The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-03-12
fcont;rpad $50, Saon

the lady was something of celebrity.
George jingled his money, smiled
cruelty at poor Bertram and answered
pleasantly:
Nobody knows. BY the way, Bert,
met great man at her house the
other night--at least about month
ago. Did you ever meet him-the Duke
of Strelsau?' &s
"Yes, did, growied Bertram. s
AN extremely accomplished man, I
thought him."
1t was not hard to see that Georges
references to the duke We're intended
to aggrayate poor Bertram's sutferings,
so that / drew the inference that the
duke had distinguished Nine, de Maui
ban by his attentions. She was wild
ow. rich, handsome and, according to
repute, ambitious. 1t was quite pos
sible that she, as George put it, was
flying as high as parsonage who was
everything he could be short Of enjoy
ing strictly royal rank, for the duke
was the son of the late king of Ruri-
tania by second and morganatic mar
riage and half brother to the new king.
He had been his fathers fayorite, and
it had occasioned some unfavorable
comment wnen he had been created a
duke. with title derived from no
less city than the capital itself. His
mother had been of good, but not ex-
allied, birth. FIX
Hes not in Paris now, is he?" /
asked. .~..@~..
''Oh, no! He's gone back to be pres
ent at the kings eoronation: cere-
mony which, / should say, he'll not
enjoy much. But, Bert, old man, don't
despair! He won't marry the fair An
toinette-at least not unless another
plan comes to nothing. Still. perhaps,
She He paused and added, with Il
laugh, "ROyal attentions are hard 10
resist. You know that, don't you, Ru-
dolf?'
"Confound you!' said l, and. rising,
left the haDiess Bertram in George
hands and went home TO bed.
The next day George Featherly went
with me to the station, where | took
q ticket for Dresdea.
"Golng to see the pictures?" asked
George. with grin.
George Ii an invetarate gossip. and
had told him that WAS or to Ruri-
.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 darting across the platform. Fol,
lowing him with my eyes, | saw hir:
lift his hat and accOst graceful, fash
ionably dressed woman who had just
| appeared from the booking Office She
was perhaps a 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. muffled in fur coat and a neck
wrapper flor it was a chilly April day
and wearing a 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 Mau
ban, and, like you, she's going TO Ores
den-also, no doubt, TO see the pictures
It's very queer. though, that she doesn't
at present desire the honor fsyour &C
quaintance"
Il didn't ask ts be introduced" OBJ
served, little annoyed.
well, / offered to bring you to her
but she said, Another time Never
mind, old fellow, perhaps there'n be d
smash, and you'll have chance Of res.
cuing her and cutting out the Duke OF
Strelsau."
No smash, however, happened. either
to me or TO Nine. de Mauban. I car
speak for her as confidently as for my
self. for when, after a nights rest in
Dresden. / continued my journey she
! got into the same train. Understand
ing that she wished to be let alone, !
avoided her carefully, but ] saw that
she went the same way as did to the
very end Of my journey. and took op
portunities Of having a good look al
her when could do 70 unobserved.
/ As soon as we reached the Rurita
MAN frontier fwhere the old officer who
presided over the custom house favor
ed me with such a stare that I fell
surer than before Of my Elphbers
physlognomy1 I bought the papers ans
found In them news which affected my
movements. For some reason whici
was not clearly explained and seemed
to be something Of mystery the dat
Of the coronation had been suddenly
advanced. and the ceremony was I,
take place on the next day but one
The whole country seemed In stIi
about II, and II was evident that Strel
sau was thronged. Rooms were all le
ard hotels oYerfowIng. There wouit
be very little chance OF my obtaining
a lodging. and should certainly hay,
10 pay an exorbItant charge for H.
made up my mind 20 stop at Zenda, 1
small town fifty miles short Of the cap
Ital and about ten from the frontier
Ny train reached there In the evening
/ would spend the next day, Tuesday
In a wander over the bills, which werl
1 wmNA A.. A.. .sa... A..n anH Ia al 4