Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-03-31

[TaGH MY darling child,
mlSN exclaimed the grand
MSn duchess, you're impos-
W. sible. If any one should
hear you!"
Its he who's impossible" the prin-
cess amended. I'm just trying to show
you
"Or to shock me. You are SO like
your grandmother
That's the best compliment any one
can give me, which Is lucky, as It's
given so often" laughed the princess.
Dear. adorable Virginia. She cud-
died into the pink hollow of her hand
the pearl framed ivory miniature of
beautiful. smiling girl which always
hung from thin gold chain around
her neck. They shouldn't have named
me after you. should they, If they
hadn't wanted me to be like you"
1T was partly question OF money,
dear" sighed the grand duchess. "lf
my mother hadn't left legacy to M!
first daughter only on consideration
that her own extremely American
name of Virginia should he perpetual
ed
Ut was delicious way Of being pa
.rirtic. I'm glad she did 1t. love
being the only royal princess with
American blood In my veins and an
American name on my handkerchiefs.
Do YOU believe fer an instant that If
Grandmothe: Virginia were alive she
would let Granddaughter Virginia mar
~ Prince Henri de Touraine?'
Il don't see why not" said the grand
duchess. "She wasn't too patriotic to
marry an English duke and startle
London as the first American duchess.
Heavens. the things she used to do If
one could believe half the wild stories
my fathers sister told me in warning,
And us for my father, though n most
charming man. of course he could not
-er-have been called precisely es-
Unable. while Prince Henri certainly
Is, and an exceedingly good match
even for youth present circum'
stances"
Call him match If you like, moth
er. He's undoubtedly stick. But,
no: he's not match for me. There's
only one OF earth" AID Virginia's
eyes were lifted to the sky as if, in
stead of existing on earth. the person
in her thoIgi'., wc!e Paced as high
as the sun that shonc aloe her.
Il should have urnfc-Iei an Eng
lshman for Aou." said the grand duch-
eSs. III only there were one OF suitable
rank free to-
I'm not thiI'5ir% of an Englishman,"
murmurcd Eer daughter.
IF only YOU would think of poor
Henri"
Never OF him. You know, said l
would he DASH
Don't repeat It,. Oh. when you look
Mt me in that way, how like you are to
your grandmother's portrait at home
the one in white, painted just before
her marriage! One might have known
you would he extraordinary. That sort
Of thing invariably skips over gen
tration."
The grand duchess laid down the the
Dry as IA law. and. whether or no she
were right. it was at least sure that
| the had inherited nothing Of the first
virginia's daring originality-some OF
her radiant mothers beauty perhaps.
| watered down to gentle prettiness, for
| the hereditary Grand Duchess Of Bau-
nenburg- Drippe at fifty-one was still
daintily attractive woman, middle
ged Dresden china lady, with per-
iect complexion preserved by an al
most perfect temper, surprised eye
brows, kindly 'dimples and conven-
ional upper lip.
She was not by birth hereditary"
| Her lord and very much her master
| had been that and had selected her to
help him reign over the hereditary
grand duchy of Baumenburg- Drippe,
not only because her father was an
English duke with royal Stuart blood
IL Lis veins, but because her Virginian
mother had brought much gold to the
Northumberland exchequer. Afterward
ne had freely spent such portion OF
that gold as had come to his Golfers In
,rying to keep his little estates intact.
| But now 1t was all gone, and long ago
| ne had died Of grief and bitter disap-
continent. The hereditary grand duchy
d Baumenburg-Drippe was ruled by
\ cousinly understudy of the German
Emperor William H.; the one son OF
the marriage had been adopted as heir
10 his crown by the childless king OF
Hungaria; the handsome and lamenta-
bly, extravagant old Duke Of North
moreland was dead: his title aud vast
estates had passed to distant ana dis'
agreeable relative, and the widowed
grand duchess, with her one fall
daughter, had lived for years In pret
ty old house with high walled gar
den at Hampton Court. lent by the
generosity of the king and queen OF
England.
/ rsr long moment the Dresden
china lady thought in silence and some
thing CT sadness. Then she reused her
self again and asked the one and only
royal princess with an American name