Evening star., 1920-03-01
rganized the famous regiment on

organized the famous regiment on
skis"
1t was some time in 1915 that more
than one of the little group of friends
accustomed to gather at the Lambrino
home began to suspect the great
mutual interest between Prince Carol
and Jeanne.
The prince came more and more fire.
quently. His preoccupation with the
card games or the conversation was
less and less intense. His gaze
strayed often toward that fitting form
visible in an adjoining room or in the
garden. Mile. Lambrino was SLY and
strictly reared and if she knew of
her dawning love for the prince she
did not then be.ray it. But for Carol
himself it soon came to be a matter
no longer to be concealed
1t was noticed that Jeanne went
oftener TO court balls and other as
semblases. She had, of course, been
presented to the queen imme d at ely
upon returning from school. but had
not become known to the royal family
IN the same degree as her brother
Nor did TIE queen previous to that
spring and summer of 1915 take any
special notice of this winsome daugh-
ter OF an ancient house. But later
not even the queen could avoid re-
marking that Prince Carol very often
chose Jeanne as his dancing partner
and that~When they talked together
their talk was far from perfunctory
War Brings sudden Change.
There was to intervene presently an
event that drove this and all other
lIght topics out of peoples heads. In
August. 1915. Rumania entered the
war, casting it's lot with the entente
and soon after came disaster The
roya, @ family was driven from it's
beautiful capital; the government
TOO. The Lambrino household was
one of those that Joined the exodus to
the little old city of Moldavia. There
remained now only Nine. Lambrino
and her daughter, the son having
gone to war There. in reduced but
still charming surroundings. they
lived while the kingdom trembled
And thither came Prince Carol.
he was on military duty now, like
all the rest. but his duty was light
llGhter than he wanted. He had time
TO spare and he spent it at the home
OF her who had so attracted him.
> None of the visitors to the Lam
brino apartment pretended to be un-
aware of Carols romance. There was
tatk among this circle: grave talk
100. There was renewed talk within
the court. no longer in SO light a vein
as before.
Attempts to End Romance Fail.
So Nine. Lambino made frequent but
futile, efforts to arrest the attach
ment. She would say to Prince Carol:
What will happen? Think. 1 am a
WldoW. with only this son and daugh-
ter. Consider my position. Give her
up"
And the prince would promise to
come less often, to make his visits
briefer For long time he confined
his calls to an hour in the evening.
In this manner passed the winter
nf in
mer came another change. Prince
Carol was sent frequently to the front
on tours of inspection Che was still
denied fighting regiment. But they
corresponded and these letters. if ever
they see the light, will make VOL
ume as fascinating as the narrative
here to follow. Finally the govern
ment. now not only aware of the ro-
nance. but alarmed by it, ordered the
prince to command unit in a little
Carpa THAN town called Targu-Neantz.
Here, in village some 140 kilometers
from Jassy, il was thought he would
come to himself" The court guessed
wrong.
In Roman. another small town not
far from JaSsy, lived an aunt Of Mile.
Lmbrino. named Nine. Alcazu. noted
for her kind heart and her charities.
Thither went Jeanne, ostensibly to
visit her aunt. Thither. too, went the
prince.
Besides this meeting place, there
was another, a small estate near Ro-
man belonging to the Lambrino fam
lily for many years. Its incumbents
We're the father and mother of Nine
Lambrino. old people who loved to see
their granddaughter happy, and took
little account of the future.
Was the project of an elopement
born then? Was it conceived by the
prince during his semi-solitude in
Targu-NeantZ?
No one pretends to know this. But
how ii bore fruit, how Prince Carol
clung to it, will be told in the chap
ters following: the narrative of Prince
Carols obliging and resourceful ad-
mirer.