The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-04-17

until matters were definitely settled
for better or for worse.
Virginia had never been lovelier than
she was that night at dinner, and Egon
Yon fBreitstein's admiration for her
beauty had in it a fascinating new in.
gredient. Until yesterday he had said
tothimself. 'If she be not fair to me,
what care I, how fair she, be?" But
now there was vague idea that she
might, after ali. be for him. and he took
enormous pleasure in the thought that
he was falling in love with a 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 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 nev
er be painted except as 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-
ly decked! Egon wondered much over
his half brothers apparently imprisive
offer and the contradictory command,
which had a little later enjoined wait
ing.
He was delighted, however, that be
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, unluekily for this plan.
Baron Won Lyndal detained him for
few moments with praise Of new
remedy which might cure the chan.
cellor's gour 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
whisper" as he had heard her call
it. 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 that 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
ioned Scotch or English air Q'm afraid
I don't quite know the difference) call
ed Annie Laurie" the baroness ex-
planned. "He was charmed with it
when she sang the other evening, and
I've been assuring him that the song
would kac.ly suit Shis voice. We
mustn't disturb them while the lesson
is going on. Tell me-Pye 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
the while his eacs 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 q baritone
sang conscientiously through the
verses Of Annie Laurie" from begin
ming to end. Then 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 there? To inter
rupt such a tete-a-tete seemed out OF
the question, but not to know what
was happening Egon found too hard to
bear, and the arrival Of telegram for
Lady Mowbray came as opportunely
as If Providence had had his special
needs in. mind.
Evidently it was not pleasant tele-
gram, for as she read it the Dresden
china lady showed plainly that she
was disconnected. Her pretty face lost
it's color; her eyes dilated as if she had
g