The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-11-26

/, that is, figuratively speaking or
something like that, and ran away
with him. Mad flight over the boule-
ward by the sea at midnight, across
Monaco ard up the stone road into
the Alps. Ooh. Martha, you made 1t
almost too cold. Please turn on a
| little more warm! 1t was thrilling,
Martha. that wild ride through the
moonlight, all alone with the Prince
alone except the driver and he
didn't count, of course. And Michael
was in real moonlight mood, too.
Because, there, now it's too hot!
Why don't they make water just
right!
Because, Martha, we were run
ming away to be married in Genoa
at dawn and all that sort OF thing,
and we were to come back and face
the Grand Duke Nicholas in his villa
at Nice and say, 'Lo and Behold,
Sire! If there's ever another throne
in Russia here's new princess to
hang on it! That's what happened
last night Martha because Michael
had the urge"
Martha's eyes widened and she
stared at the bare form splashing in
the pool. But, Mademoiselle!" she
protested: 1T didn't really happen,
did it?''
Don't be silly, Martha One has
to have passport to cross the from
tier from France into Italy, and one
just can't smile ones way past these
iron minded old fogies that stand on
guard. Michael forgot all about that,
he was so filled with me, and of
course I didn't remind him of it. l
had all the romantic thrill of dash
to become bride knowing l
wouldn't have to be bride at all.
Now you may dry me, Martha but
don't rub too hard. I could hardly
keep from laughing when Michael
lost his argument with the frontier
guard and realized he wasn't having
any nuptials in the morning"
ri ARTHA should have said,
tMI Yes, Mademoiselle!' with a
GJ maidservants reticence, but
somehow her mistress was never
dignifed during that morning bath.
So she did not refrain from prompt
ing, I should fancy so, Mademoi-
selle." And her mistress gratified
her, -o
'iHeat turned on me very fierce and
solemn and just Numbered at me,
You knew we didn't have our pass
ports. Why didn't you remind me-?
He must have seen my lips getting
crooked because he said, then, joan
ma Manners, you're fraudl' But
I'm not fraud. am 1, Martha?"
mo, indeed. Mademoisellel! Mar
tina replied, but even her mistress de-
tected more of hope than conviction
in her tone. For one brief instant,
while the faithful maid held the
thin yellow robe the slender little
body was EMBODIED in her arms. The
warmth and pulses of it went
straight to her heart, and she wished
that she could be sure that the girl
she had served through a hectic,
galloping year. was not--a fraud.
The events of that tempestuous
year had reached fiamboyant eli
makes; the distraught, mystified
mistress Martha had sent down the
stairs to her first triumbhs in
Yyonne's house off the Avenue had
become the Golden Girl around
whom vortex ragged, glittering,
Turing feather of paradise in a world
OF money and madness. And down
in the secret recesses of Mar
tha's soul there was fear that she
wished wasn't there. Perhaps this
fear would have gained a little
comfort or, perhaps, it might have
been stirred anew, if she could have
seen hard, unpleasant shadow that
passed swiftly across brown eyes
when her mistress caught the note
OF prayer in her maids assurance
that she was not what the dsap-
pointed Prince Michael had dubbed
her. But the shadow had gone COM
pletely- when Joanna was propped
again in her mountain Of pillows.
The sweetness was still in the voice
when it commanded:
NOW you may bring me some
tea"
For a moment the maid hesitated,
then announced: Lord Dorminster
has been waiting, Mademoiselle, for
much more than an hour. He is
in your sitting room"
|
Joanna was all resentment imme.
diately, Why didn't you send him
away? What in the world does he
mean by sitting on my doorstep; l
mean Sitting in MY sitting room, at
this hour Of the day."
He assured me that, Mademoi.
selle had told him he might come
for her at nine. He is in riding
clothes"
"Well, I shan't pile out now fol-
anybody. Put something around
me that | won't show through and
bring him in. 1 won't even give him
any tea, but I'll make him hold my
tray"
Martha spread a hasty glance
around the room--a room that was
all gold and pink, a spacious set
ting for the great golden bed, will
its ceiling of limpid mirrors. There
were countless feminine things
about. lovely and expensive. Joanna