The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1908-09-16


80 far as Leopold and
Virginia were concerned.
"I'll tell you now why I'm here and
everything else" she was saying, but
the emperor stopped her.
Ever since came to myself l want
ed no explanation" he said. IL want
ed only you. That is all want now.
I am the happiest man In the universe.
Why should ask how l came by my
happiness? Virginia! Virglnia! It's
more beautiful name even than
Helen"
"9ut listen," she pleaded. "There
are some thinGs-just n few things
that long to tell you. Please let me.
Last night l wished to go into con-
vent. Oh, 1t was because l loved you
SO much! wanted you to seem per.
feet rs my hero of romance, just as
you were already perfecUAls an en-.
peror TO think that l should have
been far away out of Rhaetia by this
time If Miss Portman hadn't been Ill!
Dear Miss PortmNn! Maybe If we'd
gone nothing would ever have come
right. Who can say?
'Iou know, my brother came to our
hotel this afternoon. When his card
arrived we couldn't tell whether he
knew our secret or not, but when we
had let him come up we had only to
see his face of surprise. He was an
CRY, too, as we'll as surprised, for he
blurted out that there were all sorts Of
horrid suspicious against us, and moth
or explained everything to him before
| could have stopped her even IL
would-how | had not wanted to ac-
cept you unless you could learn to love
me for myself and then how l had
been disappointed. No, don't speak
that's all over now. You've more than
atoned, a thousand times more.
"Dal explained things, too, then-very
| different things-about plan Of the
chanccllOr's to disgust you with me
and how he DaD had played into the
chancellor's hands because, YOU see,
he thought he was acting wisely for
| his neglected sisters sake and because
he had really supposed an actress he
| knows was masqueradlng as Miss
Mowbray. Very imprudcntly he'd told
something between you and his sister.
She knew quite well, too, that the real
MoWDrays were our cousins; so, YOU
see, as she and he have quarreled, It
might have been an easy aud clever
way for an unScrupulous woman TO
take revenge. Dal would have gone
and perhaps have said dreadful things
| 10 the chancellor who was waiting
downstairs for news, but begged him
not. From being the saddest girl in
the world I'd suddenly become tho
happiest, for the chancellor had told
Dnl and Dal had told me that YOU had
followed Helen Mowbray to ask her to
he the empress. That changed every.
| thlng. for then l knew you really loved
her, but Just to punish you for what
| suffered through you last night | long.
cu TO put You to one more test. I said :.
Let the chancellor carry out his plot.
Let me go with you to your hunting
! lodge AT first Dal wouldn't consent
put when begged him he did, for
generally can get my way with peo.
| pie, | warn you.
That's all, except that | hadn't raol.
i"eo no" severe the test would be un-
I'll you came In and saw the look IN
your eyes. 1T was n dagger of ice in
my heart l prayed heaven to make
You believe In me without a word Oh
now l prayed through all that dread.
ful moment and how l looked Mt Won
saying with my eyes, L love YOU: am
'rnc! II you had failed mo then #
would have killed me, BUT
There could bo no but" tho om.
pcror broke In. "To doubt is not to
love. When man loves be kno,ya
hNen out or darkness light comes
ana tells him."
Then you forgive me-for tonight
ana for everything, from the begin.
nng?"
Forgive your"
And If I'd been different, more like
other girls, content with n conventional
"irectlon' you wouldn't have loved mo
! more?"
He took her In his arms and hold bor
as II he would never let her 20.
"lf you had been different | wouldn,t
nave loved you Mt ALL" he said "Rut
II things had been different | couldnt
nave helped loving you Just the same
l should have been fated to fall in
love with Princess Virginia OF Ran.
menburg- Drippe at first sight exoctv
as fell In love with Helen Nov.
bray" '0"
An, but at best you'd have fallen
IN love with Virginia because It woa
your duty, and you fell In love v,,n
Helen Mowbray because 1t was your
duty not to, which makes II 60 rOMch
nicer" "uch
III was no question OF duty, but or
destiny" said the emperor. "rho stora