The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-04-10

crowd that Mou,u nave Sloppeu tue
borses and pressed close for long
look into,a plain dalk blue brougham.
Virginia shrank out of sight against
the cushions. blushing and breathing
quickly as she caught her mothers
hand.
Dear ppople--dear. kind people" she
thought. Il love them for loving him.
| wonder. oh. | wonder. if they will
ever see me and cheer me driving by
bis side.''
She had chosen to wear the white
dress with the pearls. though up to the
last moment the grand duchess had
suffered tortureS OF indeciSion between
that and the blue to say nothing of
pink chiffon trimmed with crushed
roses. Before the carriage brought
them to the palace doors the girls
blush had faded. and her face was as
white as her gown when at her moth
er's side she passed between bowling
lackeys through the marble Hall OF
Lions, on through the frescoed Ritter,
saal to the throne room. where the
emperor's guests awaited his coming.
1t was etiquette not to arrive mo-
ment later than 10 o'clock. and few
minutes after the hour Baron Eon Lyn-
dal in his official capacity as grand
master of ceremonies struck the pol
ished floor twice with his gold knob
bed wand of ivory This signaled the
approach of the court from the I'M
perial dinner party. and Leopold en-
tered. with a stout. middle aged royal
highness from Russia OH his arm.
Until his arrival the beautiful Miss
Mowbray had held all eyes, and even
when he appeared she was not forgot
ten. Every one was on tenterhooks
to see how she would be greeted by
the grateful emperor.
The instant that his dark head tow
cred above other heads in the throne
room 1t was observed even by those
not usually observant that never had
LeopOld been so handsome.
His was face remarkable for intel
lect and frmness rather than for clas-
sical beauty Of feature, though his fea-
lures were strong and clearly cut But
tonight the sternness that sometimes
marred them in the eyes of women
was smoothed away. He looked young
and ardent almost boyish. like man
who has suddenly found an absorbing
new interest in life.
The first dance he went through with
the Russian royalty, who was the
guest of the evening. and, still rigidly
conforming to the line of duty, when
obtains in court bathrooms as on bat
tlefields, the second. third and fourth
dances were for the emperor penances
instead Of pleasures But for the fifth,
q waltz, he bowed before Virginia.
During this long hour there had been
hardly u movement. smile or glance OF
hers which he had not contrived to see
since his entrance He knew just how
we'll Baron von Lyndal carried out his
instructions concerning Miss Mowbray.
He saw each partner presented to her
for dance the emperor might not
claim. and to save his life or q national
crisis he could not have forced the
same expression in speaking with her
royal highness from Russia as that
which spontaneously frightened his
face when at last he approached Vir-
ginia.
"Who Is that girl?" asked Count Won
Breitstein in his usual abrupt manner
as the arm Of Leopold girdled the slim
waist of the princess and the eyes OF
Leopold drank light from another pair
Of eyes lifted to his in laughter
1t was to Baroness Won Lyndal that
the old chancellor put his question,
and she futtered tiny. diamond
spangled fan of lace to hide lips that
would smile as she answered. What,
chancellor, are you jesting, or don't
you really know who that girl is?'
Count Won Breitstein turned eyes
cold and gray as glass away from the
two figures mcsing rhythmically with
the music to the face Of the once cele-
brated beauty. Long ago he had ad-
mired Baroness Won Lyndal as passion
ately as it was in him to admire any
woman, but that day was so far dis
tant as to be remembered with scorn,
and now such power as she had over
him was merely to excite feeling o1
irritation.