Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-11-20


it nearer earth Washington. the cen
ter of mans hope. is also in spring the
capital of the land of hearts desire
With a groom trailing after her. Shr
ley rode toward Rock creek-that rip
ping. murmuring. singing tribe of wa
ter that laughs day aud night at the
margin of the beautiful city. as though
politics and craftsmanship were the
hugest joke in the world. The flag on
the Austro Hungarian embassy hung
at half mast and symbols of mourning
fluttered from the entire front of the
house. Shirley lifted her eyes gravely
as she passed. Her thoughts flew ut
once to the scene ut the house of the
secretary of state II week before, when
Baron Won Marhof had learned of the
death of his sovereign. and by associa-
ton she thought. too. of Armitage and
of his look and voice as he said:
Long live the emperor and king,
| Cod save Austrian
Emperors and kings. They were ~
impossible today as a snowstorm. The
grave ambassadors as they appeared at
their decorations. always struck her as
being particularly distinguished. 1t
| Just now occurred to her that they
! were all linked to the crown and scep
| ter, but she dismissed the whole mat
| ter and bowed to two dark ladies in II
passing victoria with the quick little
nod and bright smile that were the
same for these titled members of the
Spanish ambassadors household as for
the young daughters of a western SEN
ator. who democratically waved their
hands to her from a doorstep.
Armitagc came again to her mind
| He had called at the Claiborne house
| twice since the secretary's ball, and she
had been surprised to find how fully
| she accepted him as an American now
| that lie was on her own soil. He de-
rived, too, certain stability from the
| fact that the Sandcrsons knew him (;
he was, indeed, an entirely different
person since the Montana senator def
inltely connected him with an Amer
lean landscape. She had kept her own
counsel touching the scene on the dark
deck of the King Edward. but it was
not thing lightly to be forgotten. She
was half angry with herself this mel
low afternoon to find how persistenty
ArmitaSe came into her thoughts aud
| how the knife thrust on the steamer
deck kept recurring in her mind and
quickening her sympathy for a man
OF whom she knew so little, and she
touched her horse impatiently with the
crop and rode into the park at a gait
that reused the groom to attention.
At II bend of the road Chauvcnet and
Framed. the attache. swung into view,
mounted, and as they met Chauvenet
turned his horse and rode beside her.
"Ah. these American airs! This
spring. Is it not good to be alive. Miss
Claiborne?"
1T is all of that" she replied. 1t
seemed to her that the day had not
needed Chauvenet's praise.
II had hoped to see you later at the
Wallingford tea" he continued
NO teas for me on a day like this!
The thought of being indoors is tragic
She wished that he would leave her
for she had ridden out into the spring
sunshine to be alone. He somehow
did not appear to advantage in his
riding coat-bis belongings were toe
perfect. She had really enjoyed his
talk when they had met here and there
abroad. but she was in no mood fol
him now. and she wondered what hi
had lost by the transfer to America
lie ran on airly in French. speaking
- Of nd
affairs that marked the end of the sea
son
T. Poor FranZel is indeed triste. liz
is taking the death of Johann Wilhelm
quite hard. But here in America The
death of an emperor seems less i'm
portant. A king or a peasant wha
does it natter"
"Retter ask the robin in yondcr bud
ding chestnut tree, monsieur. This il
not an hour for hard questions
"Ah. you are very cruel You drive
me back to poor. melancholy Franzel
who is indeed a funeral in himself"
That is very sad monsieur" anC
she smiled at him with mischief in he
eyes MY heart goes out to any on
who is left to mourn-alone.
He gathered his reins and drew N
his horse lifting his hat with nerfec
gesture,
There are sadder blows than LOSING
ones sovereign. mademoiselle" and h.
shook his barred head mournfuly ant
rode back to find his friend.
She sought now her favortc brid
paths. and her heart was light witt
the sweetness and peace of the Sprin
as she heard the rush and splash o
the creek. saw the fash of wings ant
felt the mystery of awakened Iii
throbbing about her. The heart or
girl in spring is the home of dreams
and Shirley's heart overlooked wit
them until her pulse thrilled and san
in quickening cadences.