Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-12-01
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The.Duke's
Daughter
Hsw She Met Her Fate
By the
BARONESS Won HUTTEN

:: By the :
i: BARONESS Won HUTTEN 3
Copyright by Frank A. Munsey Co.
Ssssssssssssssssssssssssss
The train had stopped again. and
Wickham. rubbing the moisture of
the window with the dingy curtain.
looked out into the night.
Wickham shuddered and drew back
into the shabby comfort Of his second
class carriage.
karlsruhe. probably" he thought as
the noise Of banging doors announced
a speedy departure.
It was too dark to read. Wrapping
his rug well about his legs. he leaned
back again and closed his eyes. Then
just as the train started the door Of
his compartment was opened. the light
from lantern flashed across him. and
a woman, vigorously helped forward.
stumbled into the place opposite him.
and q worn bag was dumped by por-
ter directly on his foot. AS II that
were not enough, the owner paid no
attention to his discomfort. but sat i'm
movable in her place.
Wickham was annoyed. He dislik-
ed being the only other person In Il
compartment with a woman, and this
one, judging from the shabbiness OF
her wet brown skirt and the cotton
gloves on her Imply folded hands.
was utterly lacking in even the small
charm necessary to reconcile a cross
man to the bore Of opening and clos
ing windows and arranging another's
hand luggage.
ignoring the small bag at his feet.
he watched the blurred lights Of the
city until they were swallowed up In
the darkness. Then. closing his eyes
again, he tried to find his way back to
the comfortable half sleep that had
soothed him since he left Mannheim.
But he could not sleep. The pres
ence of his neighbor. still as she sat.
made him nervous.
Lifting the bag. he put 1t on the
seat beside her. but still she did NOT
move. And then as the train rushed
round sharp curve she fell helplessl!
sideways. Her hat. crushed into the
angle of the head rest, fell back and
revealed her face in the feeble light.
"Good heavensw said Wickham. The
girl-for she was not more than four
or five and twenty-lay silent and still
II.
Wickham stared at her for a few
seconds. Then. digging his flask ont
of his bag. he sat down by her. bal
anced her limp body as well us he
could In the wanton Jerkiness OF the
train and poured a few drops OF the
fluid into her mouth.
II seemed hours before little color
came back into the pale face and the
sunken eyes opened.
"Danke schoen," she said presently.
drawing away from him. Forgive
me-"
Good heavens, ! have nothing to
forgive" he answered with vehe'
mence that he vaguely recognized as
quite uncalled for. "If hadn't been
q brute Id have seen at once that
you were Ill"
"Oh, l wasn't Ill! / wonder wheth'
er. as you have been so kind. you
would let me have little more. Most
of what you gave me went-outside.'
"Why, you are English" Wickham
exclaimed. handing her the flask.
How strange! You'd better drink out
of the flask. the train shakes So
Thanks. Yes. am English" she
said. while he watched wave OF bril-
liant color sweep up her thin cheeks.
Then, to his disappointment. she closed
her eyes. and he dared not speak
again.
Her hands, bare now Of the disig-
uring gloves, lay loosely as before, and
he saw that. though painfully thin'
they were white and slim.
Then she opened her eyes.
Don't be frightened" she said. try
ing to smile. "but | am dreadfully
afraid I am going toto do 1t again
"Oh, for heavens sake. my dear
young lady, don't! Take some more
brandy"
She waved the flask away. mo. no!
u Then suddenly she added. speak
Ing very fast: "The truth Is ! am not
Ill; l am only hungry. II you happen
to have
Catching the look in her face as she
TASTED the meat In the sandwich he
thrust into her hands. he fed to the far
end of the compartment and stood with
his face to the wet window. positively
sick with pity.
When she called lie found her fold
Ing the paper about the remaining
sandwiches. II ate two" she said,
with little shamed laugh. "and-
shan't try to thank you. I suppose
you never were hungry"
mo. I was never hungry he return
ed, feeling himself an unmitigated
brute. II was never hungry In my
life"
"Your people are dead?" he went ON.
fhe train was dra wing into the Stutt-
CART station. and he saw In the electric
light the half defiant expression OF her
face as she answered.
"My father Is alive" she said.
"Then I'd like to punch your fathers
head"
"Yes? My father is the Duke Of
Tarbolton."
"The Duke
"The Duke Of Tarbolton. Have you
ever heard Of the Tarbolton vein
Well, there 1t is."
She held out her left hand and by
some slow twist of the muscles moved
q big vein on the back Of 1t nearly an
inch out Of It's place and back again.
Wickham had heard Of the family
popularity and nodded. "Extraordi-
naryr he said perfunctorily. But
"Oh, my mother wasn't duchess.
nor,t ha ovarwhoImod She W,aa A