The Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1903-1909, 1908-04-08

NfN6 duchess, you're lmpos-
w. sible. If any one should
hear you'll"
TITS he who's impossible" the prin-
cess amended. "Pm just trying to show
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 50 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 a thin gold chain around
her neck. "They shouldn't have named
me after you, should they II they
hadn't wanted me to be like you"
1T was partly question Of money,
dear" sighed the grand duchess If
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
st was Il delicious way of being pa
triotic. I'm 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 Tourainew
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 most
charming man. of course he could not
--er-have been called precisely es-
Unable, while Prince Henri certainly
is. and an exceedingly good match
even for youth present circum-
stances"
''Call him match IL you like. moth
er. He's undoubtedly stick. But,
no; he's not match for me. There's
only one on earth" And Virginla's
eyes were lifted to the sky as II. in
stead of existing on earth, the person
in her thoughts were placed as high
as the sun that shone above her.
~ should have preferred an Eng
lishman for you" said the grand Ouch
ess, EFF only there were one Of suitable
rank free to-
''I'm not thinking of an Englishman."
murmured her daughter.
"If only you would think of poor
Henri
"Never of him. You know, l said |
would be DASH
Don't repeat 1t! 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
you would be extraordinary. That sort
of thing invariably skips over a gen
Grafton"
The grand duchess laid down the the
ory as law, and. whether or no she
were right, II was at least sure that
she had inherited nothing Of TIE first
Virginia's daring originality some Of
her radiant mothers beauty perhaps,
watered down to gentle prettiness, for
the hereditary Grand Duchess of Bau'
menburg- Drlppe at tifty-one was still
a daintily attractive woman, a middle
aged Dresden china lady, with a per-
feet complexion preserved by an al,
most perfect temper, surprised eye
brows, kindly dimples and a conven-
tional upper lip.
She was not by birth hereditary"
Her lord and very muchD her master
had been that and had selected her to
help him reign over the hereditary
grand duchy of Baumenburg- Drippe'
aot only because her father was en-
english duke with royal Stuart blood
IN his veins, but because her Virginlan
mother had brought much gold to tbs
Northumberland exchequer Afterwafd
he had freely spent such portion Of
that gold as had come to his Golfers ID
trying to keep his little estates intact
But now 1t was all gone, and long ago
he had died of grief and bitter disap-
pointment. The hereditary grand duchy
Of Baumenburg-D rlppe was ruled by
a cousinly understudy of the German
Emperor William H.: the one son OF
the marriage had been adopted as heir
to his crown by the childless king OF
Hungaria the handsome and lamenta'
bly, extravagant old Duke OF North
moreland was dead; his title and vast
estates had passed to distant and dis.
agreeable relative, and the widowed
grand duchess, with her one fair
daughter, had lived for years In a pref
ty old house with high walled gar
den at Hampton Court, lent by the
generosity of the king and queen OF
England.
For long moment the Dresden
china lady thought in silence and some
thing of sadness. Then she reused her
self again and asked the one and only
royal princess with an American name
what. in the way of match, she real
iy expected.
--.What do | expect3" echoed Virginia