The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-03-20

'ESD SlDlc- IL <iliS OllS SAoeAAN
hear you!"
.Its he who's impossible" the prin-
cess amended. I'm just trying to snow
you
"Or to shock me. You are so like
your grandmother"
'"That's the best compliment any one
can give me, which Is lucky. as it's
given so often" laughed the princess.
"Dear, adorable Virginia." She cud-
died into the pink hollow Of her hand
the pearl framed ivory miniature OF a
beautiful, smiling girl which always
hung from thin gold chain around
her neck. 'They shouldn't have named
me after you, should they. If they
hadn't wanted me to be like you?"
ut was partly q question Of money,
DEAR" sighed the grand duchess. III
my mother hadn't left legacy to my
first daughter only on consideration
that her own extremely American
name Of Virginia should be perpetual
ed'-
att was delicious way of being pa
triotic. Pm glad she did it love
being the only royal princess with
American blood In my veins and an
American name on my handkerchiefs.
Do you believe for an instant that II
Grandmother Virginia were alive she
would let Granddaughter Virginia mar
ry Prince Henri de Touraine?"
II don't see why not" said the grand
duchess. "She wasn't too patriotic to
marry an English duke and startle
London as the first American duchess.
Heavens, the things she used to do Ii
one could believe half the wild stories
my fathers sister told me in warning!
And as for my father. though q most
charming man, Of course he could not
-er-have been called precisely es-
timable, while Prince Henri certainly
Is, and an exceedingly good match
even for you-in present circum-
stances"
"CaN him O match If you like, moth
er. He's undoubtedly stick. But,
no; he's not match for me. There's
only one on earth" And Virginia's
eyes were lifted to the sky as If. in
stead CT existing on earth, the person
in her thoughts were placed as high
as the sun that shone above her.
81 Should have preferred an Eng
lishman for you," said the grand duch-
ess, "if only there were one Of suitable
rank free to-
"I'm not thinking of an Englishman,"
murmured her daughter.
eff only you would think Of poor
Henri"
"Never OF him. You inow, l said l
would be DASH
"Don't repeat It! Oh. when you look
at me in that way, how like you are to
your grandmother's portrait at home
the one IN white, painted just before
her marriage! One might have known
sou would be extraordinary. That sort
of thing invariably skips over gen.
Grafton"
The grand duchess laid down the the
ory as law, and, whether or no she
were right, it was at least sure that
she had inherited nothing of the first
iVirginia's daring originality-some Of
her radiant mothers beauty perhaps,
watered down to gentle prettiness, for
the hereditary Grand Duchess Of Bau-
mepburg- Drippe at ifty-one was still
q daintily attractive woman, middle
aged Dresden china lady, with per-
feet complexion preserved by an al
most perfect temper, surprised eye
brows, kindly dimples and a conven-
uonal upper lip.
She was not by birth hereditary
Her lord and (very much) her master
had been that and had selected her to
help him reign over the hereditary
grand duchy Of Baumenburg-Drlppe,
not only because her. father was sH
English duke with royal Stuart blood