"Bauer, your grandfather was a robber," the girl laughed. "Take heed

that you do not follow in his footsteps."

"I am a poor man, your--mm---Fräulein," he stammered.

"Here's a crown," said Max, tossing a coin which was neatly caught by

the grimy hand of the smith.

"Are you very rich?" asked the girl curiously.

"Why?" counter-questioned Max.

"Oh, I am curious to know. Bauer will tell it to every one in

Barscheit that you overpay for things, and from now on you will have to

figure living on a basis of crowns."

It is worth any price to hear a pretty woman laugh. What a fine

beginning for a day!

"May misfortune be kind enough to bring you this way again, Herr!"

Bauer cried joyfully, not to say ambiguously.

"Listen to that!" laughed the girl, her eyes shining like the water in

the sun. "But he means only to thank your generosity. Now,"--with a

severe frown,--"how much do I owe you? Take care; I've only a few

pieces of silver in my purse."

"Why, Fräulein, you owe me nothing; I am even in debt to you for this

very crown." Which proved that Bauer had had his lesson in

courtier-ship.

The assistant soon brought forth the girl's restive filly. Max sprang

to her aid. How light her foot was in his palm! (She could easily

have mounted alone, such was her skill; but there's the woman of it.)

"I am going toward the Pass," she said, reading the half-veiled appeal

in his blue eyes.

"Which way is that?" he asked, swinging into his own saddle.

"That way," nodding toward the south. After all, there could be no

harm; in two or three hours their paths would separate for ever.

"Why,"--delightedly,--"I am going that way myself."

Old Bauer watched them till they disappeared around a turn in the road.

He returned to his forge, shaking his head as if confronted by a

problem too abstruse even for his German mind.

"Well, he's an American, so I will not waste any pity on him. The pity

is that she must wed old Red-nose."

It would have been if she had!

So the Princess and Prince Charming rode into the country, and they

talked about a thousand and one things. Had she ever been to France?

Yes. To England? She had received part of her education there. Did

she know the Princess Hildegarde? Slightly. What was she like? She

was a madcap, irresponsible, but very much abused. Did she know Mr.

Warrington, the American consul? She had seen him on his morning

rides. Wasn't it a fine world? It was, indeed.




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