The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1907-03-14
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D. Virginia Leila Vents


deus when The boy In The hotel M
brought her . cabiegram.
II WAS a message from her lord and
MASTER Ia Chicago declaring that hei
Immediate presence was required. Al
onco all the brightness faded cut Of The
Juiieries. for the frivolous gayeiy OF
Paris bad been especially attractive iC
this portIy. easy going good natnred
ma,rou of the west.
"But. mother. you'il have TO go alone
! lt'n b. q whole month before my sing
ing lessons are finished. you know. .
broke In Elya. who was having her
la1en hair shampooed by = real Pari.
sian hairiresser.
Mrs Dix clasped her ring bedecked
! pudgy hands She always clasped her
I hands when she agreed about anything
I "Y0ull have TO have chaperon. Of
Z 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 halrdress-
er ran through the haxen hair with a
soothing touch Then Elya's glrlish
voice sounded Ia delightful treble:
"Oh. mother! know the very per
son She's terribly nice and awfully
iadylike" tElya always emphasized her
adyerbs and used lndiscriminate ones
at that, 'and she's an American, and
that's the best OF all-ouchw In her
eagcrness she'd turned her head bit
too suddenly. aud 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
Clemmens, the governess 10 that little
English boy who died last week. Yes,
she's looking for another engagement,
that's true And she certainly is n
lady"
SO Miss Dorothy Clemmens Of New
York was engaged TO chaperon Elya
Dix for a month In Paris and then
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 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
modstes and to be stared at. Behind
her, robed In some soft, inexpensive
gray stuff, with a narrow white lace
collar. sat her chaperon.
The opera was "siegfried," the scher.
70 OF Wagner's great symphony, as
Lavignac has called 1t. Upon Miss
Clemmens' music parched soul (she'd
not heard an opera for over a year. 1t
sweet refreshment. When the orches-
ira tells the mood OF Siegfrled in the
second act. feeling the first fret OF
awakened passion, her eyes shone like
stars, her lips parted slightly, and just
nj 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 It's cloud OF wavy dark hair! Paul
Demarest brushed away the years that
had blurred 1t all. and then suddenly
he remembered Yes, he remembered.
Oh Il was so long ago, so many years
ago.
And she was In the same box with
that gay little butterfly, that American
flrt, Elya 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
glnd 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
Pm all alone now Elya greeted him
in her young untamed effuslyeness as
he entered the box.
"All aloneY" he questioned gravely.
"well. there's Miss Clemmens here
my chaperon BY the way. she's an
American too. Miss Clemmens, Mr..
Demarest You've heard mother speak
OF him, I'm sure. oh, here come
DIckie Marston and Bob Sawyer!
How terribly jollyw Elya reached ont
her daIntily gloved hand to greet two
newcomers.
They were OF the aggressive type
these two English chaps, and In few
seconds Demarest made bis way to
Miss Clemmens In the rear.
''Do you know, Miss Clemmens,' be
began curiously, "the last time ] saw
you you wore your hair In two bralds.
and wrote poem and dedicated j to
the curis at the end
Ills voice and mouth were grave. but
there was smiling CLEAN In his eyes,
Miss Clcmmens glanced rather blank
ly from beneath her heavy lashes at
this man well under forty.
II think" she began. with calm
dignity behtting her posltion-but just
then, on the very second word Of re
proyal. fash Of understanding radlat-
.i over her tired, lovely face "You
surely you're not Prince PaulF'
''The very same princess"
Paul Demares, bowed very low.
"But-but why Demarest'- pursued
Miss Clemmens. with puzzled uncer
talnty.
"a gran1-uncle over here without
sBy closer issue left me his money end
estates. providing I'd take bis name In
the bargain. took them all The
light raillery In the voice changed to
seriousness But I'd have known you,
princess, II you went by any name un.
der heaven"
For PHYS sake dlmpied she. Then
sbe added with wistful dignity: But
I mus, have changed deal since then !
That WAS nearly twelve years ago
lust fancyi
4 don't see the changes" said be I
calamity. To me you're just the
same"
Bnt. oh. how Tired she looked-hls
ray. light hearted little princess. And
hou he loBged 10 fold her pro;ectingly
IA his arms, The wide divergence ln
that moment between what this man
wished 10 DO and what be did dc