Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1912-04-18


on the parties occupying the third box
on the right in this row. And do you
take good look at them Yourself 1t
may be we'll for you to know their
faces"
Then the bells rang for the last act,
and the Radnors and Courtney We're
announced.
To those who have never been to
Dornlitz | may say that the hanging
garden is the name for the great bal
cony of the Hotel Metzen. 1t is the
peculiarly fashionable restaurant and
is always thronged in the evening with
the aristocracy of the kingdom. To
had been reserved for me, and very
slight bank of plants was arranged to
separate us from the general crowd.
Just before the final curtain his high
ness of Lotzen had strolled into the
royal box. To my surprise he congrat-
ulated me very heartily upon my APP
pointment as governor of DornlitZ, and
perforce l Invited him to join us at
supper.
He hesitated moment, and l urged
him to come. In fact, | felt bit sorry
for him. He had just lost the princess
and with her likely his chance at the
throne as we'll. And l had won the
one and very possibly the other also.
| could afford to be generous.
The supper was deliciously cooked,
the wine was excellent, the service be-
yond criticism. | had given the two
ambassadors to Dehra and had put
Lady Helen between L.otZen and my
self. with Lord Radnor on the dukes
left
We We're a merry party. Dehra was
positively bewitching and Radnor was
simply fascinated. He could scarcely
take his eyes from her, even when ad-
dressed by Lotzen, which was very
little, for the duke devoted himself
very assiduously to Lady Helen. So
was RENTED to Lady Radnor, who
was about the most tresomely unin-
teresting mortal it had been my mis-
fortune to know. Ny only solace were
the occasional smiles that Dehra gave
me-smiles that Courtney noted in
stantly and, / fancied. understood and
that Lotzen intercepted, but what he
thought l did not know and did not
care. Who ever cares what his de-
feated rival thinks?
We had been there for possibly half
an hour when, happening to glance out
ward, / saw Madeline Spencer and an
elderly woman. and the man who had
been in the box with her, coming slow
table near us had just been vacated
and they We're shown to it by the head
waiter. whose excessive obsequious-
ness proved the size of his tip
Mrs. Spencer gave our party a sin
gle quick glance, as she drew off her
gloves. and then fell to conversng
With her companions
All this l had noted out of the corner
of my eye, as it We're. l had not the
least doubt she had recognized me at
the opera, and l did not intend to give
her chance to speak to me-which
knew she would try to do, the Pitts
burgh experience notwithstanding, if
SllC IholSuC IL 1llSSllG LUZ l1Cl lCl pres
ent plans or pleasures.
Lotzen, however, had been drinking
rather freely and was not so chary
with his glances. Indeed, he stared so
frankly that Lady Helen did not hest
tate to prod him about it.
81 would take her to be an Ameri-
cam" l heard him say.
swered.
Inwardly, l consigned the Spencer
woman to perdition. They would be
interrogating me about her next, and
l did not know just how to answer.
would have to admit knowing her;
that would only whet their curiosity
and bring further questions.
l could feel LotZen's glance, and l
knew he was waiting only for a break
in Lady Radnor's discourse. l gave
him as much of my back as possible
and encouraged her to proceed She
was on the tenement house problem,
but l had no idea what she was advo-
eating in particular. I did not care.
All wanted was talk-talk-talk And
whenever she showed signs Of slowing
up l flung in a word and spurred her
on again.
And she responded nobly, and mar
veled at her staying powers-at Lord
Radnor's fortitude through SO many
years-at Lady Helen being the child
of such mother. But all the time l
was conscious of Lotzen waiting-wait-
ing-waiting.
To my horror, Lord Radnor heard his
wife talking and saw him frown.
Lord bless us!' he exclaimed to the
princess and Courtney, 1--WE must res
cue his highness-Lady Radnor is ON
the tenement problem!"
tried to signal Courtney to keep
Radnor occupied, but he did not under
stand and only smiled and whispered
something to the princess Then Lord
Radnor caught his wife's eye. and the
old lady's discourse ended abruptly.