| Show U F F I 1 STO TORY the princess I 1 floreo IFA by HAROLD MCGRAT 11 the mam on the clearts arts ana kiik et SYNOPSIS the aerl nil an consul to Hara thelt a iraln of europe 1 cropp tells how the reigning irand grand d dike ike had tried to fin i a hunbird for lily his reb allono tillous niece tile the garin decre ing pat at she met c i I 1 the lie I 1 rince if t ann an ugly oil oh ruler of the rl nela K i ring though lie had been in I 1 the country for or alx ix months the aimez I 1 an consul I 1 lai a i n nr neer r seen been the prim ess ss horseback riding in the country might 0 a hini him an I 1 lie a t ks arconi I 1 m in a dilapidate old castle while mi eking admission don he ha la Is startled hv it a voice br breaking caking into sons song 1 llie I ile pi place ace la is inhabited by two young morn women n and an old servitor I 1 hey rive give I 1 im m food for I 1 linsell and borso on condl conch tion that he ha leave within an hour they are a bent on a brt escapade r of jr mill kin 1 mith one CHAPTER 11 II continued the other well I 1 could rit t help bell it it was kismet fate the turn in the road what you will I 1 fell heels over lead bead la in love with her at once kyea eyes she had as aa blue as tile the agean sea on windy days blue as aa the cloud win sky of a winters minters twilight bi blue e as aa sapphires sapp hires irish eyes 11 hall ball we wag s as dark and silken as a ill plume time from the wings of night did I 1 not say that I 1 had bad some poetry in my sya ss tern tem the shape of her mouth never mind I 1 con cm recall only abe mad desire to kiss li it A graceful figure a proud head bead a slender hand a foot so small that I 1 wondered it it really poised balanced or supported her young body tender she must be and loving rather than erect like her authoritative com companion pinion she was adorable all this inventory of charms was taken by furtive glances some times caught or were mere they taking an inventory of myself presently my appetite became singularly ily submissive hunger often la Is satisfied by the feeding of the eyes I 1 dropped my napkin on the table and pushed back my chair my hostesses ceased conversing ladies said I 1 courteously 1 I of ter you my sincere apologies for this innocent intrusion I 1 looked at my watch 1 I believe that you give gave me an hours respite so then I 1 have 30 I 1 minutes to my account the women gazed at each other one laughed and the other smiled it was the english girl who laughed this time I 1 liked the sound of it better than any I 1 had bad set 3 et heard beard pardon another parenthesis thesis I 1 hope you haven t begun to think I 1 am the hero of this comedy let it be furthest from your thoughts I 1 am ol 01 only a passive bystander 1 I sincerely trust that your hunger bunge rl la Is appeased said the one who lit tad d smiled it is thank you I 1 absently ab bently turn fum bled in my coat pockets then guiltily dropped my hands what a terrible thing habit Is you may smoke said the iou don buereau child mho ho was grown into womanhood wasn gasn t that flue fine of her and m aint aan t it rather observant too I 1 learned later that she had a biddler bi other who ho was fond of tobacco Tolie to her reyeS eyes my movement was a familiar one anith ath our kind permission said I 1 gratefully I 1 t had a smoke in four hours I 1 owned a single good cigar the la last r t of my importation I 1 lighted it slid and blew foith a snowy billow of heavenly aroma I 1 know something about hu man nature even the feminine side of it A presentable loung miln man with a loll 1011 of tilo matle tobacco seldom falls to win the confidence of those about blin bim WI with th that lloud cloud of smoke the raw edge of formality smoothed down had ion any particular d stina alon asked art getchen belien none at all the road took my ian fancy cy and I 1 simple cimpl fol followed lomed it ali ah that la Is one of the pleas plea of alding to go the inclination bids I 1 tide ilde we cerp w erp getting on famously dri do iou take long journeys 9 I 1 in quiren often it la Is the most exhilarating of sports buld bald the enchantment the scenery changes there are so BO roan man things that charm and engage our interest the mountains the w wit lei always ways the old ruins have you ever whistled whistle to the horses afield and watched them como coine g galloping down clown to the wall it is fine in ingland but her mouth closed suddenly she was talking to a stranger I 1 love enthusiasm in ila a woman it colors her cheeks and mikes makes her eyes sparkle I 1 diew a bit bolder I 1 heard a mond wonderful erful voice as I 1 ap pro preached ached the castle said bald I 1 shrugged 1 I haven haen t beat headd d its equal outside keign pet ila or paris I 1 went on paris ParI 99 sald said gretchen laying a neat little tran trag for far me luio ito which my conceit was soon boon to lamble lU ible me aie I 1 paris la is a marvelous city theis Is no city to equal tt it lass much as we three shall never meet again will ill 3 ou not do me the I 1 lionor onor to repeat that jewel sons song from faust my audacity did not impress her la in the least you can scar scarcely coly expect me to give A supper to a stranger strang pr and then sing for him besides said gretchen a chill again stealing into her er tones these Ameri americans caust I 1 she observed to her companion in french I 1 laid aside my cigar approached the piano and sat down I 1 a few chords and found the instrument to be in remarkable g good 0 d order I 1 played it a chopin polonaise so I 1 tinkled briegs pavilion then I 1 ceased that la Is to pay for my supper I 1 explained next I 1 played le courier and eben I 1 had finished that I 1 tallied again ris ing that Is to pay for my horses sup per I 1 said gretchen n good humor 1 le turned whoever vf r you are sir her tone no longer repellent you are heusing hm using pray A tell us its whom we have the honor to entertain lit ertain I 1 haven t the vaguest idea who my hostess Is 19 evasively it 1 Is quite out of the you tit aie e the he intruder call me mr air intruder then said I 1 it was sou will agree a novel ad I 1 was beginning to enjoy it hugely ano ilo do you suppose alis fellow is gretchen asked lie he says he Is id an american and I 1 believe he be is what americans are in Darbe heit i I 1 know of none at all what shall we do to get rid of mm min all this was waa carried on with un studied rudeness they were mere ft omen of high and noble quality and as I 1 was mas an interloper I 1 could take tahe no ex caption to a conversation in a tan ian 4 A 14 1 4 I 1 Wal she commanded guage I 1 had stated I 1 did not under tand stand r it if they were rude I 1 had acted in a manner unbecoming a gentleman still I 1 was somewhat on the deafen I 1 took out my witch watch my hour was up I 1 regret that I 1 must be oil off I 1 said ruefully it Is much pleasanter plea santer here than on the road I 1 I can not ask you to remain here I 1 ou OM wll will find the inn a very comfort ate place for the night was G retch gretch ens suggestion defore before I 1 go may I 1 ask in what manner I 1 might serve as a witness lie the words had fully crossed my llis HIS I 1 recognized that my smartness had caused ne lie to commit sit an unbar donable blunder for a man who to show up well in an adventure of this tort bort hut but fate hid a hand in it as presently you shall see gretchen etchen Lr laughed but the bound was harsh and metallic she turned to her companion who was staling at roe ate with startled stait led ebes 03 es what did I 1 tell youa you con can not tell a gentleman in the candlelight to rie me she said 1 I 1 thought as much you have heard ranst faust in paris but you know nothing of the lan an guage you claimed to be a bentle man yet ion oil hive permitted us ua to fori voise in wits was it polity polite of you to use it I 1 asked all this im fib a wao wae of tho the land hand appeals mysterious I 1 llila his Is not a residence one would expect to find inhabited and by two charming women I 1 bowed your presence here la Is even less satisfactorily ex than mine if I 1 denied the knowledge of 0 french it was because I 1 itai ft am lit sure of sui it was waa zone done la in self defense i lather ather thun in the desire to play it a trick and in this language you speak of 3 of papers ot of the coming of a man you do nut not trust it looks very much like a conspiracy I 1 I 1 up my gloves and riding crop I 1 believed that I 1 had bad extricated myself rather well this la Is my castle said bald gretchen genay shaking off the warning wanting hand tl ef lier ler compan companion companoia fia 1 I in r I 1 devre I 1 0 f occupy it fr f r it a night who bo pal gainsay say met it I 1 leave the latches down tat Is due to the act dita I 1 have no one to fear now sir you have eaten the bread of my table and I 1 demand to know mho QU ou are it if you do not tell me ut at once I 1 shall be forced to confine you here till I 1 am ready to leave I 1 confine met me nonplussed nonplus sed this wa was S m more re than I 1 had reckoned on I 1 yes yea she he reached out to strike the gong 1 I can not be blamed tor for surrender sur rendel ing so tamely I 1 dida t know that the old servitor ia the only man maa around 1 I am tho american consul at darschell Car Dar I 1 the two wo women drew together instinctively as aa it one dellied to protect the othar hom some borne unknown calamity hat the deuce was it all about all at once gretchen thrust aside her friend and approached the tha table was mas between us and she rested her hands upon it II our glances met and clashed did the duke send you here sho she demanded repellently the duke I 1 was getting deeper than ever ahe duke yes yea I 1 am the pi ancess |
