Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1908-08-28

sSNAAA6
an alliance between Leopold and you
or 1t We have already disposed Of your
hand. At last the emperor is inclined
to listen to his chancellor's advice and
marry. and you, as Protestant prin-
cess
"A Protestant princess, indeed!"
cried Virginia. II protest against be-
lug approached by him on such TERMS"
The face Of the grand duchess was
darkened by the gloon, Of her thoughts
My daughter" she exclaimed mildly,
yet despairingly, "it's not possible that
when this wonderful chance, this un-
heard Of chance. this chance that you
were praying for, actually falls into
your hands you will throw it away for
for sentimental schoolgirl scruple."
II was not praying for It," said Vir-
GINA. I'm sure, mother. you would
have considered it most bold in me to
pray for it. And l didn't. was only
refusing other chances"
Well, at all events. you have this
one now. 1t is yours"
Not In the one way l should have
loved to see it come. oh, mother, why
does the emperor want to marry me?
Isn't there some other reason than just
because I'm a proper Protestant prin-
cess?"
"Of COURSE" insisted the grand Ouch.
ess. family encouraged. "Dal men,
lions several most excellent reasons In
his letter, II you would only take them
sensibly."
Il should like to hear them, at all
events" answered Virginia.
We'll, you see, the empress Of Rhae.
tia must be Protestant, and there
aren't many eligible Protestant girls
who would be acceptable to the Rhae-
TRANSCRIPTS who would be popular with
the people. oh. l have finished about
that! You need not look so desperate.
Besides. Dial explains that Leopold is
ayoung man who dominates. all around
him. He wishes to take for his bride
girl Who could not by any possibility
herself be heiress to a throne. Dial
fancies that his desire is to mold his
wife and therefore to take a girl with
out too many important and importu-
nate relatives, for he is not one who
would dream Of adding to his great
ness by using the wealth or position
Of woman. He has all he needs or
wants Of that sort. And then, Dial re-
minds me. Leopold is very partial to
England, which helped Rhaetia passive
ly In the time of her trouble eight
years ago. The fact that you have
lived In England and had an English
education would be favorably regard
ed both by Leopold and his chancellor.
And, though I've never allowed you to
have photograph taken since you
We're child Il hate seeing young girls
faces In the newspapers and magazines;
even though they are royal their fea-
lures need not be public property and
you have lived here in such seclusion
that you've been little seen, still the
runor has reached Rhaetia that you
are-good to look at. Leopold has been
heard to say that, whatever else the
future empress OF Rhaetia may be, he
won't give his people an ugly woman
to reign over them. And SO alto
gether"-
"And so altogether, my references
being satisfactory. at pinch l might
do for the place." cut in Virginia. with
the hot. impatient rebellion Of hel
youth, "Oh, mother. you think me
mad or fool, ! know. and perhaps
am mad, yet not mad enough not to SEE
that it would be great thing. a won
mi tn no c1- In ri
by the one man in my world ff-ah
that great if'--he had only seen and
fallen in love with me. 1t might have
happened. you know. AS you say, In
not ugly. and can be rather pleasant
II choose-so believe. If he haG
only come to this land to see what
was like. as royal men did In the deal
old fairy stories. and then had asked
me to be his wife. why, should have
been conceited enough to think it wa.
because he loved me even more thar
because Of other things. Then should
have been happy--yes, dear. I'll con
fess it to you now-almost happy
enough to die Of the great Joy and tri
umph Of it. But now I'm not happy
will marry Leopold or I'll marry NJ
man. but l swear to you l won't bs
married to Leopold In Count Won Brett
STEMS hateful old. cold. cut and drie(
way"
tits the emperor's way as we'll Al
Won Breitstein's."
Then for once In his big, grand. OBJ
stinate life he'll have to learn tina
there's one insignificant girl who won
play Griselda even for the sake ct be
ing his empress"
The girl proclaimed this resolve, ris