but I bessech you to sing to us!
 If money be any object, no amount that l you may name, however great will be ! too much"
 As he finished, I struggled to my feet. Simple stupefaction had kept me silent ! or I should have interrupted him long before.
 q don't quite comprehend I stam-
 mered T did not know there was to be
 wedding, only an informal luncheon"
 He looked puzzled-then, folding his
 arms across his breast majestically, he | said: Today, at noon, my daughter is
 to marry his Grace, the Duke. of Ash l borough"
 sank back in my chair. overwhelmed | with confusion, and murmured brokenly: q think there must be some monstrous blunder-then you are not Mr. Richard Spaulding, you are Senator-?'
 'I am Senator Paulding, Mademoiselle."
 In that instant saw 1t all-the fright ! full misunderstanding Spaulding the con- fusion of names--and "The Ducal We'd
 dingw I had entirely forgotten It, though every separate detail nad been puDllSneu for days--in fact, for weeks New York had been agog over this wedding, and for the privilege of seeing Miss Paulding
 made the Duchess of Marlborough many women would have gone-well, to almost | any lengths, in order to be present. What
 must he think of me! I began hurriedly | to apologize.
 T beg thousand pardons for my pres
 ence in your house. I am an unbidden l guest at the wedding feast On Satur-
 day my husband received a telephone i message from Mrs. Spaulding asking me | to be her guest at an informal luncheon
 on Monday, and saying that her carriage l would meet me at the 10:30 train from l New York. At the station your coach-
 man confused the names, and thus the
 mistake occurred"
 But there must be some further er- ror" said he, the Spaulding place Is
 closed and they are in Europe" Surely 1 must have looked ready to join
 the gentlemen on the brink of apoplexy | or something worse! I wanted to weep | with yexation, and shriek with laughter all in the same breath. Did you ever find | yourself in a position so hllmiliating? | I'm positive you never did-and believe me, I mathematical poor Tom for plac- ing me in such an awkward position.
 "I know l am expected somewhere,' said tremulously, but as have no idea
 where, will thank you for your courtesy and slip quietly away"
 "Oh, Mademoiselie' he cried in alarm,
 holding up both hands if to detain me ..lxI xx1aI .t1 afa-