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

Virginia had never been lovelier than
she was that night ut dinner. ana Egon
Won Breitstein's admiration for her
beauty had in It fascinating new In
gredient. Until yesterday he had said
to himself, "If she be not fair to me
what care J how fair she be-" But
now there was vague idea that she
might, after all, be for him, and he took
enormous pleasure in the thought that
he was falling in love with girl who
had captured the emperor's heart.
Egon glanced very often at Leopold.
contrasting his sovereign's appearance
unfavorably with his own. The en-
peror was thin and dark, with n grave
cast of feature, while Egon's face kept
the color and youthfulness Of the early
twenties. He was older than Leopold,
but he looked a boy. Alma-Tadema
would have wreathed him with vine
leaves, draped him with tiger skins
and set him down on marble bench
against burning sapphire sky, where
he would have appeared more suitably
clad than In the stiff blue and silver
uniform Of crack Rhaetian regiment.
Leopold on the contrary, would new
er be painted except as a soldier, and
it seemed to Egon that no normal girl
could help thinking him a far hand
somer fellow than the emperor. For
the moment, Of course, Miss MOwbray
did not notice him because his impe-
rial majesty loomed large in the fore
ground Of her imagination. but the
chancellor had evidently plan in his
head for removing that stately obsta-
Gle into the dim perspective.
Egon had not heard Miss Mowbray
spoken Of as an heiress. Therefore.
even had there been no emperor in the
way, he would not have worshiped at
the shrine. But now behold the shrine,
attractive before, newly and alluring-
" decked! Egon wondered much over
his half brothers apparently impuIsive
offer and the contradictory command,
which had q little later enjoined walt
ing.
He was delighted, however, that he
had not been forbidden to make him
self agreeable, and his idea was as
soon as dinner should be over to find
q place at Miss Mowbray's side before
any other man should have time to
take it. But, unluckily for this plan.
Baron Won Lyndal detained him for a
few moments with praise Of a new
remedy which might cure the chan
cellor's gout, and when he escaped
from his host to look for Miss Now
bray in the white drawing room she
was not there.
From the music room adjoining. how
ever, came sounds which drew him
toward the door, He knew Miss Now
bray's soft, coaxing touch on the pi-
ano. She was there playing in a
whisper" as he had heard her call
1t. Perhaps she was going to sing, as
she had done once or twice before, and
would need some one to turn the pages
Of her music. Egon thought shat he
would much like to be the some one
and was in the act Of parting the white
velvet portieres that covered the door
way when his hostess smilingly beck
oned him away.
"The emperor has just asked Miss
Mowbray to teach him some old fash
toned Scotch or English air Q'm afraid
l don't quite know the diffcrence) call
ed Annie Laurie" the baroness ex-
planned. HE was charmed with 1t
when she sang the other evening, and
I've been assuring him that the song
would exactly suit his voice. We
mustn't disturb them while the lesson
Is going on. Tell me-I've hardly had
a moment to ask you-how did you
find the chancellor"
Chained to a forced allegiance, Egon
mechanically answered the questions
of the baroness without making absurd
mistakes. the while his ears burned to
hear what was going on behind the
white curtains.
Everybody knew Of the music les
son now and chatted in tones Of tact
full monotony, never speaking too
loudly to disturb the singers, never too
cautiously, lest they should seem to
listen. Once, and then again, the
creamy mezzo soprano and the rich
tenor that was almost baritone
sang conscientiously through the
verses Of "Annie Laurie" from begin
ming to end. Then q few desultory
chords were struck on the piano, and
at last there was silence behind the
white curtains in the music room.
Were the two still there2 To inter-