The times and democrat. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, April 10, 1908, Page 2, Image 2
? The f
Princess
Virginia
By C. N. and A. N. WILLIAMSON.
Authors of "The Lightning Con
ductor," "Rosemary In Search
of c FeJher." Etc
Copyright, 1907. by McClure, Phil
lips & Co.
^CHAPTER ?VENjJ
T is those in the thick of
buttle who cau after
ward tell ienst about it.
and to the priucess those
live minutes ? moments
the most tremendous,
the most vital of her life?were after
ward iu memory like a dream.
She had seen that a man was ghast
ly pale; she had caught a gleam of
fear In his eye; she had felt a tigerish
quiver run through his frame as the
crowd pressed him against her. In
stinct?and love?had told her the rest
and taught her how to act
Vaguely she recalled later that she
had thrown herself forward and struck
np the knife. An impression of that
knife as the light gleamed ou it alone
was clear. Sickening, she had thought
of the dull sound It would make in
falling, of the blood that would spout
from a rent in the white coat among
the jeweled orders. She had thought,
as one thinks In dying, of existence in
a world empty of Leopold, and she ha
known that unless he could be saved
her one wish was to go out of the
world with him.
More than this she had not thought
or known. What she did was done
scarcely by her own volition, and she
seemed to wake with a start at last,
to hear herself sobbing and to feel the
throb, throb, of a hot pain in her arm.
A hundred bands?not quick enough
to save, yet quick enough to follow the
lead given by "her?bad fought to seize
the man in gray aud stop a second
blow. They had borne him away
while, as for Virginia, her work done,
she forgot everything and every one'
but Leopold.
Reviving, she had heard him speak
to the crowd aud told herself dreamily
that were she dying his voice could
bring her back if he called. She even
listened to each word that rang out
like a cathedral bell above the babel.
Still he held her, and when the cheers
came she scarcely understood that
they were for her as well as for Leo
pold, the emperor. Afterward, the ne
cessity for public action over, he bent
his head close enough to whisper,
"Thank you," and then for Virginia
every syllable was clear.
"You are the bravest woman alive,"
he said. "I had to keep them from
killing the ruffian, but now I can |
speak to you alone. I thank you fori
what you did with my whole heart, I
and I pray heaven you're not seriously
hurt."
"No. not hurt and.very happy," the
princess tanswered, hardly knowing
' what she said. She felt like a soul re
leased from Its body, floating in blue
ether. What could it matter if that
body ached or bled? Leopold was
safe, and she had saved him.
He pointed to her sleeve. "The knife
struck you. Your arm's bleediug, and
the Wvnnd must K>e seen immediately
by my own surgeon. Would that 1 could
go with you myself, but duty keeps
me here. You understand that Baron
von Lyndal and his wife will at once
take you home, wherever you may be
staying. They"?
"But 1 would rather slop and see
the rest," said Virginia. "I'm quite
well now, not even weak, and I can
go down to my friend'*?
"If you're able to stop, it must be
here with me," answered Leopold.
"After the service you have done for
me and for the country it is your
place."
The ladies of the court, who, with
their husbands, had been waiting to
congratulate Leopold, crowded round
the girl as the emperor turned to them
with a look and gesture of invitation.
? seat was given her, and the arm in
its blood stained sleeve was hastily
bound up. She was the heroine of the
day, dividing honors with Its hero.
There was scarcely a grande dame
among the brilliant assemblage on the
emperor's platform to whom Lady
Mowbray and her daughter had not a
letter of introduction from their inval
uable friend. But no oue knew at
this moment of any title to their recog
nition possessed by the girl other than
the right she hr.d earned by her splen
did deed. All smiled on her through
grateful tears, though there were some
who would have given their ten fin
gers to have stepped Into her place.
Thus Virginia sat through the cere
monies, careless that thousands of eyes
were on her face, thinking only of one
pair of eyes, which spared a glance for
her now and then, hardly seeing the
statue of Rhaetia, whose glorious mar
ble womanhood unveiled roused a
storm of enthusiasm from the crowd,
hearing only the short, stirring speech
made by Leopold.
When everything was over and the
people had no excuse to linger save to
see the emperor ride away and the
great personages disperse, Leopold
turned again to Virginia.
All. the world was listening, of
course; all the world ? was watching,
too, and, no matter what his inclina
tion might have been, his words could
be but few.
Once more he thanked and praised
her for her courage, her presence of
mind; thanked her for remaining as if
ehe had been granting a favor to him
and asked her where she was staying
In Kronburg, as he promised himself
the honor of sending to inquire for her
health that evening.
His desire would be to call at once In
person, he added; but, owing to the
programme arranged for this day and
several days to follow, not only each
hour, but each moment would be of
ficially occupied. These birthday fes
tivities were troublesome, but duty
must be done, and then, Leopold re
pented, when he had Miss Mowbray's
name and address, the court surgeon
and physician would be commanded to
attend upon her without delay.
With these words and a chivalrous
courtesy at parting, the emperor was
gone. Baron von Lyndal. grand master
of ceremonies, and bis baroness having
been told off to take care of Miss Mow
bray.
In another mood it would have prick
ed Virginia's sense of humor to see
Baroness von Lyndal's almost shocked
surprise at discovering her to be the
daughter of that Lady Mowbray whom
she was asked to meeL cklly all
the letters of introduction had reached
their destinations, it merely remaining,
according to the etiquette in Rbaetia.
for Lady Mowbray to announce her ar
rival iu Krouburg by sending cards to
the recipients. But Virginia had no
heart for laughter now.
She had been on the point of forget
ting until reminded by a dig from the
spur of necessity that she was only a
masquerader acting her borrowed part
iu a pageaut. For the.first time since
she had hopefully taken it up that part
became detestable. She would, have
given almost anything to throw it off
aud be herself, for nothing less than
clear sincerity seemed worthy of this
day and the event which crowned it.
Nevertheless, In the vulgar language
of proverb which no well brought up
princess should ever stoop to use. she
had made her own bed. aud she must
lie in it. It would uot do for her sud
denly to give out to the world of
Kronburg that she was not, after all.
Miss Mowbray, but Princess Virginia
of Baumenburg-Drippe. That would I
not be fair to the grand duchess, who I
had yielded to her wishes, uor fair to
her own plans. Above all. It would
not be fair to the emperor, handicap
ped as he now was by a debt of grati
tude. No; Miss Mowbray she was. and
Miss Mowbray she must for the pres
ent remain.
Naturally the grand duchess faiuted
when her daughter was brought back
The arm in its blood stained sleeve was
hastily bound, up.
with ominous red stains upon the gray
background of her traveling dress. But
I the wound was neither deep nor dan
gerous. The court surgeon was as
consoling as he was complimentary,
and by the time that messengers from
the palace had arrived with inquiries
from the emperor and invitations to
the emperor's ball the motUer of the
heroine could dispense with her sal
volatile.
She had fortunately much to think
of. There was the important question
of dress for the ball tomorrow night;
there was the still more pressing ques
tion of the newspapers, which'must
not be allowed to publish the borrow
ed name of Mowbray lest complica
tions should arise, and there were the
questions to be asked of Virginia:
How bad she felt? How hnd she
dared? How had the emperor looked,
aud what bad the emperor said?
If it had been natural for the grand
duchess to faint it was equally natural
that she should uot faint twice. She
began to believe, after all. that Provi
dence smiled upon Virginia and her
adventure, and she wondered whether
the princess' white satin embroidered
with seed pearls or the silver spangled
blue tulle would be more becoming to
wear to the ball.
Next day the Rhaetian newspapers
devoted columns to the attack up?n
the cinperor by an anarchist from a
certain province (once Italian), who
had disguised himself as an otlicial in
the employ of the burgomaster. There
were long paragraphs In praise of the
lady who, with marvelous courage and
presence of mind, had sprung between
the emperor and the assassin, receiv
ing on the arm with which she bad
shielded Unser Leo a glancing blow
from the weapon aimed at the im
perial breast; but. thanks to a few ear
nestly imploring words written by
Lady Mowbray to Baron von Lyndal.
commands impressed upon the land
lord of the hotel and the fact that
Rhaetian editors are not as modern as
Americans in their methods, the lady
was not named. She was a foreigner
and a stranger to the capital of Rhae
tia. She was, according to the papers,
"as yet unknown."
OT a window of the four
teenth century yellow
marble palace on the hill,
with its famous garden
bVw^y of the nine fountains.
that was not ablaze with
light, glittering against a faraway back
grouud of violet mountains crowned by
snow.
Outside the tall bronze gates where
marble lions crouched the crowd that
might uot pass beyond stared, chat
tered, pointed and exclaimed without
jealousy of their betters. Unser I.eo
was giving a ball, and it was enough
for their happiness to watch the - low
moving line of splendid state con ic
gorgeous automobiles and ueat b ???:??
ams with well known crests upon iL
doors; to strive good naturedly fp <
peep at the faces and dre-is s,
jewels and picturesque unifn.. is;
comment upon all freely, be .u
impudently, asking oue aim -h.
would be lor supper and with ,.n<w
the emperor would dance.
"There she is?there's the I itiful
yoHng foreign lady who saved him!'
cried a girl in the throug. "1 wat
there and saw her, I tell you. Isn'i
she an angel?"
Instantly a hearty cheer went up
growing in volume, and the green coat
ed policemen had to keep pack- t'
crowd thai vxou.u have stopped the.
borses and pressed close for a long
look into a plain daik blue brougham.
Virginia shrank out of sight against
the cushions, blushing and breathing
quickly as she caught her mother's
hand.
"Dear poop!e--dear. kind people!" she
thought. "1 love them for loving him.
i wonder, oh. I wonder, if they will
ever see me aud cheer me driving by
his side!"
She had chose? to wear the white
dress with the pearls, though up to the
last im uncut the grand duchess had
suffered tortures of indecision between
that and the blue, to say nothing of a
pink chiffon tri in med with crushed
roses. Before the carriage brought
them to the palace doors the girl's
blush had faded, and her face was as
white as her gown when at her moth
er's side she passed between bowing
lackeys through the marble Hall of
Lious. od through the frescoed Ritter
saal to the throue room, where the
emperor's guests awaited his coming.
It was etiquette not to arrive a mo
ment later than 10 o'clock, and a few
minutes after the hour Baron v-ou Lyn
dal in bis official capacity as grand
master of ceremonies struck the pol
ished floor twice with his gold knob
bed wand of ivory This signaled the
approach of the court from the im
perial dinner party, and Leopold en
tered, with a stout, middle aged royai
highness from llussin on his arm.
Until his arrival the beautiful Miss
Mowbray had held all eyes, and even
when he appeared she was not forgot
ten. Every one was on tenterhooks
to see how she would be greeted by
the grateful emperor.
The instant that his dark head tow
ered above other heads in the throne
room it was observed even by those
not usually observaut that never had
Leopold been so handsome.
His was a face remarkable for intel
lect aud firmness rather than for clas
sical beauty of feature, though his fea-1
tures were strong and clearly cut But
tonight the sternness that sometimes
marred them In the eyes of women
was smoothed away. He looked young
and ardent, almost boyish, like a man
who has suddenly found an absorbing
new interest in life.
Tbe first danee he went through with
the Russian royalty, who was the
guest of the evening, aud. still rigidly
conforming to the line of duty, which
obtains iu court ballrooms as on bat
tlefields, the second, third and fourth
dances were for the emperor penances
instead of pleasures. But for the fifth,
a waltz, be bowed before Virginia.
During this long hour there had been
hardly u movement, smile or glance of
hers which be had not contrived to see
since his entrance. He knew just how
well Baron von Lyndal carried out bis
instructions concerning Miss Mowbray.
He saw each partner presented to her
for a dance the emperor might not
claim, and to save his life or a national
crisis be could not have forced the
same expression in speaking with her
royal highness from Russia as that
which spontaneously brightened his
face when at last he approached Vir
ginia.
"Who is that girl?" asked Count von
Breitstein in his usual abrupt manner
as the arm of Leopold girdled the slim
waist of the princess and the eyes of
Leopold drank light from another pair
of eyes lifted to his in laughter.
It was to Baroness von Lyudal that
the old chancellor put his question,
and she fluttered a tiny, diamond
spangled fan of lace to hide lips that
would smile as she answered. "What,
chancellor, are you jesting, or don't
you really know who that girl is?"
Count von Breitstein turned eyes
cold and gray as glass away from the
two ?sures moving rhythmically with
the music to the face of the ouce cele
brated beauty. Long ago he had ad
mired Baroness von Lyndal as passion
ately as it was iu him to admire any
woman, but that day was so far dis
tant as to be remembered with scorn,
and .now such power as she had over
him was merely to excite a feeling of
irritation.
. . i.uiii.it* liiyseil to jest.*
?it" answered.
"Ah. one knows that truly groat men
ire horn .nthotn a sense of utimor
Phase who have it are never as suc
cessful in life as those without."
imlled the barbnw's, who was by birth
i HuugurL-n anil loved laughter bet
?r than any thing ehe except eouipll \
.ents upon her vanishing beauty
?How stupid of me to have tried you.'
.aticnce! 'Tlml girl." as \x. so mi
L*mpr;>n:isi!:gly call her. has two
?laims to aiieution tit court. She is
he English Miss Helen Mowbray
those mother has come to Krouhurg
.med with sheaves of iatroJuc'.ious
j us all She is also the young worn
iu of whom the papers are full toda.t
jr it is she who saved the emperor'
ife."
"indeed!" said the chancellor, a gm;
^leani in his eye as he watched the
I white figure floating on the tide of
music iu the arms of Leopold. "In
ueedT
"I thought you would have known,
for you know most things before
other people hear of them." went on
the baroness. "Lady Mowbray and her
daughter are staying at the Hohen
langenwald hotel. That's the mother
sitting on the left of Princess Neu
fried?the pretty Dresden china per
son. But the girl is a great beauty."
"It's generous of you to say so, bar
oness," replied the chancellor. "I
didn't see the young lady's face at all
clearly yesterday. I was stationed too
far away. And dress makes a great
difference. As for what she did," went
on the old man, whose coldness to wo
men and merciless justice to both sexes
alike had earned him the nickname of
"Iron Heart"?"as for what she did, if
it had not been she who Intervened be
tween the emperor and death it would
have been the fate of another to do
so. It was a fortunate thing for the
girl, we may say, that it happened to
be her arm which struck up the
weapon."
I "Or she wouldn't be here tonight,
you mean," laughed the baroness.
"Don't you think, then, that his majes
ty is right to single her out for so
much honor?" Her eyes were on the
dancers, yet that mysterious skill
which most women of the world have
learned taught her how not to miss the
slightest change of expression, if there
were any, on the chancellor's square,
lined face.
"His majesty Is always right," he re
plied diplomatically. "An invitation to
a ball, a dance or two, a few compli
ments, a call to pay bis respects?a
gentleman could not be less gracious.
And his majesty is one of the first gen
tlemen in Europe."
"He has had good training what to
do and what not to do." The baroness
flung her little sop of flattery to Cer
berus with O dainty ghost of a bow for
the man who had been as a second
father to Leopold since the late em
peror's death. "But?we're old friends,
chancellor"?she was not to blame that
they had not been more in the days
before she became Baroness von Lyn
dal?"so. tell me. can you look at the
girl's face and the empQror's and. still
say that everything will end with an
invitatlou. a dance, some compliments
and a call to pay respects?"
Iron Heart frowned and sneered,
wondering what he could have seen
twenty-two years ago to admire in this
flighty woman. He would have es
caped from her now if escape had been
feasible, but he could uot be openly
rude to the wife of the grand master
of ceremonies at the emperor's ball,
and. besides, he was not unwilling per
haps to show the lady that her senti
mental and unsuitable innuendos were
as the buzzing of a fly about bis ears.
"I'm close upon seventy >ind no long
er a fair judge of a woman's attrac
I Hons." be returned carelessly. "A look
at.her face conveys nothing to me. but
were she Helen of Troy instead of
Helen Mowbray the invitation, the
dance, the compliments end the call,
with the present of some jeweled sou
venir, are all that are permissible in
the circumstances."
"What circumstances?" and the bar
oness looked as innocent as an inquir
ing child.
. "The lady is not of royal blood, and
his majesty, I thank heaven, Is not a
roue."
"He has a heart, though you trained
him, chancellor, and he has eyes. He
may never have used them to much
purpose before, yet there must be a
first time, and, the higher and more
strongly built the tower, once it begins
to topple the greater is the fall thereof."
"Is it the sense of humor, which you
say I lack, that gives you pleasure iu
discussing the wildest improbabilities
as if they were events to be cousider
od seriously? If it is I'm not sorry to
lack it. In any case, it's well that
neither of us is the emperor's keeper."
"We're at least his very good frieuds.
you as well as I iu my humbler way.
chancellor, and you and i have known
each other for twenty-two years. If it
amuses me to discuss improbabilities,
why not? Since you call them im
probabilities it can do no harm to dwell
upon them as ingredients for romance.
Not for worlds would I suggest that
his majesty isn't au example for all
meu to follow nor that poor, pretty
Miss Mowbray could be tempted to in
discretion, but yet I'd be ready to make
a wager, the emperor being human and
the girl a beauty, that at:, acquaintance
so romantically begun won't end with
a ball and a call."
"What could there possibly be more,
or what you hint at as more, in honor?"
The chancellor's voice was angry at
I last as well as stern, for he could not
j bear persistence in other people unless
I it were to further some cause of bis
own. To the delight of the woman
who had once tried in vain to melt his
iron heart, Count von B::eitstein began
to look somewhat like a baited bull
Really, said the baroness to herself,
there was an actual resemblance in
feature, and joyously she searched for
a few more little ribbon tipped ban
derlllos.
What fuu it was to ruffle the tem
per of the surly old brute who had hu
miliated her woman's vanity in days
I long past, but not forgotten! She
I knew the chancellor's desire for the
I emperor's marriage as soon as a suit
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able match could be found ana. though
she was not in the secret of u: plans,
would have felt little surprise at learn
ing that some eligible royal girl bad
already been selected. Now how amus
ing it would be actually to make
the old man tremble for the success
of his hopes, even if it should turn out
in the end to be impossible or unde
sirable to upset them!
"What could there be more in hon
or?" she echoed lightly after an in
stant giveu to reflection. "Why. the
emperor und the girl will see a great
deal of each other unless you banish
or imprison the Mowbrays. There'll
he many dauces together, many calls?
in fact, a serial romance instead of a
short story. Why shouldn't his majes
ty know the pleasure of a?platonic
friendship with a beautiful and charm
ing young woman?"
"Because Plato's out of fashion, if
ever he was in, among human beings
with red blood in their veins and be
cause, as I said, the emperor is above
all else a man of honor. Besides, I
doubt that any woman, no matter how
pretty or young, could wield a really
powerful influence over his life."
"You doubt that? Then you don't
know the emperor and you've forgot
ten some of the traditions of bis
bouse."
"Are you trying to warn me of dis
aster, baroness?"
She laughed. "Oh, dear, no?of noth-j
iug disagreeable! But I should be sor
ry to think, as you seem to du. that our
emperor has no youth in his veins "
"I think nothing of the *or! What
I do think is that my teachings have
not been in vain and that he has grown
up to put bis duty to his country and
his own self respect above everything..
He's a strong man?too strong to bei
trapped in the meshes of any pink and
white Vivien. And if he admired a
young woman not of royal blood he 1
would keep his distance for her sake.
You say this English miss is with her
mother at the principal hotel of Kr?n-1
burg. If Leopold constantly visited
them there we should have a scandal. |
On the other hand, to suggest meeting i
the girl outside or incognito would be j
an insult. Either way he would be
but poorly rewarding a woman who
saved his life."
Baroness von Lyndal's color rallied
to the support of her rouge, and her
smile dwindled to inanity, for she had
(Continued on Page Three.)
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... IVT NOW OVER ONE HUNDRED VEHICLES IN STOCK INCLUDING A CAR OF EASTER STYLES PLEASUHF DRl. \G RIC .
OF E1 vJI XO VN' DESCRIPTION JUST RECEIVED FROM "ROCK HILL" AND WE ARE AFTER YOUR III SINE: i.
W . ?ANT EVERYBODY WITHIN REACH OF ORANGEBURG TO CALL IN AND SEE THE NEW STYLES. EVERYTHING NJW L_
CEPT THE NAME WHICH HAS ALWAYS STOOD FOR THE BEST KNOWN SOUTHERN BUGGY.
SHrTLTT <Sc KITH