The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1909-09-02

GUS occupations he had followed here
tofore. One OF his uncies was a con-
gresham. and another was In some
way connected with railroads. He first
sought the influence of the latter and
then the recommendation of the for
mer. In less thnn six weeks after his
arrival In Washington he was off for
the city OF Thorberg, In the grand
duchy of Rapp-Thorberg. carrying
with him an appointment as consul
and supplied with the proper stamps
and seal of office.
At the end of five months he loathed
Thorberg: he hated the inhabitants;
he smarted under the sting of royal
disdaln; be had no real friends. no
boon companions. and he was obliged
to be good, What wonder. then. that
the bored. suffering. vivacious Mr..
Chase seized the first opportunity to
leap headforemost into the very thick
of a most appalling indiscretion,
When he first arrived In Thorberg to
assume his sluggish duties he was not
aware of the fact that the grand duke
had an unmarried daughter. the Prin-
cess Genevra.
She was visiting In st. Petersburg
or Berlin or some other place when he
toward the end of his fifth month be-
fore she returned to her fathers palace
In Thorberg He awoke to the i'm
portance of the occasion and took some
slight interest In the return of the
royal young lady. even going SO far as
to follow the crowd to the railway sta
ton on the sunny June afternoon
He saw the princess for the first
time that afternoon. and he was
bowled over. to use the expression Of
his English friends with whom he
dined that night. She was the first
woman that be had ever looked upon
that he could describe. for she was the
only one who had impressed him to
that extent This is how he pictured
her at the American legation In Paris
a few weeks later:
Ever see her? Well, you've some
thing to live for. gentlemen. I've seen
her but three times, and l don't seem
able to shake off the spell. You've
never seen such hair. Cad, it's as
near like the kind that Henner painted
as anything human could be, except
that it's more like old gold, If you can
understand what 1 mean by that. Not
bronze. mind you, nor the raw red,
butch, well, Pm not a novelist, so
! can't halfway describe it She's
rather tall-not too tall, mind you
five feet five, I'd say-whateyer that Is
In the metric system. Slender and
well dressed-oh, that's the strangest
thing of all. Well dressed! Think Of
a princess being well dressed I'd say
she's twenty-five or twenty-three years
of age-not minute older. think her
eyes are a very dark gray. almost blue
Her skin is like a-a-oh, let me see!
What Is there that's as pure and soft
as her skin? Something warm. and
pink. and white. dye see2 Well, never
mind. And her smile! And her frown!
You know, I've seen both Of 'em, and
ones as attractive as the other. She's
real princess, gentlemen. and the
prettiest woman I've ever laid my
wife Of that blithering little ass. that
nincompoop Of Karl Brabetz! She
loathes him. I'm sure-I know she
does AID she's got to marry him.
That's what she gets for being a grand
dukes daughter. Brabetz is the heir
apparent to some duchy or other over
there and is supposed to be the catch
- ~ In,
He was in Paris this season and cut
quite a figure-a prince with real
money in his purse, you know. ] Won
der why 1t Is that our American girls
can't marry the princes who have
money instead of those who have none
Not that l wish any Of our girls such
bad luck as Brabetzl I'll stake my
head he'll never forget me-" Chase
concluded with q sharp. reflective
laugh in which his hearers joined. for
the escapade which inspired II was be-
ing slyly discussed in every embassy
In Europe.
But to return. The advent of the
princess put fresh life into the slow
going city and court circles. Charm
ing people whom chase nad never
seen before seemed to spring into ex-
Istence suddenly; the streets took on
new air; the bands played with a
keener zest, and the army prinked IT.
self into a most amazingly presentable
shape. Chase could hardly believe his
success. He lifted up his chin, threw
out his chest, banished the look OF dis
content from his face and announced
to himself that Thorberg was not such
bad place after all.
For days he swung blithely through
the streets. the hangdog look gone
from his eyes. always hoping for an
other glimpse of the fair sorceress
who had worked the great transfer
nation. 1t was two weeks before he
saw her the second time. He was
more enchanted by her face than be-
fore, especially as he came to realize
the astonishing fact that she was kind
enough to glance in his direction from
time to time.
It was during the weekly concert In
the Kursaal late one night She came
in with a party, among whom he rec
ognixed several Of the leading person
ages at court
Chase eat at q table with the French
attache Just below the box occupied
by the princess and her party. In
spite Of The fact that be was gentle
- v~euk