Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-24

of her stay in dAntris world. Her hus-
bands ancestral rock with its tumble down
castle had been bought back and the edifice
| itseif put into course of repair. A bijou
little house on the Pare Monceau and a
palazzo at Florence had been added to the
Conover fortunes purchases and at each OF
| these latter abodes a gaudy fete had been
planned, to introduce the American princess
ana her dollars to the class of people who
proposed henceforth to endure the one for
the sake OF the other
Then, according to the letter, a chateau
on the north shore of Como had been rent
| ed for the autumn months Here the bride
and groom had dwelt in Claude Melnotte
fashion for barely a week when another
| woman appeared.
! Inc newcomer was a singer formerly en-
pioyed at the Scala, but now just returned
from prolonged South American tour. Her
voice had given out. and. faced by poverty
she had prudently unearthed certain proofs
| TO the effect that. twelve years earlier, she
had secretly married Prince Amadeo
| d Antri, then youth of twenty-five
mus equipped, she had descended on the
| happy pair. and a most painful scene had
| ensued. D'Antri. confronted with the docu-
ments. had made no denial. but had tear
| fully assured Blanche that he had supposed
the woman dead Be this as II might the
nrst wlfe had been so adamantine as to re-
iuse with scorn the rich allowance d Antri
| offered her and had carried the matter IN
/ the Italian courts.
There 1t was promptly decided. that, as
Amadeos princely title chiefly honor
airy ana carried no royal prerogatives of
| morganat1c unions. the first marriage held.
| SO | am without a home and without n
! name, laborously translated Lefty pune
tuatlng her daughters written sentences
with shuttle and moan. What am | 70 doo
| Poor Amadeo' is dsconsoate II would
preak your heart to witness his grief. But
! he cannot help me. Most of our ready
| money has gone into the houses We have
| bought and other necessaries The bulk of
| my dot IS. OF course. decided to Amadeo ac-
| cording to continental custom. and 1t seems
! the poor fellows ignorance of finance has
| led him to invest IL in such way that for
! the present it is all tied up. / am without
| money. without friends. Helas! l.
In other words" interpolated Caleb
hes got her cash nailed down. and now
/ mes Kicking her out dead broke, while he
! and the other woman"
Il start tomorrow for Paris" continued
the letter. Il have just about money enough
! to get me there, and | shall stay with the
RACES until you can send for me. Oh
mother, please make 1t all right with father
II you can. Don let him blame poor Anna
deo. You know how father always
We'll, go on" commanded the railroader
grimly.
That's about ALL" faltered Lefty. The
rest is just
"A eulogy on the old man. Ell? Let it go
'Oh what are we to do?" driveled the
poor woman, sopping her eyes. And all
"All the splurge we made, and the wav
our dutiful girl was going to boost us into
the Four Hundred?" finished Caleb. THANK
the LORD, 1t comes too late for a campaign
document! But. guess it about wrecks
my last sneaking hope of landing on the
social hay-pile. Never mind that part of IL
now Well have all the rest of our lives
10 KICK ourselves over the way we've been
sold And I'll give myself the treat as soon
as can get away, of running over to
1urrup and having Friend dAntrl sent to
Jail for bigamy and treated real gentle and
there n
tip to the right politicians in Italy will do
1t. And a., guess it will: But l can't get
away till after this election business is all
cleared up. And Banches got to be brought
home right off. jerry
His sons momentary interest in the fam
lily crisis had already lapsed. He was sitting
stupid. glazed of eye, staring at the floor
At his fathers call he glanced up.
you'll have to go to Paris for her." went
on Conover, 'and bring her back. Take the
next steamer. There's boats sailing on
most Of the lines Wednesdays. Let's see
this Is Monday. Go to Ballston, as you
were going to. tomorrow morning. Get that
from there by registered mail. Be sure to
have 1t registered. Then catch the after
noon train to New York: That ought to
get you in by $50 or @. I'll telegraph Wen
dell tonight to find out what's the fastest
steamer sailing next morning, and tell him
TO take passage for you. Hunt him up as
board the boat. Thatll cut out any chance
of your missing it. Bring Blanche back
here to us by the earliest steamer from
france orr England that you get And
while you're in Paris, If you can hire some
one on the quiet to drop over into Italy
and put D Antri into the accident ward of
some dago hospital for a month or two /
don't mind paying five thousand for the
JOB. Come up to my study, and I'll fix you
up financially for the trip and give YOU that
note to Bruce Laner.
Gerald heard and nodded assent to the
rapped-out series of directions with as lit
tie emotion as though commanded to trans
init some campaign message to Billy Shev-
lin. His father, noting the quiet attention
and response was pleased herewith And
the latent fondness and trust which were
slowly placing his recent contempt for his
only and once adored son, perceptiby In
creased.
AS the two men left the ROOM Mrs Com
over looked lovingly after Gerald through
her tears.
Poor dear boy" she soliloauIzed Hes
getting to be quite his old bright self again
When Caleb mentioned his going to New
York his eyes lighted up Just the way they
used to when he was little"
All unaware that she had detected some
thing which even the Ralroaders vigilance
had overlooked, the good woman once more
abandoned herself to the joys of a new and
delightfully."- unrestrained fit of weeping
When at last she and her husband were
together, alone. that night, Mrs Conover
had some thought of commenting upon that
fleeing expression she had caught on Ger
AIDS face. But Caleb was so immersed In
his own unpleasant thoughts she lacked the
courage to ntrude upon his reflections.
Which is rather a pity, for had she done
so, the inefficient little woman might have
changed the history of the Mountain state.
(To be continued next Saturday,