Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Princess Virginia By C. N. and A. M. WILLIAMSON, Authors of "Rf? Light nlntf Conductor." "Rose mary In Search of ? Father," Etc. J? ->?? COPYR1CHT. 1907. BY SxtxSx?>^< PHILLIPS C> Through the gate of dreams lies the fair land of romance in to which you would travel, find ing welcome relief from the daily grind. Now you are invited to accompany the Princess Virginia, who determines that the royal personage who would honor her with his hand must fall in love with her and woo her as any other man would a woman. Therefore she travels incognito in his realm, meeting adventures strange and full of excitement. You will learn with pardonable pride that the American blood in her veins gives her an independence un heard of in the presence of kings, but most of all you will want to know how she succeeds in her bold undertaking. That you will\ enjoy every minute of the read' ing is assured by the verdict of thousands who declare "The Princess Virginia" to be a most\ delightful story. ^CHAPTER ONE/j fl?flfo^^fr ()." said tho princess; "no, i n. dnahcd If I do." "My darling child," CXC'laln\ed tho grand duchess, "you're Impos-' sllile. If any one should hear you!" "It's lie who's Impossible," the prin cess amended. 'Tm Just trying to show you"? "Or to shook mo. You are so like your grandmother." "That's the best compliment any one can give mo, which is lucky, ns it's given so often," laughed the princess. "Dear, adorable Virginia!" She cud dled into the pink hollow of her hand the pearl framed Ivory miniature of a beautiful, Binding girl which always hung from a thin gold chain around her nook. "They shouldn't have named mo after you, should they, if they hadn't wanted me to bo like you?" "it was partly a question of money, dear." sighed the grand duchess, "if my mother hadn't left a legacy to my llrst daughter only on consideration that her own extremely American name of Vlrgluta should be perpetuat od"? "It was a delirious way of being pa triotic. I'm glad she did it. I love being the only royal princess with American blood in my veins und an American name <>n my handkerchiefs. Do you believe for an Instant that If Grandmother Virginia were alive she would lot Granddaughter Virginia mar ry Prince Henri de Touralne?" "I don't see why not," said the grand dm hens. "She wasn't too patriotic to marry an English duke and startle London as the first American duchess. Heavens, the things she used to do If one could believe half tho wild stories my father's sister told me In warning! And as for my father, though a most charming man, of course he could not ? or- have been called precisely es timable, while Prince Henri certainly is. and an exceedingly good match even for you--in present circum stances." "(.'all him n match If you like, moth er. Ho'r undoubtedly n stick. Hut, no; he's not a match for me. There's only one on ourth." And Virginia's eyes wore lifted to the sky as If, in stead of existing on earth, tho person in her thoughts were placed as high as the sun that shone abovo her. "I should have preferred an Kng llshman for von," nnld the grand duch ess, "if only there were ono of suitable rank free to" "I'm not thinking of an Englishman," murmured her daughter. "If only you would think of poor Ilonrl!" "Never of him. You know, I said 1 would be dash"? "Don't repeat it! Ob, when you look nt me in that way, how like you aro to your grandmother's portrait at home? the one iir white, painted Just before her marriagel One might hove known you would he extraordinary. That sort of thing Invariably Hklps over a gen eration." The grand duchess laid down the the ory as a law, and, whether or no she were right, It was nt least sure that she had Inherited nothing of the first Virginia's daring originality?some of her radiant mother's beauty perhaps, watered down to gentle prettlness, for the hereditary Grand Duchess of Ilnu menburg-Drlppc at fifty-one was still a daintily attractive woman, a middle aged Dresden china lady, with a per fect complexion preserved by an al most perfect temper, surprised eye brows, kindly dimples aud n conven tional upper Hp. She was not by birth "hereditary." Her lord and (very much) her master had l>eoii that and had selected her to help him reign over tho hereditary grand duchy of Huumenburg-Drlppe, not only because her father was an English duke with royal Stuart blood In hin veins, but because ber Virginian mother bad brought much gold to the Northmorolund exchequer. Afterward he had freely spent such portion of thut gold os had come to his coffcrB in trying to keep his little estates intact. Hut now It was all gone, and long ago he had died of grief and bitter disap pointment. The hereditary grand duchy of Buunienburg-Drippe was mied by a cousinly understudy of the German Emperor William II.: tho one son of tho marriage had been adopted as heir to his crown by ttie childless king of llUUgarla; tlie handsome and lamenta hly extravagant old Duke of North luorelund was dead; his title and vaat estates had passed to a distant and dis agreeable relative, and the widowed grand duchess, with her one- fair daughter, had dved for years In a pret ty old house with a high walled gar den at Hampton Court, lent by the generosity of the king and queen of England. For a long moment the Dresden china lady thought in silence and some thing of sadness. Then she roused her self again and asked the one and only royal princess with an American name what, in the way of a match, sho real ly expected. "What do I expect?" echoed Virginia. "Why, I wish for the moon?no, I mean the sun. But I don't expect to got it." "Is that a way of saying you never Intend to marry?" "I'm afraid It amounts to that," ad mitted Virginia, "since there is only one man in the world I would have for my husband." "My dearest! A man you have let yourself learn to care for, a man be neath you? How terrible! But you see no one. I"? "I've ncrcr seen this man. And?I'm not 'In love' with him. That would be too foolish, because, Instead of being beneath, he's far, far above me." "Virginia, of whom can you be talk ing? Or Is this another Joke7' Virginia blushed a little and, instead of answering her mother's look of help less appeal, stared at the row of tall hollyhocks that blazed along the ivy hidden garden wall. She did not speak for an instant, and then she said, with the dainty shyness of a child pinned to a statement by uncomprehending eld ers: "It isn't a joke. Nonsense, maybe, yet not a Joke. I've always thought of him?for so many years I've forgotteu when it first began. He was so grout, so?everything that appeals to me. How could I help thinking about him and putting him on a pedestal? I? there's no idea of marriage in my mind, of course, only- there's no other man possible after all the thoughts I've given him-no other man in the world." "My dear, you must tell me his mime." "What! When I've deserllied him?al most?do you still need to hear his name? Well, then, I?I'm not asham ed to tell. It's I^oopold." "Leopold. You're talking of too em peror of Rhaetla." "As If it could have been any one else." "And you have thought of him. you've cherished him, for years as an Ideal! Why, you never spoke of him particularly before." "That's lieenuse you never seriously wanted me to take a hiiBband until this prim, dull French Henri proposed him self. My thoughts were my own. 1 wouldn't have told you only?you see why." "Of course, my precious child. How extremely Interesting and?and roman tic!" Again the grand duchess lapsed Into silence, yet her expression did not suggest a stricken mind. She merely appeared astonished, with an astonish ment that might turn into an emotion moro agreeable. Meanwhile It was left for Virginia to look vexed?vexed with herself. She wished that she had not betrayed her poor little foolish occrot?so shadowy a secret that it was hardly worthy of tho no me. Yet it had been precious? pre cious since childhood, precious as the immediate jewel of her soul because It had been the jewel of her soul, and no one else had dreamed of its exist ence. Now she had shown It to other eyes, almost flaunted It Naver again could it be a Joy to her. In the little room, half study, half boudoir, which was her own there waa a desk, locked in her absence, where souvenirs of the young emperor of Rhaetla had been accumulating for years. There were photographs which Virginia had contrived to buy secret ly?portraits of Ix>opold from an early ago up to the present, when he was shown as a tall, dark, cold eyed, warm lipped, firm chinned young man of thirty. There were paragraphs cut from newspapers telling of his genius ns u soldier, his prowess as a moun taineer and hunter of big game, with dramatic anecdotes of his haughty courage In time of danger, his impul sive charities, his well thought out schemes for the welfare of his subjects In every walk of life. There were black and white copies of bold, clever pictures ho had painted. There was martial music composed by Mim und plaintive folk songs adapted by htm, which Yhgiata bad tried soft ? ly to herself on h.-r I (Hi* plauo when nobody was near. There were reports of speeches made by him since his ac cession to tho throne, accounts of Im provements in guns nud an invention of a new explosive. There was a some what crude yet witty play which ho had written and numerous other Jrec ords of the accomplishments and achievements and even eccentricities which rta.i bum up the l'rh icess Vir ginia's ideal of this celebrated young man, proclaimed emperor after the great revolution eight years ago. "You are worthy to be an empress." Her mother's voice broke intq^ Vir ginia's thoughts. She st- 'od and found herself under inspect.. by tho grand duchess. At first she frowned; then she laughed, springing up on a quick Impulse to I n earnest into jest and so perhaps . further cate chising. "Yos, would I not mal empress?" she echoed, stepping out roui the shadow of her favorite ein ?iito the noontide radiance of Bunitnt . The sun poured over her hair as she stood with uplifted head and threaded It with a netwo '" of living gold, gleam ing into the du.U gray eyes rimmed With black lashes and turning them to Jewels. Her fair skin was as flawless in the unsparing light us the petals of lilies, and her features, though a repe tition of those which hail made a Vir ginia girl famous long ago, wore carved with royal perfection. "There Is no real rcasou why you should not make an empress, dearest," sjdd her mother, in pride of the j.'rl's beauty and desiring, womanlike, to promote her child's happiness. "Stran ger things have happened. Only last week at Windsor the dear queeu was saying what a pity poor Henri was not moro. Hut, no matter; he is well enough. However, if? And when one comes to think of it, it's perhaps not unnatural that Leopold of Uhaetia has never been mentioned for you, although there could be nothing against the mar riage. What a match for any woman - a supreme one! Not a royal girl but would go on her knees to him If"? "I wouldn't," said Virginia. "1 might worship him, yet he should go on his knees to me." "I doubt if those proud knees of his will ever bond in homage to man or woman," replied tho grand duchess. "Hut that's a mere fantasy. I'm seri ous now, darling, and I very much wish you would be." "Please, I'd rather not," smiled Vir ginia uneasily. "Let us not talk of the emperor any more?and never again after this, mother. You know now. That's all that's necessary, and"? "Hut it's not all that's necessary. You hnve put the Idea into my head, and It's not an unpleaslm; idea. Be sides, It has evidently been in your head for a long time, and I should like to see you happy?see you in a position such as you're entitled to grace. You nre a very beautiful girl (there's no dis guising that from you, as you know you are the image of your grandmoth er, who was a celebrated beauty), and tho best blood in Europe runs i 1 your velna. You are royal, and yet?ami yet our circumstances are such that?In fact, for the present we're somewhat handicapped." "We're beggars," said Virginia, laughing, but it was not a happy laugh. "Cophetua married the beggar maid," the grand duchess reminded her, with elaborate playfulness. "And, you know, all sorts of tilings have hap pened In history?much stranger than any one would dare put In llctlon if writing of royalties. My dear husband was second cousin once removed to tho German emperor, though he was treat ed? Hut we mustn't speak of that. The auhjeet always upsets mo. What 1 was lending up to Is this?though there may be other girls who from a worldly MFe?, would 1 not make an cinprcsnt" point of view are more desirable, still you're strictly within tho pale from which Leopold is entitled to choose his wife, and if"? "Dear little mother, there's no such 'If.' And, as for mo, I wasn't thinking of a 'worldly point of view.' The em peror of Ithaetia barely knows that I exist. And even If by some miracle ho should suddenly discover that little Princess Virginia Mary Victoria Alex andra Hlldograde of Hnumcnhurg DrlppS was the one suitable wife for him on earth I wouldn't have him want me because I was 'suitable,' but?be CAUSe I was Irresistible. I'd want his love- nil his love-or I would say. 'No; you must look somewhere else for your empress.' " "Hut that's nonseus., darling. Hoy al people seldom or never havo the Chance to fall lu love," said tho grand duchess. "I'm tired of being royal," snapped tho princess. "Being royal does noth ing but spoil all one's fun and oblige one to do stupid, boring things which one hates." "Noverthelcsfl noblesse docs oblige," went on the Dresden china prophetess of conventionality. "When alliances are arranged for women of our posi tion, we must content ours-^es witli the hope that love may t/nc after marriage, or, If not, wo must go on do ing our duty in that state of life to Which heaven has graciously called us." "Bother duty!" broke out Virginia. "Thank goodness, in these days not all (ho king's horses and all the king's men can make even a princess marry against her will. I hate that everlast ing cant about 'duty in marriage.' When people love each other they're Iiiud and good and sweet and true be cause it's a joy, not because It's a duty. And that's the only sort of loy alty worth having between met! and women, according to nie. I wouldn't accept anything else from a man, and I should despise him if ho were less or more exacting." "Virginia, the way you express your self is almost Improper. I'm thankful that no one hears you except myself." said tho grand duchess. But ct tills moment, when clash of tongues and opinions seemed Imminent, there oc curred a happy diversion in the arrival of letters. Virginia, Who was a neglectful cor respondent, had nothing, hut two or three Important looking envelopes claimed attention from tho grand duch ess, and as soon as the ladies were once more alone together in tho sweet scented garden she broke tho crown Stamped seal of her son Adalbert, now by adoption crown prince of lluiigaria. "Open the others for me, dear," she demanded excitedly, "while 1 see what Dal lias lo say." And Virginia leisure ly obeyed, wondering whether Dai's news would by and by be passed on to her. It was always an event when a long letter came from bim, and the grand duchess invariably laughed and exclaimed and sometimes blushed as she read, but when she blushed the letter was. not given to tho crown prince's sister. There was a note today from an old friend of her mother's of whom Vir ginia was fond, and she had just be gun to be Interested In the third para graph, all about an adorable Dandy DiuuiO'.lt puppy, wheu an odd, half stifled ejaculation from tho grand duch ess made the girl lift her eyes. 'lias Dal been having something be yond the common in the way of adven tures?" she inquired dryly. Her mother dld-not answer, but she had grown pink and then pale. Virginia began to be uneasy. "What is the matter? Is anything wrong?" she asked. "No -nothing in the least wrong, far from it, indeed; but, oh, my child!" "Mother, dear, what Is it?' "Something so extraordinary, so wonderful?I mean as a coiuelder.ee? that I can hardly speak. I suppose I can't be dreaming. You are really talking to ine in the garden, aren't you?" "I am, and I wisli you were telling nie tlie mystery. Do, clear. You look awake, only rather odd." "It would lie strange if I didn't look odd. Dal says?Dal says"? "What has ho been doing?getting engaged ?" "No. It is?your emperor, not Dal, Who talks of being engaged." "(Hi," said Virginia, trying not to speak blankly, trying not to Hush, try ing not to show in any way the sudden Sick pain in her heart. Of course she was not in love with him. Of course, though she had been childish enough long ago to make him her ideal and foolishly faithful enough to keep him so, she bad always known that he would never be more to her than a shadow emperor. Some day ho would marry one of those other royal girls who were? so much more suitable than she. That won'1 bo natural and right, as she had more than once told herself with no conscious pang, but now that the news had come, now that tho royal girl was actually chosen and she must hear tho letter and rend about the happy event In the newspa pers. It was different. She felt sud denly cold and sick under the blow hurt and defrauded and even jealous. She know that she would hate the girl some wretched, commonplace girl, with stick out teeth, perhaps, or no fig ure and no idea of tho way to wear her clothes or do her hair. But she swallowed hard and clinch ed her fingers under the voluminous letter about Dandy DIninont. "Oh, so our friend Is going to lie married'/" she remarked lightly. "That depends," replied tho grand duchess, laughing mysteriously, with a catch In her voice as if she had been a nervous girl?"that depends. Yon must guess. But, no; I won't, tense you. (Continued on Page seven) Very Serious It Is a very serious matter to ask for one medicine and have the wrong one given you. For this reason we urge you In buying to bo careful to get the genuine? BLack-dmughT Liver Medicine The reputation of this old, relia ble medicine, for constipation, in digestion and liver trouble, is fhm ly established. It does not imitate other medicines. 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