Evening star., 1923-10-21
y HER GRACE
c& Frances Moves Hart.
as adbvAba7M Maa6eu.

incredible, but the large black one
looked as though it knew it's mind.
The two of them got in quickly.
where to-" inquired the cabby
with severity.
Drive straight ahead-a hundred
miles" said the great one In a terrify
ing tone. Roaring drunk or plain
barmy, the large occupant of the cab
was plainly one to be humored..
Would a hundred miles bring us
to dawn inquired the smaller luna
tic. "Oh. I'd rather a dawn than a
parade any day there is"
When will you marry me?' de-
manded the duke.
I'VE must be that wise and cool
well put the stars to shame" she
said dreamily. 'How many days
would there be in year? I've no
head for figures at all"
"A year?" protested the stricken
duke fiercely. Three hundred and
sixty-five days? You couldn't-yor
couldn't
Biddy raised, her hand to the silver
laces above her heart with the strang-
est little look OF WOnQer.
Three hundred and sixty-five? %
she whispered. NO more than that?
No more than that-for sure?"
mo more?' he cried. why. it's a
lifetime-it's eternity"
"Ah. and so it is" said his Biddy.
, We'll. then, let's be wise as the stars
and wait till morning. Father
Leary, he'll marry US then If I have
to do penance for the rest OF my days.
Three hundred and sixty-five did you
say? You're right-oh, you're right.
'Tis a lifetime!"
a ND so at dawn Biddy O'Rourke
1 \ became the Duchess of Boiling
ham.
They drove down to Gray Courts
behind pair Of bright bays called
Castor and Pollux that same day. in a
, high trap of black and scarlet, with
| fawn-colored cushions. The duke
| drove. and the duchess sat perched
| beside him in a great red coat with
a ruby ring on her finger and a hat
| no larger than a poppy tilted over
one eye.
rs it a castle you live in, darlin'?''
"ItIl be a castle once you're in IT.
Who ever heard OF a princess that
didn't live In castle?"
lis 1t terrible big and black and
grand. like you?"
"TerribIe-you couldn't tell us
apart"
DO your great sons live there all
| by themselves?'
"Oh, rather not They live there
with two tutors and a trainer and an
old nurse and four aunts. besides all
the hounds and horses and grooms
and jockeys and farriers that they
can wedge into the stables"
The saints keep us" invoked
! Biddy with heartfelt piety Was il
four aunts you said?"
''Oh. Heaven forgive me, I clean
forgot 'em!" The dukes cry was
quite as heartfelt, but it lacked piety.
mo, 1 swear that's the truth. 1 sent
| a messenger down this morning with
a letter for Noll. but not one of the
lot of them entered my head-Biddy.
Biddy. IL I'd remembered. I'd have
taken you somewhere else
"Ah, well, 1t can't be helped, darlin'
It's glad news and golden that I've
driven the thought of four grand
! ladies clear out Of your head, and it's
small fault of yours that so much as
a whisper of the word aunt makes the
soles of my feet grow cold and the
! hairs of my head rise up on end If
you'd known my fathers sister
Dasheen you'd never wonder. Maybe
the four of these are nice old bodies?"
And maybe they're mott" remarked
| the duke. Cad. but I'd give thou
sand pounds to have them hear you
calling them nice old bodies. Clarissa
now"
He gave such a shout of laughter
that the off bay swerved.
Are they just young aunts then?'
Biddy inquired hopefully.
Beautiful, wait till you see them
They're not aunts at all, heaven help
us-they're sisters! ne of their noses
would make four of yours. and every
last one of them is more like Queen
Elizabeth in her prime than any one
going around England these days
They have fine bones and high heads
and eyes like icicles and tongues like
serpents' tails dipped in vinegar"
Have they nowr remarked her
grace pensively. We'll, twill not be
dull at Gray Courts, 1 can tell that
from here. Was Elizabeth the cross
heather that shipped the head off the
pretty light one home from France?'
II wish I'd had your history teach
err" said the duke with emphasis. 81
spent years on end learning less about
the ladies than you've put in a dozen
, words. I was a cross heather myself
till half-past nine last night"
Never say it," cried his Biddy
you've heart of gold and a tongue
of silver, and I'm the girl that knows
'Tis likely they'll love me no better
than the cross one loved the pretty
| one. then?'
"'Tis likely they'll love you less,'
prophesied the duke, accurately
since they can't snip off your head"
Biddy's laughter was a fight OF
silver birds.
"Then since it's sorrow we're goin
to-" she begged, Tets go easy. Make
the horses step soft and slow, darlin';
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