Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-10-30

| opera house. The prince, preceded by
an attendant, led the way to O box
upon the second tier. A woman turned
her head as they entered and stretched
out her hand which the prince raised
| to his lips.
"You see, ! have taken you at your
word, Eugene" she remarked.
you give me double pleasure, dear
lady," the prince declared. mot only
is it JOY to be your host, but you give
me also the opportunity of presenting
to you my friend, John Strangewey
Strangewey, this is my very distant
relative and very dear friend, Lady
Hilda Mulloch."
Lady Hllda smiled graciously at
John. She was apparently of a little
less than middle age, with dark bands
Of chestnut hair surmounted by a tiara.
| Her face was the face of a clever and
still beautiful woman; her figure slen-
der and dignifed; her voice low and
delightful.
Are you paying your nightly hon.
age to CalaVera, Mr.. Strangewey, or
are you only an occasional visitor?"
| she asked.
'This is my first visit Of any sort
to Covent Garden" John told her.
She looked at him with as much sur
prise as good breeding permitted. John,
who had not as yet sat down, seemed
almost preternaturally tall in that
small box, with its low ceiling. He
was looking around the house with the
enthusiasm of a boy. Lady Hilda
glanced away from him toward the
prince, and smiled; then she looked
back at John. There was something
like admiration in he face.
do you live abroad?" she asked.
John shook his head.
81 live in Cumberland" he said.
MANY people here seem to think that
that is the same thing. My brother
and have farm there"
But you visit London occasionally,
surely?"
81 have not been in London" John
told her, "since passed through 1t on
my way home from Oxford, eight years
ago."
81 have never heard anything SO ex-
traordinary In my iifeI" the woman de-
clared frankly. "Is it the prince who
has induced you to break out of your
| seclusiOn?"
"Our young friend" the prince ex-
planned, finds himself suddenly in al
| farod ciroupn pooS No hos booy> Lee
large fortune, and has come to spend
it. Incidentally. hope, he has come
to see something more Of your sex than
is possible among his mountain wilds.
He has come, in short, to look a little
way into life"
Lady Hilda leaned back in hsr cxair
How romantic!"
1.-The prince amuses himself" John
assured her. 81 don't suppose 1 SHALL
stay very long in London. want Just
to try 1t for time"
She looked at him almost wrSSfS1y.
She was a woman with brains; wom-
an notorious for the freedom of her
life, for her intellectual gifts, for her
almost brutal disregard of the conyen-
tons of her class. The psychological
interest of John Strangewey's situa-
ton appealed to her powerfully. Be
sides, she had weakness for hand
some men.
AT any rate" said Lady HHda, 81
! am glad to think that shall be able
to watch you when you see Calavera
in her dances for your first time"
The curtain rang up upon one of the
| most gorgeous and senSuous OF the
Russian ballets. John, who by their
joint insistence was occupying the
front chair in the box, leaned forward
In his place, his eyes steadfastly fixed
upon the stage. Both the prince and
Lady Hilda, in the background, al
though they occasionally glanced at
the performance, devoted most of their
attention to watching him.
AS the story progressed and the mu-
sic grew in passion and voluptuous-
ness, they distinctly saw his almost
militant protest. They saw the knit
ting of his firm mouth and the slight
contraction of his eyebrows. The
prince and his friend exchanged
glances. She drew her chair a little
farther back, and he followed her ex-
| ample
where did yeu find anything so
wonderful as thisP she murmured.
Lost among the hills of Cumber.
land" the prince replied. 81 have an
estate up therein fact. he and are
joint lords of the manor of the VIII
lage In which he has lived"
And your" she whispered, glancing
at John to be sure that she was not
overheard. where do you come In?
As educator OF the youngl / don't
seem TO see you In that rolel-
A very rare and by no means pleas
ant smile twisted the corners of his
lips for q moment.
at is long story"
"Can be brought Int" she asked.
He nodded.
1T rests with you. 1t would sui my
plans"
She eoyed with her fan for mo-
ment, looked restlesSly at the stage
and back again at John. Then she rose
from her place and stood before the
lookingglass- From the greater obscur-
ity Of the box she motioned to the
prince.
John remained entirely needless of
their movements. His eyes were
still riyeted upon the stage, fascinated
with the wonderful coloriug. the reaii-
zation of q new art.
You and l" Lady Hilda whispered.
| do not need to play about with the