The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-11
M MARY'S REIGN
By BARONESS ORCZY Ionz h., wr,.r,.wa ka Orexw. all rERfaAa
copyfght by all Fights reserved 

piteously, "a scandal in my depart ment! OhI I shall never survive 1t! If Her Majesty should hear of it, who is so austere, so .piouss . sand with my Lord Cardinal staying in the Palace just now' "what would he Court" ooh! the naughty, wicked child! thus to bring disgrace upon us all"
 Some of the rumors anent Lady Ur- sula's mysterious nightly wanderings had already reached her; she had placed the other girls under severe cross examination and finally elicited from them the confirmation of her worst fears.
 May. Madam!' rejoined Alicia, tardi- ly smitten with remorse. s'I feel sure she means no harm Ursula Is gay, a madcap, full of fun. but she Is too proud to stoop to an intrigue"
 Aye! but child, she hath vanity" said the Duchess. shaking her grey curls, land vanity is an evil counsel- Tor. And. remember, 'tis not the first time she has been seen alone, at night outside the purlieus of the garden. The Lord protect us! I should never survive a scandal"
 "An your Grace would believe me-" added Barbara consolingly. q think 'tis but a bit of foolish curiosity on the Lady Ursula's part"
 But Her Grace would not be com soled.
 Curiosity -" she said. Alas; 'tis an evil moment when curiosity leads maiden out of doors at night *alone% "Oh!"
 And she made a gesture of such hor- TOT, there was such look of stern condemnation in her kind old face. that the two girls began to feel really afraid as to what might befal that hnadcap Ursula Glynde. No one had ever seen the Duchess actually angry.
 They were all ready to take up the cudgels for the absent girl now.
 Nay! 'tis harmless curiosity enough" said Alicia hotly. Ursula Is being very badly trated."
 Badly treated" exclaimed Her Grace.
 Aye! she is affianced to the Duke of Wessex."
 Well! and what of 1t, child?'
 What of it?" retorted the girl in- dignantly, "she is nevr allowed to see him. The moment His Grace is ex- pected to arrive in the Queens pres ence, 'tis Lady Ursula, you may re- tire. I shall not need your services today"
 | And looking straight down her pretty nose. dainty Lady Alicia Wren ford pursed her lips and put on the starchy airs of a soured matron of forty.
 The Duchess of Lincoln threw up | her hands in horror. "Fie on you. child" she said stern l ly. ''mimicking Her Majesty." | "'Tis quite true what Alicia says '' here interposed Barbara, pouting: "everything is done to keep Ursula out l of His Grace's way And we. too. are made the scapegoats of this silly in trigue."
 that"
 T mean nothing dlsrespectful | Madam, yet 'tis patent to everyone Why are we relegated to this dreary old chamber this brilliant afternoon when my lord the Cardinal and all the foreign ambassadors are at the Palacei | Why are we not allowed to join tine others at tennis or watch the gentle men at bowls? Why are Helen and Margaret kept from seeing the jousts' Why? Why? Why?" She was stamping her little foot eager, impatient. excited. The Ouch ess felt somewhat bewildered before this hurricane of girlish wrath.
 Because Her Majesty ordered il thus. child" she said in more con ciliatory spirit; ''she hath not always need of all her maids of honor rounG her"
 Nay! that's not the reason" rejoinet Barbara,s and your Grace is too clever to believe it."
 You are a silly child and" 2"
 Then We are all silly, for 'tis paten to us all 'Tis Ursula who is being kept wilfully away from the Court, ol rather from seeing His Grace of Wes sex; and in order not to make thes' machinations too obvious, some of u' are also relegated to the background in her company"
 And 'tis small wonder that Ursula should wish to catch sight of the maj whom her father vowed she shOul'