Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-08-04
the end Of five months ha ,o,trf

chase seized the inst opportunity to
leap headforemost into the very thick
of a most appalling indiscretion!
When lie 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
reached his post of duty, and it was
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 lie
dined that night. She was the first
woman that lie 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
n 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 Ike the KIND lhat Henner painted
us anything human could be, except
that IT'S more IKE OLD gold, II you can
understand what mean by that. Not
bronze, mind you, nor the raw red,
| Dut-oh, well, I'm not novelist, so
1 cant haifway describe II. Shes
ratnef tall-not 100 tall, NINA you
five feet five, I'd say-whateyer that is
III the metric system. Slender and
well dressed-oh, that's the strangest
thing OF all! Well dressed! Think of
princess being well dressed! I'd say
shes twenty-five or twenty-three years
OF age-not minute older. think her
eyes are very dark gray, almost Dlte.
Hef SKIN is IKE a-a-on, let me see.
what Is there that's as pure and soft
| as her SKIN! something warm, and
PINK, and White, dye see! 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
eyes upon And to think OF her as the
wife of that blithering little ass, that
nlncompoop OF Karl Brabetz! She
ioatlies him. I'm SURE, know she
! does. And she's got to marry him!
Ihats what she gers fof pelns a grand
dukes daughter. Brabetz is the heir
apparent to some duchy or other over
there and is supposed to be the catch
OF the season. You've heard of him.
He was III Paris this season and cut
quite tigure-a prince with real
money in his purse, you know. Won
der why it is that our American girls
can't marry the princes who have
money instead of those who have none
NOT that WISH any OF our girls such
bad luck as BrabesZ! III stake my
mead nell never forget me-. chase
concluded With sharp, reflective
laugh i'll which his hearers Joined, f3!
the cscapadt which inspired 1t was be
Ing slyly discussed in every embassy
III Europe.
| But to return. The advent of the
princess put fresh life into the slow
going city and court circles Charm
i ing people whom Chase had never
seen before seemed to spring into OK.
istence suddenly. the streets fool, nm a
new air; the bands played with {
keener zest. and the army prinked IT,
self into most amazingly presentable
shape. Chase could hardly believe his
success. He lifted up his chin, threw
out his chest, banished the look of dis
4 content from his face and announced
TO himself that Thorberg was not sucl
pad place after all,