The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-03-20

! mOreland was QeaQ, MS lltle anu VAST
estates had passed to distant and dis
agreeable relative, and the widowed
grand duchess. with her one fair
daughter. had lived for years in a pref
| ty old house with high walled gar
den at Hampton Court. lent by the
generosity of the king and queen Of
England.
For long moment the Dresden
china lady thought in silence and some
thing of sadness. Then she reused her
self again and asked the one and only
royal princess with an American name
what, in the way of match. she real
! ly expected.
what do expect?" echoed Virginia.
"Why, / wish for the moon-no. 1
mean the sun. But I don't expect to
get it."
as that way Of saying you never
intend to marry"
I'm afraid it amounts to that" ad-
mitted Virginia. "since there Is only
one man in the world l would have for
my husband"
"My dearest! A man you have let
yourself learn to care for, a man be-
meath you? How terrible! But you see
no one. r.
give ne-er seen this man. And-1'm
not in love- with him. That would be
too foolish, because, instead of being
beneath. he's far, far above me-"
virginia, Of whom can you be talk
ing? Or is this another joker
Virginia blushed little and, instead
of answering her mothers look Of help
less appeal, stared at the row Of tall
hollyhocks that blazed along the Ivy
hidden garden wall. She did not speak
for an instant, and then she said, with
the dainty shyness Of child pinned to
statement by uncomprehending eld-
ers: "It isn't joke. Nonsense, maybe,
yet not joke. I've always thought OF
him-for 80 many years I've forgotten
when it first began. He was so great.
so-everything that appeals to me.
How could I help thinking about him
and putting him on a pedestal? l.
there's no idea Of marriage in my mind.
of course. only-there's no other man
possible after all the thoughts I've
given him-no other man in the world"
"NIy dear, you must tell me his
name"
"What! When I've described him-al-
most-do you still need to hear his
name? Well, then. I'm not asham-
ed to tell. It's Leopold"
Leopold. You're talking Of the en-
peror of Rhaetia."
"As If it could have been any one
else"
"And you have thought Of him.
you've cherished him. for years as an
ideal! Why, you never spoke Of him
particularly before"
That's because you never seriously
wanted me to take husband until this
prim, dull French Henri proposed him
self. My thoughts were my own.
wouldn't have told you only-you sec
why"
"Of course, my precious child. How
extremely interesting and-and roman
ticr Again the grand duchess lapsed
into silence, yet her expression did not
suggest a stricken mind. She merely
appeared astonished. with an astonish-
ment that might turn into an emotion
more agreeable.
Meanwhile it was left for Virginia
to look vexed-vexed with herself. She
wished that she had not betrayed her
poor little foolish secret-so Shadowy
secret that it was hardly worthy of the
name Yet it had been precious-pre-
cious since childhood. precious as the
immediate jewel Of her soul because
it had been the jewel Of her soul, and
no one else had dreamed Of its exist
ence. Now she had shown it to other
eyes, almost flaunted it. Never again
could it be joy to her.
In the little room, half study, half
boudoir, which was her own there was
desk, locked in her absence, where
souvenirs of the young emperor of
Rhaetia had been accommodating for
years. There were photographs which
Virginia haG contrived to buy secret
ly-portraits Of Leopold from an early
age up to the present. when he was
shown as a tall, dark, cold eyed, warm
Tipped, firm chinned young man Of
thirty. There were paragraphs cut
from newspapers telling Of his genius
as soldier. his prowess as noun
taineer and hunter of big game, with
dramatic anecdotes of his naughty
courage in time of danger, bis impul-
sive charities, his well thought out
schemes for the welfare Of his subjects
in every walk of life.
There were black and white copies
Of bold, clever pictures he had painted.
There was martial music composed by
him and plaintive folk songs adapted
by him, which Virginia had tried soft
ly - herself on her little piano when