The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1908-05-13

II to do stupid, boring things which
one hates"
Nevertheless noblesse does oblige,"
went on the Dresden china prophecies
of cOnycntionality. "NVhen alliances
are arranged for women of our posi-
ton, we must content ours&Scs with
the hope that love may cHne after
marriage, or, IL not, we must go OH do
ing our duty in hat state Of life to
which heaven has graciously called
u.s."
Bother duty".' broke out Virginia.
Thank goodness, in these days not all
the kings horses and all the kings
men can make even n princess marry
against her will. i hate that cverlaSt-
ing cant about duty in marriage
When people love each other they're
kind and good and sweet and true be-
cause it's n joy, not because it's a
duty. And that's the only sort of 10y.
atty worth having between men and
women, according to me. | wouldn't
accept anything else from n man, and l
should dcspisc him il he were less or
more cXacting."
Virginia. the way o express your
self Is almost improper. I'm thankful
that no one hears you except myself"
said the grand duchess. But " this
moment, when clash Of tongues and
opinions seemed imminent, there oc-
CURED q happy diversion in the arrival
of letters.
Virginia, who was a ncglcctful cor
respondent, had nothing, but two or
three important looking envelopes
claimed attention from the grand duch-
css, II us soon as the ladies were
once more alone together in the sweet
scented garden she broke the crown
stamped seal of her son Adalbert, now
by adoption crown prince of Hungarla.
"Opcn the others for me, DEAR" she
demanded e~Xcitcdly, while / see what
Dal has to say" And Virginia leisure
ly obeyed, wondering whether Dal's
news would by and by be passed on
to her. 1t was always an event when
Il long letter came from him, and the
grand duchess invariably laughed and
exclaimed and sometimes blushed as
she read. but when she blushed the
letter was not given to the crown
princes sister.
There was a note today from an old
lIltilNl VI ucl IlOlucI - ol WuOUl VII
ginia was fond, and she had just be-
Il TO be Interested in the third para
graph, all about an adorable Dandy
Dinmont puppy, when an odd, half
stiflcd ejaculation from the grand duch-
css made the girl lift her eyes.
Has Dial been having something be-
You'd the commoD in the way OF adven-
turcs?" she inquired dryly.
Her mother did not answer, but she
had grown pink and then pale.
Virginia began to be uneasy. what
is the matter? Is anything wrong?"
she asked.
"No-nothing in the least wrong, far
from it, indeed; but, oh, my child"
Mother, dear, what is it?'
Something so extraordinary, so
wonderful mean as a coincidence
that | can hardly speak. suppose I
can't be dreaming. You arc really
talking TO me in the garden, aren't
you?'
Il am, and I wish you we're telling
me the mystery. DO, dear. You look
awake, only rather odd"
at would be strange If l didn't look
odd. Dial says-Dal says
what has he been dolng-getting
cngagcd?"
mo. 1t is-your emperor, not Dial,
who talks of being engaged"
"Oh,' said Virginia. trying not to
speak blankly, trying not to flush, try
ing not to show in any way the sudden
sick pain in her heart.
OF course she was not in love with
HIN, 90 , tl..-t II - -
childish enough long ago to make him
her ideal and foolishly faithful enough
to keep him So, II had always known
that he would never be more to her
than a shadow emperor. Some day he
would marry one Of those other royal
girls who were SO much more suitable
than She. That wou,l be natural and
right, as she had more than once told
herself with no conscious pang, but
now that the news had come, now that
the royal girl was actually chosen and
she must hear the letter and read
about the happy event in the newspa-
pers. it was different. She felt sud
denly cold and sick under the blow
hurt and d~efrauded and even jealous.
She knew that she would hate the girl
some w~retched, commonplace girl.
with stick out teeth, perhaps, or no fig.
urc and no idea OF the way to wear her
clothes or do her hair.
But she swallowed hard and clinch-
ed her fingers under the voluminous
letter about Dandy Dinmont. ooh, so
our friend is going to be married? 2" she
remarked lightly.
THAT depends" replied the grand
duchess lauphinp myctorioncly with n