The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-04-10
THE PRINCESS VIRGINIA.
Continued from Page Two.)

insisted upon the argument and 1t was
going against her.
In her haste to vex the chancellor
she had not stopped 10 study from ev
cry side the question she had raised
So far she had merely succeeded In r
ritatlng him, and she owed him much
more than pin prick. Such infnitesi
mai wounds she had contrived to give
the man In abundance during her TWEEN
ty-two years at the Rhaetian court
but now, if she hurt him at all. she
would like the stab to be deep ana
memora BILE.
To be sure. in beginning the CONVEX
sation she he'd thought of nothing more
than a momentary qualification but
the very heat of the argument int
which she had thrown herself had
warmed her malice and sharpened the
weapon of her wit. She could justify
her expressed opinion onl? by events
and it occurred to her that she might
be able to shape events in such way
that she could say with eyes If not in
words, 81 told you So"
Her fading smile frightened. "Dea!
chancellor, you do well to have faith
In your imperial pupil" said she.
"You've helped to make him what he
is, and you're ready to keep him what
he should be. suppose even that If.
being but young man and having the
hot blood OF his race. be should stray
Into a primrose path you would take
advantage OF old friendship to-er-
put up signposts and barriers?
"Were there the slightest chance OF
such necessity arising" grumbled the
chancellor. struggling his shoulders.
"It's like your integrity and courage.
What comfort. then, that the neces-
sity is so unlikely to arise!'
The old man looked at her with level
gaze. the ruthless look that brushes
away u woman's paint and powder and
coldly counts the wrinkles underneath.
81 must have misunderstood you. then.
moment ago" he said. 81 thought
your argument was all the other way
round. madam"
81 told you was amusing myself
What can one do at ball when one
has reached the age when it would be
foolish to dance? Why, believe that
Lady Mowbray and her daughter are
not remaining long in Kronburg."
At last she was able to judge that
she, had given the chancellor few un-
easy moments, for his eyes frightened
yisibly with relief. "Ah." he returned.
"then they are going out of Rhaetia"
"Not exactly that" said the baroness
slowly, pleasantly and distinctly. u
hear that they've been asked to the
country to visit one of his majesty's
oldest friends"
Leopold was not supposed to care for
dancing, though he danced-as 1t was
his pride to do all things-well. Ger
tainly there was often perfunctori-
ness about his manner in ballroom.
a suggestion Of the soldier on duty IN
his unsmiling face and his readiness
to lead a partner to her seat when
dance was over.
But tonight a new Leopold moved to
the music. a girls white arm on MS
that slender arm which had been
Quick and firm as mans IN his de-
fense-the perfume Of girls hair
and the gold glints upon it, the shadow
OF a girls dark lashes and the light IN
a pair Of gray eyes when they were
lifted. the beating of girls heart near
him, the springtime grace OF giris
sweet youth in its contrast with the
yoluptuous summer of Rhaetian types
of beauty, the warm rose that spread
upward from girls childlike dimples
to the womanly arch Of her broWs-all
these charms and more which rendered
one girl a hundred times adorable took
hold Of him and made him not an en-
peror. but a man. unarmored.
When the music ceased he fancied
for an instant that some accident had
befallen the musicians. Then when he
realized that the end of the dance had
come in it's due time he remembered
with pleasure a rule Of his court estab'
lished in the days Of those who had
been before him. After each dance an
interval Of ten minutes was allowed
before the beginning Of another. Ten
minutes are not much to q man who
has things to say which could hardly
be said in ten hours. Still, they are
something, and to waste even one
would. be,like- spilling drop Of pre-.
cious elixir from tiny bottle contain
ing but nine other drops.
They had scarcely spoken yet. ex
cept for commonpaces which any one
might have overheard. since the day
on the mountain. and in this first mo.
ment Of the ten each was wondering
whether or no that day should be ig-
nored between them. Leopold did not
feel that it should be spoken Of, for 1t
was possible that the girl did not recog-
nize the chamois hunter In the emper-
or. and Virginia did not feel that she
could speak of it. But, then, few
things turn out as people feel they
should
Next to the throne room was the
ballroom, and beyond was another
known as the waldsaal, which Leo
pold had fitted up for the qualification
Of a fancy. 1t was named the wald-
saal because it represented a wood.
Walls and ceiling were masked with
thick growing creepers trained over in
visible wires, through which peeped
stars Of electric light, like the check
II. 3@1I
branches. Trees grew up, with their