The Irish standard., 1909-09-11
CHAPTER III,

With Lady Maud, and before Mr.. Van
Torp's arrival, Margaret had gone
abroad, without waiting for the
promised advice in the matter of the
f, wedding gown. With admirable re-
gard for the proprietes she had quite
! declined to let Logotheti cross the
channel with her, but had promised
to see him at Versailles, where she
was going to stop few days with her
mothers old American friend, the ex-
cellent Mrs. Rushmore, with whom
she meant to go to Bayreuth to hear
| "Parsifal" for the first time.
! Mrs. Rushmore had disapproved pro.
foundry Of Margaret's career, from the
first. After Mrs Donne's death, she
, had taken the forlorn girl under her
protection, and had encouraged her to
go on with what she vaguely called
her music lessons" The good lady
was one of those dear, old-fashioned,
kind. delicate-minded ana golden
I hearted American women we may
never see again, now that progress"
has got civilization by the throat and
! is squeezing the life out of it. She
called Margaret her "chickabiddy"
and spread motherly wing over her,
without the least idea that she was
! rearing a valuable lyric nightingale
that would not long be content to trill
and quaver unheard:
Immense and deserved success had
half reconciled the old lady to what
had happened, and after all Margaret
had not married. an Italian tenor, q
Russian prince, or Partisan COM
! poser, the three shapes of man which
seemed the most dreadfully immoral
to Mrs. Rushmore. She would find It
easier to put UP with Logotheti than
| with one of those, though 1t was bad
enough to think Of her old friends
, daughter marrying a Greek instead of
nice. clean Anglosaxon, like the
I learned Mr.. Dome, the girls father.
or the good Mr.. Rushmore, her la
mented husband, who had been aiie4p-
right pillar Of the church In New
! York, and the president Of q trust
company that could bettrusted. -
After all, though, she thought all
TWAS AAAok OC nAoS 0u0 VdAASu NC
signing" the name of Konstantin Lo-
gotheti was associated with every
thing that was most honorable in the
financial world, and this impressed
Mrs. Rushmore very much.
Lo8otheti was undoubtedly consid-
cred honest, and Mrs. ,Rushmore made
quite sure Of it. as we'll as of the fact
that he had an immense fortune.
At Versailles. with it's memories Of
her earlier youth, the prima donna
wished to be Margaret Dome again.
and to forget for the time that she
was the Cordova. whose name was al.
ways first on the opera posters in New
York, London and Vienna.
She travelled incognito. That is to
say, she had sent her first maid and
theatrical dresser Alphonsine to see
her relations In Nancy for a month,
and only brought the other with her;
she had, moreover, caused the state
room on the channel boat to be taken
in the name of Miss Dome, and she
brought no more luggage to Versailles
than could be piled on an ordinary
cart, whereas when she had last como
from New York her servants had
seen 81 pieces put on board the steam.
er, and a hat.box had been missing
after all.
Mrs. Rushmore came out to meet
her on the steps In the hot sunshine.
portly and kind as ever, and she ap-
| piled an embrace which was affection
ate. yet imposing.
my dearest child!" she cried. Il
was sure had not quite lost you
! YETI" t.
II hope you will never think you
have" Margaret answered, almost
quite in her girlish voice OF old.
She was very glad to come back As
soon as they we're alone in the cool
drawing room, Mrs. Rushmore asked
her about her engagement in tone of
profound concern, as though 1t were
grave bodily ailment which might
turn out to be fatal
Don't take it SO seriously" Marga.
ret answered with little laugh; I'm
not married yeti"
The elderly face frightened.
do you mean to say that-that
there is any hope?" she asked eagerly.
Margaret laughed now, but in gen.
tie and affectionate sort of way.
Perhaps, just little! But don't
ask me, please. I've come home to
forget everything for a few weeks"
Thank heaven!" calculated Mrs.
! Rushmore in a tone Of deep relief.
Then if-if he should call this after.
noon, or even to-morrow-may l tell
them to say that you are out?"
| She was losing no time; and Marga-
ret laughed again. though she put her
head a little, on one side with an ex.
preston of doubt.
II can't refuse to see him." she said.
though really would much rather
be alone with you for q day or two"
+ my darling child" cried Mrs. Rush.
more. applying another embrace. you
shall! Leave 1t to mel"
Mrs. Rushmore's delight was touch.
i1s,. fer she could .impst feel that