Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1908-04-06

radiant eyes no longer illumined the
path the way ahead seemed dark.
To be sure. the princess had so far
walked triumphantly along the high
road to success, but it was not always
a good beginning which led to a good
end, and the grand duchess felt as she
rang for Ernestine that her nerves
would be strained to the breaking point
until matters were definitely settled
for better or for worse.
Virginia had never been lOvelier than
she was that night at dinner, and Egon
Won Breitstein's admiration for her
beauty had in it fascinating new In
gredient. Until yesterday he had said
to himself. IF she be not fair to me-
what care l how fair she be?" But
now there was a vague idea that she
might after all. be for him, and he took
enormous pleasure in the thought that
he was falling in love with girl who
had captured the emperor's heart.
Egon glanced very often at Leopold,
contrasting his sovereign's appearance
unfavorably with his own. The en-
peror was thin and dark, with a grave
cast of feature, while Egon's face kept
the color and youthfulness of the early
twenties. He was older than Leopold,
but he looked a boy. Alma-Tadema
would have wreathed him with vine
leaves, draped him with tiger skins
and set him down on marble bench
against a burning sapphire sky. where
he would have appeared more suitabl
clad than in the stiff blue and silver
uniform of a crack Rhaetian regiment.
Leopold, on the contrary, would new
er be painted except as a soldier, and
1t seemed to Egon that no normal girl
could help thinking him far hand
soner fellow than the emperor. For
the moment. of course. Miss Mowbray
did not notice him because his impe-
rial majesty doomed large in the fore
ground of her imagination, but the
chancellor had evidently plan in his
head for removing that stately obsta-
Gle into the dim perspective.
Egon had not heard Miss Mowbray
spoken of as an heiress. Therefore,
even had there been no emperor in the
way. he would not have worshiped at
the shrine But now behold the shrine.
attractive before, newly and alluring-
~ decked. Egon wondered much over
his half brothers apparently impulsive
offer and the contradictory command.
which had little later enjolned wait
ing
He was delighted. however. that he
had not been forbidden to make him.
self agreeable. and his idea was as
soon as dinner should he over TO find
a place at Miss Mowbray's side before
any other man should have time to
take IT, But. unluckily for this plan
Baron Won Lyndal detained him for O
few moments with praise of a new
remedy which might cure the chan
cellor's govt. and when he escaped
from his host TO look for Miss Now
bray in the white drawing room she
was not there.
From the music room adjoining. how
ever. came sounds which drew him
toward the door. He knew Miss Now
bray's soft. coaxing touch on the pi-
ano. She was there playing in a
whisper" as he had heard her call
II. Perhaps she was going to sing. as
she had done once or twice before. and
would need some one to turn the pages
Of her music Egon thought that he
would much Ike TO be the some one
and was in the act Of parting the white
velvet portieres that covered the door
way when his hostess smilingiy beck
oned him away
The emperor has just asked Miss
MoWbray TO teach him some old fash
Toned Scotch o. English air Tin afraid
I don't quite know the difference call
Fl Annie Lsurie.'- the baroness ex-
planned He was charmed with IL
when she sang the ether evening and
TIE been asserting him that the sOns
ra1ld exsctIy suit his Toice- We
mustn't disturb them While the lesson
& going On. Tell De-rve hardly hzd
q moment ts ass vSa-how did Ec1
/ dnfi ihe rh1ncezEo-E
ChaineI 20 = forced allegiance EeS7
mechanically answered the questions
81 The isara1esz uifhaIt making atsErd
mistakes. the zhTe kis ears hrrzsd %