The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1908-07-08

the music for the next about to begin.
| young officer, Count Won Breitstein'S
half brother, VINO was to be Misc
Mo%bray's partner, appeared in the
distance looking for her, but stopped,
seeing that she was stlp with the en-
peror.
"Goodby," said Virginia while her
words could still be only for the ears
pf Leopold.
mot goodby. We're friends"
"Yes. But we shan't meet often"
"Why2 Are you leaving Ironburg?'
"Perhaps-soon. l don't know"
II must see you again. l will see
you once more, whatever comes"
"Once more, perhaps. 1 hope So
butt
after that
"Who knowsW
"Once more-once morcw The words
echoed In Virginia's ears. She heard
them through everything, as one hears
the undcrtone of q mountain torrent,
though n brass band may bray to
drown its deep music.
Once more he would see her, what
ever might come. She could guess
why it might be oEly once, though he
would faln have that once again and
again repeated, for this game of hers,
begun with such light heart, was
more difficult to play than she had
dreamed.
If she could but be sure he cared if
he would tell her so in words and not
with eyes alone, the rest might be
easy, although at best she could not
see the end. Yet how in honor could
he tell Miss Helen Mowbray that he
cared? And If the telling were not to
be in honor how could she bear to live
her life?
"Oncc more!' What would happen
in that "once morcT Perhaps moth
Ing save repetition of grateful thanks
and courteous words akin to fare
we'll
To be sure, Lady Mowbray and her
daughter might run away and the ne
gotiations between the empcror's ad-
visers and the Grand Duchess of Bau-
menburg- Drippe for the Princess Viz
| ginia's hand might be allowed TO go
Oh as if no outside influence had ruff
! fed the peaceful current of events
Then in the end 4 surprise would
come for Leopold. Willfu Virginia
would have played her little comedy,
and all might be said to end we'll But
| Firginia's heart refused to be satisfied
with so tame q last chapter, Il finish
to her romance so conventional us to
be distastcfully obvious, almost if not
quite failure.
| She had begun to drink n sweet and
stimulating draft-she who had been
brought up on milk and watcr-and
she was reluctant to put down the
cup, still half full OF sparkling nectar.
"Once morcw IF only that once could
be magnifed into many times. If she
could have her chance, her ding"
like the lucky girls who were not
royal!
SO she was thinking in the carriage
by her mothers side, and the grand
duchess had to speak twice before her
daughter knew their silence had been
| broken.
II forgot to tell you something, Vir-
ginia"
"Ye-cs, mother?"
"YoAr great success has made mo
absenLuindcd, child. You looked like n
shining white lily among all those
handsome, overbown Rhactian wo,
men,"
"Thank you, dear. Was that what
! you forgot to say?"
"Oh, no! 1t was this: The Baroness
Won Iyndal has been most kind. She
| urges us to give up our rooms at the
hotel on the first of next week ana
join her house party at Schloss Lyn-
dalberg. It's only few miles out OF
town. What do you think of the
PLAN"
"Leave-KronburgW
"She's asked number OF fricnds-to
meet the emperor"
ooh! He didn't speak Of it-whcn
we danced"
"But she has ~o,Ntoncd it to him
since, no doubt-bel giving me the
invitation. Intimate /. I'd OF his as
she Is, she wouldn't dan Q ask people to
meet him If he hadn't first sanctioned
| the suggestion. Still, she can afford to
be more or less informal. The baron
ess was dancing with the emperor, I
remember now, just before she came
to me. They were talking together
! quite earnestly. I can recall the ex-
preston of his face"
"Was 1t pleased, Or
81 was wondering what she could
have said to make him look so happy.
| Perhaps
what answer did you give Baroness
Won Lynda1W
II told her I thought you wouldn't
mind. l told her we would 60"
|