Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-03-22
p v.
The Right to Live and Love.

ing room. The Archduchess An
nunciata lighted a cigarette, and
glanced across the table at Hedwig.
Hedwig had been very silent during
the meal. She had replied civilly
when Spoken to, but that was all. Her
mother, who had caught the countess
trick of narrowing her eyes, inspected
her from under lowered lids.
"Well?" she said. "Are you still
sulky?"
81? Not at all, mother" Her head
went up, and she confronted heI
mother squarely.
II should like to inquire, If I may"
observed the archduchess, "just how
you have spent the day. This morn
ming, for instance?"
Hedwig shrugged her shoulders, but
her color rose.
81 rode"
"Where?"
"At the riding school, with Otto"
"Only with Otto?"
Captain Larisch was there"
"Of counsel Then you have prac'
ideally spent the day with him !"
81 have spent most of the day with
lotto"
"This devotion to Otto-it is new.
j think. You were eager to get out
of the nursery. Now, it appears, you
must fly back to schoolroom teas and
other absurdities. 1 should like tG
know why"
81 think Otto is lonely, mother"
The archduchess was in one of her
sudden moods of irritation. Hedwig's
remark about Otto's loneliness, the
second that day, struck home. In her
anger she forgot her refusal to the
chancellor.
81 have something to say that will
put an end to this sentimental non-
sense of yours, Hedwig. / should for
bid your Seeing this boy, this young
Larisch, If l felt 1t necessary. l do
not. You would probably see him
anyhow, for that matter" She rose,
land threw her bolt out of a clear sky.
at is unnecessary to remind you not
Ito make a fool of yourself. But 1t
may not be out of place to say that
your grandfather has certain plans for
from this-this silly boy, soon enough"
Hedwig had risen, and was stand
ing, very white, with her hands on
the table. "What plans, mother?"
"He will tell you"
Not am not to be married."
The Archduchess Annunciata was
mot all hard. She could never forgive
her children their father. But they
were her children, and Hedwig was
Eall that she was not, gentle and round
and young. Suddenly something al
most like regret stirred in her.
'Don't look like that, child" she
said. "It is not settled. And, after
all, one marriage or another-what
difference does it make? Men are
men. If one does not care, it makes
the things they do unimportant."
"But surely" Hedwig gasped,
|"surely I shall be consulted?"
A~nnunciata shook her head. They
had all risen. AS for Olga Loschek,
she was very still, but her eyes
burned.
Mother, you cannot look back, and
land remember your own life, and al
How me to be wretched. You can
notiv :
Hedwig began to cry.
The archduchess hated tears, and
her softer moments were only mo.
ments. 'Dry your eyes, and don't be
silly" she said coldly. "You have al
ways known that something of the
sort was inevitable"
She moved toward the door. The
two princesses and her lady in wait
ing remained still until she had left
the table. Then they fell in behind
her, and the little procession moved to
the stuffy boudoir, for coffee. But
Hilda slipped her arm around her sis.
ter's waist, and the touch comfortec
Hedwig.
HE may be very NICE" Hilda volun.
teered cautiously. perhaps it Is Karl
I am quite mad about Karl, myself"