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

He autShes to maTry-mcY"
Won Breitstein ever since that diplo-
matte visit the Rhaetian chancellor
paid to Hungaria The fancy seemed to
be mutual; but, then, who could ever re-
sist Dial If he wanted to be liked? The
chancellor has written to him from
| time to time. and Dial has quite en-
joyed the correspondence. The old
man can be witty as well as cynical
If he chooses, and Dial says he tells
good stories. Now, it seems. in the
informal way in which such affairs are
usually put forward, that Count Won
Breitstein has written confidentially to
Dial. as our only near male relative,
asking how your family would regard
an alliance between Leopold and you
or If we have already disposed of your
hand At last the emperor is inclined
to listen to his chancellor's advice and
marry, and you, as a Protestant prin-
cess
"A Protestant princess, indeed!'
cried Virginia. Il protest against be-
ing approached by him on such terms.
The face of the grand duchess was
darkened by the gloom of her thoughts.
"My daughter" she exclaimed mildly
yet despairingly, its not possible that
when this wonderful chance this I'M
heard of chance. this chance that you
were praying for, actually falls into
your hands you will throw it away for
for sentimental schoolgirl scruple."
81 was not praying for It," said Vir
ginia. I'm sure, mother, you would
have considered it most bold In me to
pray for it. And didn't | was only
refusing other chances"
well, at all events, you have this
one now 1t is yours"
mot in the one way | should have
loved to see 1t come. Oh, mother, why
does the emperor want to marry me-?
Isn't there some other reason than just
because I'm proper Protestant prin-
cesSW
"Of course" insisted the grand duch-
ess, family encouraged "Dal men
lions several most excellent reasons in
his letter, If you would only take them
sensibly."
II should like to hear them, at all
events" answered Virginia
well, you See the empress Of Rhae-
tia must be a Protestant, and there
aren't many eligible Protestant girls
uyhn would ha fol 10 -, ha
tians-girls who would be popular with
the people. Oh | have finished about
that! You need not look SO desperate
Besides, Dial explains that Leopold is
young man who dominates all around
him. He wishes to take for his bride
a girl who could not by any possibility
herself be heiress to a throne Dial
fancies that his desire Is to mold his
wife and therefore to take a girl with
out too many important and importu-
nate relatives, for he is not one who
would dream Of adding to his great
ness by using the wealth or position
OF woman. He has all he needs or
wants Of that sort. And then, Dial re-
iJGODOlu 10 very Dul llul u
England, which helped Rhaetia passive
ly In the time of her trouble eight
years ago. The fact that you have
lived In England and had an English
education would be favorably regard.
ed both by Leopold and his chancellor
And, though I've never allowed you to
have photograph taken since you
were child Il hate seeing young girls
faces in the newspapers and magazines;
even though they are royal their fea-
lures need not be public property and
you have lived here in such seclusion
that you've been little seen, still tile
rumor has reached Rhaetia that you
are-good to look at. Leopold has been
heard to say that whatever else the
future empress of Rhaetia may be, he
won't give his people an ugly woman
to reign over them. And so alto
gether"-
"And SO altogether, my references
being satisfactory at pinch might
do for the place." cut in Virginia, with
the hot, impatient rebellion of her
youth. "Oh, mother, you think me
mad or fool. know, and perhaps l
am mad. yet not maoNnough not to see
that 1t would be great thing, Won
derful thing, to be asked in marriage
by the one man In my world if-ah,
that great 'if'-he had only seen and
fallen In love with me. 1t might have
happened, you know. AS you say, I'm
not ugly, and can be rather pleasant
If ! choose-so | believe. If he had
only come to this land to see what
was like, as royal men did in the dear
old fairy stories, and then had asked
me to be his wife, why, | should have
been conceited enough to think it was
because he loved me even more than
because of other things. Then | should
have been happy-yes, dear, I'll con-
fess 1t to you now-almost happy
enough to die Of the great joy and tri-
umph of It, But now I'm not happy.
will marry Leopold or I'll marry no