Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-04-03


 amuses me to discuss improba bilities, why not? Since you call them i'm probabilities it can do no harm to dwell upon them as ingf f~dients for romance. Not for worlds would suggest that his majesty isn't an example for all men to follow nor that poor, pretty Miss Mowbray could be tempted to in- discretion, but yet I'd be ready to make wager the emperor being human and the girl beauty, that an acquaintance so romantically begun won't end with a ball and call"
 "What could there possibly be more, or what you hint at as more, in honor?"
 The chancellOr's voice was angry at bear persistence in other people unless it were to further some cause of his own. To the delight of the woman who had once tried in vain to melt his iron heart, Count von Breitstein began to look somewhat like a baited bull. Really, said the baroness to herself, there was an actual resemblance in feature, and joyously she searched for few more little ribbon tipped ban derillos.
 What fun it was to ruffie the tenn per of the surly old brute who had hu- initiated her womans vanity in days long past, but not forgotten! She knew the chancellor's desire for the emperor's marriage as soon as a suit. able match could be found and, though she was not in the secret of his plans, would have felt little surprise at learn ing that some eligible royal girl had already been selected. Now how anus. ing it would be actually to make the old man tremble for the success of his hopes, even if it should turn out in the end to be impossible or unde. sirable to upset them!
 What could there be more in hon. orT' she echoed lightly after an in, stant given to reflection. "Why, the emperor and the girl will see great deal of each other unless you banish or imprison the Mowbrays. There'll be many dances together, many calls in fact, serial romance instead of short story. Why shouldn't his majes. ty know the pleasure of a-platonic friendship with a beautiful and charm. ing young womanT'
 Because Plato's out of fashion, if ever he was in, among human beings with red blood in their veins and be. cause, as said, the emperor is above all else a man of honor. Besides, I doubt that any woman, no matter how pretty or young. could wield really powerful influence over his life"
 You doubt that? Then you don't know the emperor and you've forgot ten some of the traditions of his house."
 Are you trying to warn me of dis aster, baroness?''
 She laughed "Oh. dear, no-of noth ing dlsagreeable! But I should be sor. " to think, as you seem to do, that our emperor has no youth in his veins"
 "l think nothing of the sort What l do think Is that my teachings have not been in vain and that he has grown up to put his duty to his country and his own self respect above everything. Hes strong man-too strong to be trapped in the meshes of any pink and white Nlvien. And If he admired a young woman not of royal blood he would keep his distance for her sake. You say this English miss is with her mother at the principal hotel of Kron- burg. If Leopold constantly visited them there we should have a scandal On the other hand, to suggest meeting the girl outside or incognito would be an insult. Either way he would be but poorly rewarding a woman whc saved his life.'
 Baroness von Lyndal's color rallied to the support of her rouge, and her smile dwindled to inanity. for she had insisted upon the argument, and it was going against her.
 In her haste to vex the chancellor she had not stopped to study from ev. cry side the question she had raised. So far she had merely succeeded In Ir ritating him, and she owed him much more than pin prick. Such infinItesi nal wounds she had contrived to give the man in abundance during her twen. ty-two years at the Rhaetian court, | but now. if she hurt him at all, she would like the stab 10 be deep and memorable.
 To be sure. in beginning the conver. ! sation she had thought of nothing more than a momentary qualification, but the very heat of the argument into which she had thrown herself had l warmed her malice and sharpened the | weapon of her wit. She could justify . her expressed opinion only by events. ! and it occurred to her that she might [ be able to shape events in such a way that she could say with eyes if not in words. q told you SO"
 Her fading smile frightened. Dear | chancellor. you do well to have faith | in your imperial pupil" said she. | You've helped to make him what he is. and you're ready to keep him what h. should be. suppose even that If. being but young man and having the hot blood of his race. he should stray into a primrose path you would take advantage of old friendship to-er- put up signpOsts and bsrTiersT
 Were there the slightest chance of such necessity arising grumbled the ehancello-. struggling his shoulders.
 -Its Ike your integrity and courage. What eosnfort. then. that the neces- sity is @ unlikely to arise-
 The old man boxed at ner wIrn level