Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-04-28

same expression in speaking with hei
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 moving rhythmically with
the music to the face of the once cele-
brated beauty. Long ago he had ad-
mired Baroness Won Lyndal as passion
dlely uS IL was III W uhS
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 of
irritation.
II seldom trouble myself to jest"
he answered.
"Ah, one knows that truly great men
are born without sense of humor.
Those who have it are never as sue
cessful in life as those without"
smiled the baroness, who was by birth
Hungarian and loved laughter bet
ter than anything else except compli-
ments upon her vanishing beauty.
"How stupid of me to have tried your
patience. That girl as you so un-
compromisingly call her, has two
claims to attention at court. She Is
the English Miss Helen Mowbray
whose mother has come to Kronburg
armed with sheaves of introductions
to us all. She is also the young wom-
an of whom the papers are full today,
for it is she who saved the emperor's
life"
"Indeedw said the chancellor, Il gray
CLEAN in his eye as he watched the
white figure floating on the tide of
music in the arms of Leopold. IN
deed!'
Il thought you would have known,
for you know most things before
other people hear Of them,' went on
the baroness. Lady Mowbray and her
daughter are staying at the Hohen-
langenwald hotel. That's the mother
sitting on the left of Princess Neu-
fried-the pretty Dresden china per
son. But the girl is Il great beauty"
"It's generous of you to say so, bar
oness," replied the chancellor. II
didn't see the young lady's face ut all
clearly yesterday. | was stationed too
far awav. And dress makes great
difference. AS for what she did" went
Oh the old man, whose GOODNESS to wo-
men and merciless justice to both sexes
alike had earned him the nickname or
Iron Heart''-"aS for what she did, If
1t had not been she who INTERVIEWED be-
tween the emperor and death 1t would
have been the fate Of another to do
so. 1t was fortunate thing for the
girl, we may say. that it happened to
he her arm which struck up the
weapon"
"Or she wouldn't be here tonight,
YOU mean." laughed the baroness.
Don't you think. then, that his majes-
ty Is right to single her out for so
much honor?" Her eyes were on the
dancers, yet that mysterious SIKH
which most women of the world have
learned taught her how not 10 miss the
slightest change of expression. IL there
were any, on the chancellor's square.
lined face.
His majesty is always right he re-
piled automatically. IAN invitation to
ball, a dance or two, Il few compli'
ments, call to pay his reSpcctS-a
gentleman could not he less gracious.
And his majesty is one of the first gen
tlemen in Europe"
"He has had good training what 10
do and what not to do The baroness
flung her little sop Of fattcry to Ger
berus with dainty ghost Of bow for
the man who had been as n second
father to Leopold since the late EN-
peror's death. "But-we're Old friends
Characteristic was not to blame that
they had not been more in the days
before she became Baroness Won Lyn-
dal-"so. tell me, can you look at the
girls face and the emperor's and still
say that everything will end with an
invitation. dance. some compliments
and a call TO pay respects"
Iron Heart frowned and sneered.
wondering what he could have see
twenty-five years ago to admire In this
Eighty woman. He would have es'
.aped from her now IL escape had been
feasible. but he could not be openly
rude to the wife of the grand master
Of ceremonies at the emperor's ball.
and. besides, he was not unwilling per-
hans TO show the lady that her sentl'
mental and unsuitable innuendos were
as the buzzing Of fly about his ears.
"I'm close upon seventy and no long
er a fair judge Of woman's attrac-
tions." he returned carelessly. "A look
at her face conveys nothing to me, but
were she Helen Of Troy instead OF
Helen Mowbray the invitation. the
dance, the compliments and the call,
with the present Of some jeweled SOU
venir, are all that are permissible IN
the circumstances"
"What circumstances" and the bar
oness looked as innocent as an inquir-
ing child.
"The lady Is not of royal blood, and
his majesty, thank heaven, is not
roue"
"He has heart, though you trained
him, chancellor, and he has eyes. De
may never have used them to much
purpose before, yet there must be
first time, and, the higher and more
strongly built the tower, once 1t begins
to topple the greater is the fall thereof"
"Is 1t the sense of humor, which you
say | lack. that gives you pleasure Ill
discussing the widest improbabilitles
as If they were events to be consider
ed seriously? If it is I'm not sorry to
lack It. In any case, it's well that
neither OF us is the emperor's keeper
We're at least his very good friends,
Hu m OrS