New Britain herald., 1930-09-27

1 nope you WOnt DelleNe that or me-" replied Dagger. T am very young. Princess"
 "A woman's years have little to do with her mind" pronounced the Princess. And to be aware oi youth is to discount it's fallacies. But tell me of your upbringing. l vas enchanted when Raoul said that you had ben a cowgirl, reared amongst Indians and bandits. An, but here is Raoul now!"
 De Senac entered quickly, strode across to his aunt. kissed her cheek then wheeled and approached Dag ger, lowing as he kissed her hand.
 we are glad you were free to come" he said. Are we not ma Tante?"
 'I am," said the Princess. 'I find Madame Vaneering most refreshing after the shallow young persons one encounters so frequently"
 T find it is as if we had known each other before," he said, smiling at Dagger. There is strange sense of familiarity" Dagger returned his smile.
 Tn a sense you are right, Mon- sieur le Due. For I knew of you years ago"
 But you said your husband
 Not from my husband. Do you remember Blaine Howard?" But of coursei' And the Princess exclaimed:
 "The wanderer. An, that Mon- sieur Howard, Whenever he came to Paris, he and Raoul would sit UT the night long, and talk-and talk Of what? I would demand in the morning. Of philosophy, they would say, of life" Her eyes fitted bird like over Dagger's features, You knew him before the war;
 Three years ago-or little more" Dagger answered, hoping that she was not blushing too obvi. ously.
 "You must have been a mere child, my dear. Did he notice you 9
 Madame Vaneering is one Blaine would have noticed at any age,' dc Senac replied to his aunt before | Dagger could speak T am sure you had much in common, Ma dame"
 We did," Dagger admitted, furi. ous at Ter renewed self-conscious- ness. "He-he was very kind tc me, was fond of him."
 "A glorious fellow" said de Senac Honorable, intelligent, eager tc know the inwardness of things. miss him, Madame. Of course, yoQ know of his death?" Dagger inclined her head.
 q heard at the time,' she re- piled, Speaking low.
 Poor child" exclaimed the Prin- cess. You have seen over much of death, for one so young. Let us talk shall we ay. when you would come to dine with uso You would care to meet some of our friends? Yes?"
 Tt is lovely of you to ask me- returned Dagger. But you must suit your convenience. My time is unoccupied.
 Shall we say tomorrow eve ning?" interjected de Senac. Dagger looked at the Princess who eyed her nephew ironically.
 My faith, you are abrupt Raoul," chided the old lady. What do you think. Madame Vaneering ?'
 q should be delighted to come"
 Are there, perhaps, some mutual friends we might ask with you?" in qured the Princess. ITO relieve the strain of meeting so many strange faces"
 Dagger hesitated.
 q know Lord and Lady Wen. lock-" she answered. Lord Wen lock was with my uncle in Texas for some years.'
 Both the others nodded.
 "Wcnlock I know fairly we'll said de Senac. "A charming man ] V nc"
 I know, too, his wife" as
 the Princess. But here i,
 Madame Naneering, yol
 I me of your Texas
 two months Dagger moved 1T 1 the highest circles of Partisan so ciety, shepherded by the Due d. | Tontoise and his aunt. She wa very happy. Raoul de Senac was ; man whose attentions must hay, honored any woman. There was nc feeling of sex in her attitude towart l the Frenchman; he funCtioned il her thoughts merely as a friend And if the ardency of his gaze a' time aCcentuated the studied cour tesy of his actions, she wlfdlly shu her eyes to the implications thu conveyed. She wanted de Senac fo a friend she didn't want him for perhaps, than she had a right to b when the Princess Rakcvsky as sailed her quite directly one after noon as they were driving in tn, Bois.
 Chapter 25
 THE DUG PROPOSES BY PROXY
 My dear, you haze a male rela tiye?" asked the Princess.
 Surely, my uncle" Dagger re piled.
 And where is this uncle?"
 "In Texas. I've told you abou p00P DA