Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-05-12
[coNTINUED.l

Il
| after all, when one comes to the
| telling, there isn't very great deal
one can put into cut and dried words" "
explained Egon. "At table the emperor
has his hostess on one side and his fair
preserver on the other. The two talk
as much together during meals as eti-
quette allows and perhaps a little
more. Then, as the emperor has been
often at Lyndalberg, he can act as
cicerone for a stranger. He has shown
Miss Mowbray all the beauties of the
place. lie gathers her roses In the rose
garden; he has guided her through the
grottoes; he has pilOted her through
the labyrinth; he has told her which
are the best dogs in the kennels and
has given her the history Of all the
horses In the baron's stables. l know
this from the table talk. He has ex-
plored the lake with Miss MOwbray
and her mother In motor boat Per
haps you saw the party? And, whether
or no he brought his automobile to
Lyndalberg on purpose, In any case
he's had the Mowbrays out in 1t sew
eral times already One would hardly
think he could have found chance to
do so much in such a short time, but
our emperor is man Of action. Yes
terlay we had picnic at the Seebach-
fall to see Thorwaldsen's Undine. Leo
pold and Miss Mowbray, being splendid
climbers, reached the statue on the
height over the fall long before the
rest Of us. At starting, however, / was
close behind with the baroness and
overheard some joke between the two
about mountain and cow. The en-
peror spoke of milking as a fine art
and said he'd lately been taking les
sons. They laughed a great deal at
this, and it was plain that they were
OH terms Of comradeship. When a
young man and a girl have secret
understanding, even the most inno-
cent one, it puts them apart from
others.
Last night there were fireworks on
the lake. The emperor and Miss Now
bray watched them together, for every
thing was conducted most informally.
Afterward we had an impromptu CO.
tillon, with three or four pretty new
figures invented by the baroness. The
emperor gave Miss MOwbray several
favors and one was buckle OF ell
ameled forgetmenots. This morning
there was tennis. The emperor and
Miss Mowbray played together. They
were both so skillful 1t was a pleasure
to watch them At luncheon they ate
a double almond out Of one shell, had
game over 1t. and Leopold caught
Miss Mowbray mapping. That brings
us TO the moment Of my coming to
you. For the afternoon l fancy the
baroness was getting up Il riding party.
and this evening, unless they're too
tired, she'll perhaps get up an anna
teur concert at which Miss Mowbray
will sing. The girl has a delicious
voice"
"The creature must he fool or an
adventures" pronounced the chancel-
lor. IF she has kept her senses she
ought to know that nothing can come
of this folly-except SORROW or scan
dal."
Egon shrugged his stiffly padded mil
itary shoulders. 81 have always found
that woman in love doesn't stop to
count the cost"
$50. You fancy her in love- with the
EMPEROR
With the man rather than the EN-
peror. if I'm judge of character"
Which you're not" Iron Heart
bruSluely disposed of that suggestion.
"Thc merest schoolgirl could pull the
wool over your eyes If she cared to
take The trouble"
This one doesn't care a rap. She
hardly knows that exist"
"iiun.pl" The chancellor's eyes
appraised his young brothers features.
That's pity. You might have tried
cutting the emperor out Her affair
while YOU. in spite Of all your faults,
with your good looks, our position and
my money. wouldn't be q bad match
for an ambitious girl
Your money!
II mean should | choose to make
you my heir, and l would choose If
you married to please me. Who are
these Mowbrays"
II haven't had the curiosity to In
quire into their antecedents," said
Egon. 81 only know that they're Ia
dies, that they must be Of some conse-
quence In their own country or they
couldn't have got the letters Of intro
duction they have and that the girl Is
the prettiest on EARTH"
"Mechtide talked to me, remem-
ber, good deal about those letters OF
introduction" the chancellor reflected
aloud. But Rhaetia Is long cry
from England, and letters might be
forged. I've known such things to be
done. Fetch me big red volume
you'll find on the third shelf from the
floor at the left Of the south window.
You can't miss 1t. It's Burke's Peer
age"
Egon rose with alacrity to obey. He
was rather thoughtful, for his brother
had put an entirely new and exciting
idea into his head.
Presently the red volume was dis
covered and laid on the desk before
the chancellor, who turned the leaves
over until he found the page desired.
AS his eye fell upon the long line OF
Mowbrays his face changed, and the
bristling brows came together In
grizzled line. Apparently the women
were not adventuresses, at least In
the ordinary acceptation of the term.
There they were. His square tipped
finger pressed down upon the printed
names with dig that might have Sig
nified his disposition toward their rep
resentatives.
1.-THE girls mother is the widow Of
Reginald, sixth Baron Mowbray," the
old man muttered half aloud; 'son.
Reginald Edward, fifteen years Of age;
daughter, Helen Augusta, twenty eight.
Aha! She's no chicken, this young
lady. She ought to be woman OF
the world"
"Twenty-eight" replied Egon. "Ill
eat my hat II she's twenty-eight."
Doesn't she look It by daylightT'
"Not an hour over nineteen; might
be younger. Jove, l was never so sur
| prlsed to learn woman's age! BY