DNG L.VBTHE KtN
Copjrlsht, 1D17, 17 Miry
CHAPTER I
THE CROWN I'KIXCE RUNS AWAY
TIIU Crown 1'rlnco eat In the royal box
and swung his legs. This ua lordly
lirlnccly. but tho ront legi did not qulto
reach the lloor from Uio lilgli crimsons civet
scat of lils chair.
Prlnco Ferdinand 'William Olto was bored.
Ills rojal robes, consisting of a pair of bluo
(serge trousers, a short Eton Jacket, and u
MIIT, rolling roll.ir of whlto linen. Irked him.
JIo had been brought to tho Opera Houso
under :i misapprehension. HlJ aunt, the
Archduchess AnmincUta, had strongly ado.
tatcd "Tlio l'l)lng Dutchman." and hli Eng
lish governess. Miss Hcallhwalto. had read
him pomo Inspiring lllrraturo nbout It. .Vo
hero ho was. and tho Fl)lng Dutchman Mas
not ghostly at all, nor did It fly. It ae,
from tho royal box, only too plainly . ship
which had lonsth and height, without thick.
ness. And Instead of II) Ing, after dreiry
tons of singing. It w is moved off on creaky
rollers by men whoso rhvlows wero thrown
grotesquely on tho sea backing.
Tho orchestra, asslrtcd by a bas". colo and
Intermittent thunder In tho wing, wan inak.
Ing u deafening din. Ono of tho shadow n on
tho sea backing took out tj handkerchief and
Vi lpd Its nose.
Prlne.i lYrcilnnml William Otto looked
icross at thuutlur lojal box, und caught his
Cousin Hedwlg's eji. Mho nlso hail sun tlio
-handkerchief: tho took- out her own scrap of
linen, and mimicked tho shulow. Thm, Her
Ttojal Highness tho Archduihosi Annum I it.i
being occupied with tho storm, tho winked
ucross at 1'rlnco 1'erdlmnd William Otto.
In tho opposite box were his two cousins,
the Princesses Hedwlg and Hilda, attended
bv Hedwlg u lady lu waiting. When a princess
of tho Court beconuM seventeen, sho iliops
qovernessci rind takes to ladles In waiting.
Hedwlg was eighteen Tho down I'rlme
liked Hedwlg better than Hilda Although
,ho had been Introduced form illy b tlio
'ourt at tho Christmas) fo ball, and hid
been dulv presented by her grandfather, tho
King, with tho usual string of purls und her
own carriage with tho spokes of tlio wheels
glided halfway only tho King and 1'rlnco
Ferdinand William Otto had nllguld wheel-i
sho ttlll ran off now and then to havo tea
with tho Crown rrinco and Miss Bralthwaltu
in the ichoolroom at tho Valaco; and rho
lould eat a great diil of bread and butter
rrlnco I'erdlmiid William Ott winked
liack at tho Trlnccss Hedwlg. And Juat then
-"Listen, Otto." said tho Areliduchet, lean
ing forward. '"Ilio arlnmnc Sene la It nut
exquisite ? '
They aro only pretending to t-iiln, ' re
marked Prince 1 Lrdlinnd AMIliain Otto.
Nevertheless hf listened obedlcntlj Ho
rather liked It. The) lnd not fooled him at
all. They wero hot leilly iplnnlng an omi
lould te thit hut they wero sticking very
ilosely t their business of cich outslnglng
tho other, and cclkctivcl of drowning out
tho orchestra
Tho spinning ihorut wis followed bv long
apd tlresomo tolof. 'tho rown Prlnoo
xiwned agiln, nllhoufch It was but tho nilddu
of the afternoon I'aUhing Hedwlgs en-, h,
ran his lingers up through his thick hah- and
grlnnid. Hedwlg blushed Mid had c-uiifldi.il
to him otiLC. whllo the wro w ilklng in thn
garden at tho summer palace, that sho was
thinking of being In lovo with a oung lieu
tenant who was attaOliLd to thn King a rullo.
The rrinco wlio was called Otto, for short,
by tho tamlly, lm-iuso ho actually hail ibvcn
names tho Prluco hail been much Interested.
Tor some time afterward ho had bothered
Miss Uralthwatto to dtttno bilng In love, but
ho had has no really satlsfactoiy answer.
In pursuance of hi i nust tor Information
he had grown iulte friendly with tho oung
ofUcer, who?o ii nno waj Larlsch, and li til
finally asked to lino him ildo with him at tlio
rojal riding schunl Tho grim old King
bad granted tho request, but It had been
iiulto fruitless u tar afti l- all. Lieutenant
I.iriech only, grew iiulto red is to tho cars
when love was uicntioiicd, although ho up-
peared not unwilling to hear Hedwlg's name.
Tho Crown Prlnoo had developed a strong
liking for tho vc-ung nfheer. Ho assured
Hedwlg ono trluio when sho tamo to tea that
.when ho wan king he would seo tint she
married tho lieutenant. Hut Hedwig was
much distressed
"I don't want him that vva," sho said.
"Anliow, I shall probably havi to marry
somo wretch with ears th it slick out and a
bad temper. I daro siy ho's selected nl
leady. Ah to I.leutuiant Larlsch, I'm euie
he's In lovo with Hilda. You should seo tho
way ho ntarcs at her.
"Pish" said rrinco l'erdlnand William
Otto oicr hij cup "llllile Is not as pretty
s you arc. And Nlkkj and I talked ubuut
jou fieaucntlj "
"Nlkkj" wih tho cfTiccr Tlio fiown
Prlnco vias vnj inform il with tho people
ho liked.
"flood gracious" exclaimed tho Princess
Hedwlg, coloring. "And what do jou sa t '
Miss llralthwalto hiving left tho loom.
Prince Perdlnand tMlllam Otto took another
lump of sugai. "hav .' Oh. not much, jou
know. Ho asks how ou arc, and I tell him
jou aro well, und that ou uto thirteen pieces
of bread at tea, or whatever It may have
been. Tho day Jllss llralthwalto had the
toothache, and jou and I ato tho fruit Cake
her sister had sent from Hngl.ind, he was
very anxious. Ho wild wo both deserved to
bo III."
Tho Trlncecs Hedwlg had been blushing
uncomfortably, but now sho paled. "Ho
ilared to say that?" sho stormed. "Ho
dared !1" And sho had picked up her murf
and gono out in a lino temper.
Onlj and this was curious by tho next
day sho had lorglvcn thn lieutenant, mul
was angry at I'trdlnand Willlum Otto,
Women aro very strange
So now Kerdlnund William Otto ran hii
ringers through his fair hair, which was a
favorlto gesture of tho lieutenant', und Hed
wlg blushed. After that sho routed to Iuon
at him. but sat staring fixedly ut tho stage,
whero Krau Hugh, In n short skirt, a black
velvet bodlco and a whlto apron, with two
jellow braids ove-r her shouldcis, was lis
tening "with ull the concss of forty j-ears
nnd sjt children ut home to the love-making
of a man In a false black beard.
Tho Archduchess, .sitting well back, wa
nodding. Just cditblde the royal box, on tho
red-velvet sofa. Central Mettllch. who via,
tho Chancellor, and had come because hn
had been Invited and staved outsldo because
ho said ho liked to hear music, not seo It,
was sound asleep. His martial bosom, with
Its gold braid, was ilslng nnd falling peaco
fully. Beside him lay tlio Prince's crown, a
small black derby hat.
Tho Prlnce.su Hilda looked across nnd
smiled and nodded ut Ferdinand William
Otto, Then sho went back to the music ; sho
held tho bcoro In her hand and followed It
note by note, the was stud j lug music und
her mother, who was tho Archduchess, woi,
watching her. llut now und 'then, when her
tnntlir'i a ei tiara crlned In thn stnire. lTlldlL
1 I 'fttnln n. dance at. the unner balconies whero
Impecunious joung otlicers leaned over tho
rail and gazed ut her respectfully, .
Prince Ferdinand William Otto considered
It all very wearlsomo. If one could only
wander around tho corridor or buy u sand
wich from tho stand at the foot of tho great
staircase or, better Btlll, It ono could only
t get to tho street, alone, and purchase ono of
tho flg women that SIlss Uralthwalto to do.
if
r
t f
Hobcrts Illnehirt and Publla lAittt Cempia7
splsed I Tho Crown Prlnco felt In his pocket,
whero his week's nllowanco of pockot-money
lay comfortably untouched.
Tho Archduchess, shielded by tho velvet
hangings with tho rojal nrnu on them, was
now qullo comfortably asleep, l'rorn tho cor
ridor came pounds Indicating that tho Chan
cellor pi cf erred making noises to lUtonlne
to them. Thej wero signs on tho rtago that
Kruu IIukIIi braids, six children, und all, wbb
nbout to go Into tho urms of tlio man with
the fnlso beard.
The Crown Prlnco meditated. Ho could
go out quleklj-, nnd be back beforo they knew
It. Kveu If ho only wandered about tho cor
ridor, it would stretch his short legs. And
outside It was a, 111 o daj It looked alrcad
like spring. '
With the trepidation of a canary who finds
hi I cage dor open, nnd, hopping to tho
threshold, s-urvevs tho world beforo entur
Ing to cxploio It, Prince Ferdinand William
Otto ioso to his fict, tiptoed past tho Arch
duchess Annunclala, who did rot move, and
looked around him from tlio doorwaj.
Tho Cliancello- slept. It. the royal dress
ing loom behind tho bov u lady In waiting
was sitting nnd crocheting. Mio did not care
for opera. A inald was spreading tho royal
ladlts' vi raps befcro tho tire. Tlio prtneesscs
IihiI shed their turred carriage boots Just In
side tho door. Tim' were In a row. ry
snuilt at d d ilntv.
Prlnco Ferdinand Ullllam Otto picked up
his hut and concealed It by Ids side. Then,
nonchalantly, as If to stretch Ills legs by
walking ten fict up tho corridor and back,
he p.istd the dressing-room donr. Ar other
mcment and ho was out of sight around a
bend of tho pasagewaj. and beforo him lajv
llbcitv.
Not nulto ' At the top of tho private Btalr
caso reserved for tho royal family a guard
commonly stood Ho had moved a few feet
from his post, however, und was watching
tho stage through tho lnlf-cpen door of a
private logo His rifle, with its fixed baj-onet,
leaned ugnlnst tho stair rail.
Prlrco Ferdinand William Otto passed be
hind hlni with outward calmness. At the top
nr thu nuhlic st.ilrcasc. however, lieOicsltated,
Micro, evcijwhcre. were brass-buttfmed cru
cial it tlio opera house. A garuerooo woman
stared ut him curiously. Thero was a n&Hso
trom tho house, too u sound of clapplnp
li mds and bravos " The little Trlnco looked
Ht the woman with appeal In his eyes. Then,
tilth his heart thumplrg, ho ran past her,
down the whlto ninrbla staircase, to whero
the great doors promised liberty.
ulgi, tho wardrobe woman, oimo out from
hoinii.t he- cuiinter and stood looking down
tho mirblo staircaco after Uio small fljlns
llgure.
"Hlcssed & ilnts ' oho Raid, wondering.
' How niiicli that child resembles Ills Itoj-al
Highness '
Hie- old soldier who rented opera glasses
at tlio s cord landing and who had left a leg
lu llovnli, leaned over tho railing. "Look
at that ho exclaimed "Ho will break a
leg. the joung rascal! Onca I could have
but then, ho is sifol Tho good God watches
oie- tools and children "
It looked Ul.q the llttlo Prince. ' said tho
wardrobo vvinuiii. "I havo seen him often
he has the samo bright hair. '
Uut thu opcra-gU s man was r.ot listen
ing He hid drawn a long siusago from ono
pmket and a roll trom the other, and nw,
retiring tn a tar window, ho stood placidly
eitlng- a blto of sausage, a blto of bread.
His mind was In Uosria, with Ills leg. And
beciuso old AdelbirtH mind waj in Bosnia,
and because- olio hears with tho inind. anil
not with tho ear, ho did nut hear the sharp
ciuistlon uf tho i entry who ran clown the
stairs and paused for u second at tho cloak
iooiii. Well for ilgi, too, that old Adelbert
did not hear her reply.
' He has not pissed here," sho aald, with
vi Ida und honest ejes, but with an ear to
ward old Adclbcit. "An old gentleman camo
a moiuert ugu und got a sandwich, which ho
hid lett in Ids overcoat. Perhapj thlj is
whom Jou uio seeking;"
The sentry cursed und ran down tho stall
catc. tho mils lu his shocj striking sharply
on tho marble.
1 1 tho w indow, old Adelbert cut ort another
blUo of sausage with his pockctknlfe und
s.iuiitcnd back to his tublo of opera glasses
ut the angle of tho balustrade. Tho hunt
ing Uguro of the sentry below caught his
tvo. "Another fool!" ho grumbled, looking
down. 'One would think new- legs grew In
plain of old ones, lll.o tho claws of tho sea
creatures !"
But Olg.i of tho cloakroom looked over
her cheeks, with her lips curved up In a
smile. "Tho llttlo ono!" sho thought, "And
Mich couraco! Ho will make u great king!
It him havo his prank llko tho other chll
dicn, nnd Cod bless hlni and keep Mm."
CHAPTER II
V.N USEES THE WOULD
Till! i rown Prlnco waj Just a trlfio daz
zled by tho brllllanca of his success. Ho
.paused for ono breathless moment under tin
portc-cochcro of the opera houso; then ho
too'c a long breath and turned to tho lift.
For ho know that at tho right, Just urounu
tho corner, were the rojal carriages, with
his own drawn up beforo the door, and Beppo
und Hans erect on tho box. their hutighly
noses red lu tho wind, for tho early spring
uir wus biting.
ho ho turned to the left and was at once
swallowed up tho street crowd. It secmeu
vry strnngo to him. Not that no w.is unac
customed to crowds. Had ho not, that very
Christmas, gone shopping In tho cltj", accom
panied only by ono of his tutors and Miss
Bralthwalte, and bought for his grandfather,
tho King, a burnt-wood box, which might
hold either necktie or gloves, und for lib
cousins silver photograph frames
Hut this wus different, und for a rather
peculiar re isou. Prince Ferdinand William
Otto hud never seen tho back of a crowd I
Tho publio was nlwajs lined up. facing hlni.
smiling und uowmg unu ciou-messim, win.
Ntn.ill wonder ho thought of most of Ills
futuro subjects as being much llko tho ship
In tho opera, meant only to bo viewed from
tho front.
Also, it was surprising to seo how stiff und
straight their backs were. Prlnco Ferdinand
William Otto had never known that backs
i-ould bo ho rigid. Those with which he was
familiar bad a way of drooping forward from
the middle of the splno up. It was most
Interesting.
The next hour was full of remarkablo
things. For one, ho dodged behind a street
ear and was almost run over by a taxlcab.
Tho policeman on the corner camo out, and
taking Ferdinand William Otto by the
i boulder, gavo him a talklng-to and a shak
ing, l'erdlnand William Otto was furious,
but policy kept Mm silent; which proves con
clusively that the Crown Prlnco had not only
lnttlatlvo witness his flight but self-control
und djplomacy. I.ucky country, to havo
in prospect such a king!
But cv en roj-alty has Its weaknesses. At the
next corner Ferdinand William Otto stopped
und Invested part of his allowance In tha
forbidden tig lady, with arms and legs 6f
dates, and eyes of cloves. He had wanted
ono of these over slnco he could remember,
but Jllss Bralthwalte had sternly refused to
authorize tho purchase. In fact, she had had
one of the dates placed under a microscope,
und had shown Ills Itoyal Highness a num
ber of Interesting and highly active creatures
who mado their homes therein.
I f. -.
"It is my intention, Lieutenant Larisih, (o place the Crown I'nnce tu jour perfconal clturge," tho old King said.
Prince; one who is both brave and lojal. I depend on jou."
His Koval HighpcuH tecalled all this with
great distinctness, and. Immediately dismiss
ing It from his mind, ato tho hgs and nrins
of the tig woman with euJoMueiit. 'Which
not tho citing of tho legs mid arms, of
course, but to bo ublo to dismiss what Is un
pleasant 13 another highly desirable rojal
trait.
So far his movements had been swift and
entirely objective. But success rather went
to his heud. Ho had ncvor been out alono
before, liven ut tho summer palace there
wero nlwujs tutors, or Miss Bralthwalte, or
nu nldo-do-canip, or something. Ho hesi
tated, tool: out his small handkerchief, dusted
his shoes with It, and then wiped his face.
Behind vi aa tho opera, looming und grnj'.
Ahead was tho park.
Nolo the long alho between rowj of treca
trimmed to resemhlo walls of green In sum
mer, und curiously distorted skeletons In
winter, note tho coffeehouses, whero joung
oflkers lu uniforms sit undi r tho tieo--, read
ing tho papers, and rllng to bow with groat
clunking und iiiurh ceremony as u gold-
wkeclcd carriage or u pretty girl went by.
Prlnco Ferdinand William Otto had tho
fulllllment of a great deslro In his small,
uctlvo mind. This wus nothing less than a
rldo on tho American scenic lallroad, which
had secured a concession in a far corner of
the park. Hedwlg's lieutenant had described
It to him how ono was taken In a small
car to a dizzy height, und then turned looso
on a track which dropped giddily and roso
again, which hurled ono through sheet-Iron
tunnels of incredlblo blackness, thrust ono
out over a gorge, whirled ono In mad curves
around corners of precipitous heights, and
Anally landed ono, panting, breathless,
shocked, and reeling, but safe, nt tho very
platform whero one had purchased one's
ticket three eternities, which wero only
minutes, before.
Prince Ferdinand William Otto bad put
this proposition, llko the llg woman, to .Miss
Uralthwalto. Miss uraunwaiie ropucu wuu
tho sad history of an Kngllsh child who had
clutched nt his can during a crucial moment
on n similar track at tho Crjstal Palaco In
London.
"When they picked him up," sho nnlshcd,
"every bono In his body was broken."
"Every bono?"
"Every bone," said Miss Bralthwalte, sou
cmnlj-.
"Tho llttlo ones In hti cars and all?"
"Ilvcry one," said Miss Bralthwalte, refus
ing to weaken.
Tho Crown Prlnco had pondered. "Ho
must have felt like JelljV ho remarked, and
Miss Bralthwalte had dropped tho subject.
So now, with freedom and his week's allow
ance, except the outlay fpr the llg woman, lu
his pocket, Prlnco Ferdinand William Otto
started for tho Land of Desire The alleo was
almost deserted. It was tilt sacred hour ot
coffee Tlio terraces wero empty, bdl from
tho coffee houses along tho drlvo thero camo
a cheerful rattlo of cups, a hum of conver
sation. As tho earlv spring twilight fell the gas
lamps along the allee, utwajs burning, mado
a twin row of pale stars ahead. At tho end,
even as the wanderer gazed, ho saw myriads
of tiny red, white and blun lights, rising high
In the ulr, outline tho crags and peaks of
the sheet-Iron mountain which was his des
tination. Tho Land of Desire was veny near 1
There camo to his cars, too, me occasional
rumble that told of some palpitating soul
being at that moment hurled and twisted
and Jojously thrilled, as per tho lieutenant's
description.
Now, It Is a strango thins, but true, that
one does not reach the Land of Deslro alone;
because tho half of pleasure Is tho Bharlng of
It with somo one else, and tho Land of Desire,
alone, IS not tho Land of Desire at all. Quite
suddenly Prince Ferdinand William Otto dis
covered that he was lonely. Ho sat down
on tho curb under the gas lamp and ate tho
fig woman's head, taking out the cloves,
because ho did not llko cloves. At that mo
ment there was a soft whirring off to ono
side of him and a j-ellow bird, rising and
falling erratically on tho broeze, careened
suddenly and fell at his feet.
Prince Ferdinand William Otto bent down
nd nicked It ud. It was a small toy aero
plane, with' yellow silk planes, guy ropes of
waxed thread and a wooden rudder, Its mo
tive power vestoa in a tignuy iwuiou run
her. One of tlio wings was bint, l'erdlnand
William Olto straightened It and looked
around for tho ownei.
A small boy was standing under tho net
gas lamp. ' cleo !" ho said In English, ' did
you seo It go that time"'
Prlnto I'erdlmiid William Otto eved the
stranger Ho was about his own ugc ni.d
was dressfd In u short pair of corduroy trou
sers, miith blooniiil at tho knto, n pilr of
jellow Itussla-lcather shoes that reached will
to his c'alves and, over all, ,a sh iggy whlto
sweater, rolling almost to his chin. On tho
very back of his head ho had tho smallest
cap that Prlnco Ferdinand William Otto had
ever seen.
Now, this vi as exactly tlio way In which
tho Crown Prlnco had niwajj wished to
dress. Ho vi.im suddenly conscious of the long
trousers, on his own small legs, of tho Igno
miny of his tailless I.tou Jai Uet and stiff,
lolling collar, of tho crowning dhgr.ice of
his derby hit But tho lonely feeling bid
gono from him
'This Is tho best tinio for fljlng." ho
paid, in his pcrfcit English. "AH tho exhi
bition tllghts ure at bundown."
The boy walked slowly over und stood
looking down ut him ' You ought to seo It
fly from tho top of Pike's Peak!" he re
marked. He Jiad caught stgnt of the despised
derby and his cjes widened, but with In
stinctive good breeding ho ignored 1U "That'3
Plko's Peak up there."
Ho indicated tho very top of tho Land of
Deslro. Tho Prlnco started up.
"How does ono get up?" ho queried.
"Ladders My fathers tho manager. Ho
lets mo up sometimes "
Prlnco Ferdinand William Otto stared with
new awo ut the boy. Ho found thu fact
much moro remarkablo than If tho stranger
had stated that his father was tho King of
England. Kings were, as vou may taj-, di
rectly In Prince Ferdinand William Otto's
line, but 6ccnlc railroads
"I had thought of taking a Journey on It,"
ho said, after a second's reflection. "Do jou
think jour father villi sell mo a ticket?"
'Billy Urlmm will. I'll go with jou!"
Tho Prlnco roso with nlacrltj-. Then he
btopped. Ho must, of course, ask tho strango
boy to bo his guest. But two tickets! Per
haps his nllowanco was not sutllclent.
"I must first seo how much It costs," ho
said, with dlgnltj-.
Tho other boy laughed. "Oh. gee! Yon
como with me. It won't cost anything," ho
said, and led tho way toward tho towering
lights. v
For Bobby Thorpo to bring a small boy
to ride with him was an cvery-day affair.
Billy Grlmfn, at tho ticket window, hardly
glanced at tho boy who stood, trembling
with anticipation, In tho shadow of tho booth.
Tho car came and they cuniuwu in. i-er-haps,
as they moved off. Prince Terdlnand
William Otto had a qualm, occasioned by
tho remembrance of tho English child who
had met an untimely end; but If he did ho
plucklly hid It.
' "Put your lid on tho lloor of tho car," said
Bobby Thorpe, depositing bis own atom thero.
"Father sajs If you do that you'ro perfectly
safe."
Prlnco Ferdinand William Otto divined
that this referred to his bat, and drew it.
small breath ot relief. And then they wero
off, up an endless, clicking roadway, whero
ut the top tho car hung for a breathless
second over the gulf below; then, fairly
launched, out on a trestle, with tho city far
beneath them, and only tho red, whlto, and
blue lights for company; and Into a tunnel,
filled with roaring noises nnd swift-moving
shadows. Then came tho end of all things
a flying leap down, a heart-breaktng, de
lirious thrill, an upward sweep Juat as tho
strain was too, great for endurance.
"Isn't It bdlly?" shouted the American
boy against tho onrush of the wind.
"Fine!" shrieked Ills Itoial Highness, and
i braced himself for another dip Into the gulf.
Abovo tho roaring of tno winu in meir
ears neither child had heard tho flying feet
of a dozen horses coming down the allee.
They never knew that a hatless young lieu
tenant, white-lipped with fear, had checked
his horso to Its haunches at tho ticket-booth,
and demanded to know who was In tha Land
. his
t and
- I of
-
Desire.
Only tho eon of tho manager, ana a-boy.
"I want
friend of lilz, replied Billy Uriimu, In what
ho called tho lingo of tho countrj-. ' hat'u
wrong" Lost unj bod) i '
But Iftdwlgii lieutenant had wheeled his
hoi so without a word, und. Jumping him over
tho hedgo of the allee, wus ort in a despair
ing so mil of the outskirts of tho park, fol
low! d by his cavalrjmeii
As tho last horse le mod tho hedgo nnd
dlsaiipcarcd tlio car camo to a stop ut tho
plitform. Quivering. Prlnco Ferdinand
William utlo reached down for tho despised
hat
"Would jou llko to go around again?"
nsked Hobby, qulto casuilly.
His Illghniss gisped with Jo) "If If jou
would bo so kind!" hn said.
And at tho lordly wivo of Bobbj'r hind,
thu c u moved on.
CHAPTER III
MbUKACKl)
A 1' J.IHIIT oelOcl. tltlt CVell.lig tlio
XJlCiouii Pnnco 1 erdlnand William Otto
approached tho palaco through tho public
square. Ho appioachcd It slowly, for two
reisons. First, ho did not want to go back.
Second, ho was rather frightened. Ho had an
Idea that they would bo disagreeable.
Thero seemed to bo a great deal going on
at tho palace. Carriages wero rolling In under
tho stouo archway and. having dlschirgcd
thch- contents, mostly gentlemen In uniform,
weio moving off with a thundering of hoofs
that reechoed from the vaulted roof of the
entrance. All the llghtt wero on In the wing
whero his grandfather, tho King, lived alono
At his grandfather hated lights, nnd went
to bed early, 1'rlnco l'erdlnand William Otto
was tllghtly puzzled.
Ho stood In tho bQUaio and waited for a
chalico to slip lu unobserved.
Ho was very dirt)-. IIN august face was
streaked with soot, and his august hands
likewise. His small derby hat was carefully
placed on tho very back of ills head ut the
unglo of tho American boy's cap. As his
collar had scratched his neck, ho had. nt
Hobby j suggestion, taken It off and rolled
It up Ho decided, as ho waited In tho
squjrc, to put It on ugaln. Miss llralth
walto was very peculiar about collars.
Came a lull In tho lino of carriage.). Prlnco
Teidlnand William Otto took a long breath
and started forward. An he advanced he
stuck his hinds tn his pockets and swag
gered a trlfio It was, as nearly as possible,
an exact Imitation of Bobby Thorpe's walk.
And to keep up his courage, ho quoted that
jwing gentleman's farewell speech to him
self: "What u" jou care? They won't
eat jou, will they?" ,
At tho entrance to tho archway stood two
sentries. They stood us If they wero carved
out of wood. Only their cjes moved. And
within, In tho court around which the palaco
was built, were tho King's bodyguards.
Mostly they sat on a long bench and ex
changed conversation, whllo ono of them
paced back and forth, his gun over his shoul.
der. In front of them. Prince Ferdinand
William Otto knew them all. More than
onco ho had Eccurcd cigarettes from Lieu
tenant Larisch and dropped them from one of
his windows, which wero Just overhead. They
would look straight ahead and not seo them,
until the officer's back was turned. Then
ono would be lighted and passed along yie
lie. Each man would take ono puff and pass
fin behind his back. It was great fun.
prlnco l'erdlnand William Otto stood In
tlio shadow and glanced across. The sentries
stood llko wooden men, but something was
wrong in the courtyard Inside.
Tho guards wero all standing and there
seemed to be a great many ot them. And
just as ho had mado up his mind to take the
plunge, so to speak, a part of his own regi
ment of cavalry came out from tho court
yard with a thundering of hoofs, wheeled at
tho street and clattered off.
Very unusual, all of It.
Tho CrowniPrlnco Ferdinand William Otto
felt In his pocket for his handkerchief, and
moistening u corner with his tongue, wiped
his face. Then ho wiped his shoes. Then,
with his hands lu his trousers pockets, he
sauntered Into the light.
Now, gentries aro trained to bo lmpasslro.
. 'farU'i:
r VfM
" fiV
""V,
,ti "3 t'h
rfV-rf 7 -""t - jV
j '
MARY
a real triend tor the little Crown
'lho model f a buitiyi:, a wooden soldier.
A really good sentry does not sneeze or
cough on dutj". Did anj- ono ever seo a sen
trj', for Inst nice, wipe his nose." Or twirl
his thumbs? or buy a newspaper Cer
tainly not.
Therefore, tho fvvu sentries mado no sign
whin tiny b.iw Ferdinand William Otto ap
pro idiinc'. But one of them lorgot to bring
his musket to salute. Ho crossed hlmselr
Instead. And something strained mound tho
other teiiirj'B lower Jaw suddenly relaxed
Into a sinllo as His Itojal Highness drew
a hand from 111 icfugo und saluted. Hu
glanced first ut one, then at tho other, rather
shceplshl), hesitated between them, clapped
his hat on moro securely and marched hi
' Tlio j oung rase il ' said tho second son
trv to himself And by turning his head
tlightli for a lentiy loarns to seo nil
.Hound llko a hoise, without twisting his
neck ho watched tlio runaway Into tho
palaci
1'rlnco Firdhiaud Willlim Olto went up
thn stone staircase Hero und thero ho passed
guards who stand und saluted. Had ho not
beeh obsessed with tho vision of Miss Uralth
walto ho would havo known that relief fol
lowed In his wake Messengers clattered
down tho staircase to tho courtyard. Other
messengers, breathless and eager, flew to
that lighted wlrg whero tho Council sat, and
whero the old King, propped up lu bed,
waited and tought terror.
Tho Archduchess Annunclata was with her
father. Across tho corridor tho Council de
bated in low toncj.
"Tell mo again," said tho King. "How In
God's name could it havo happened? In day
light, and with all of jou thero!"
'I havo told jou all I I now," said tho
Archduchess. Impatient!) ' One moment ho
was there. Hedwlg und ho wero making
gestures, und I leproved him. Tho next ho
was gone. Hedwlg siw hint get up ana go
out. falio thought "
."Send for Hedwlg."
"sho has retired, fchc was devoted to him
and "
"Send for her," said tlio King shoitly.
The Archduchess Annunlcata went out, Tho
old King lay back and his cjes, weary with
many years of ruling, of disappointments
and bitterness, roved the room They camo
to rest ut last on tho photograph of a joung
man, which stood on his bedside tablu.
Ho was a very joung man. In a uniform.
Ho waa bojlsh, and smiling Thero was n
dog beside him, und Its head was on his
knee. Wherever one stood In tho room, tho
cjis of tho photograph gazed at one. The
King knew this, and because he w'as quite old,
and beciuso thero were few persons to whom
u king dares to speak his Inmost thoughts,
ho.frequcntl) spoko to tho photograph
Tha older he grew, tho moro ho felt, some
times, as though It knew what ho said. He
had begun to think that death, after all. Is
not tho end, but only tho beginning of things.
This rather worried him, too, at times. What
ho wanted was to lay things down, not to
tako them up.
"If they've got him." ho said to the pic
ture, "it is out ot my hands and Into jours,
my boy."
Quito suddenly tho door opened. The old
man turned Jils head. Just Inside stood a
very dirty small boy.
The Crown Prlnco Ferdinand William Otto
was most terribly frightened. Everything
was at blxeu und sevens. Miss Bralthwalte
had been crying her head off, and on seeing
him had fallen lu a faint. Not that he
thought It was a real faint. He had unmis
takably seen her eyelids quiver. And when
she came to sho had ordered him no supper,
and four pages of German translation, and
to bed at seven o'clock Instead ot seven
thirty for a week. All the time crying, too.
And then she had sent him to his grand
father, and taken aromatlo ammonia.
Ills grandfather raid nothing, but looked
at him.
"Here hero I am, sir," said tha Crown
Prlnco from the door.
Tha IClng drew oa)ong breath. But the
sllenco persisted. Prince Ferdinand William
Otto furtively rubbed a dusty shoe against
tlio back ot a trousers leg.
"I'm afraid I'm not very neat, elr," said
Trlnco Ferdinand William Otto, and tool; a
ROl
RINEHART
N?
stcn forward. Until his grandfather !
manded htm, ho could not advance InWM
room.
"Como here," said tho King.
Ho went to the eldo of tho bed,
Whcro havo you becnT'
"I'm afraid I ran away, sir."
"Why?"
Prlnco l'erdlnand William Otto cons
It was rather an awful moment. "I
exactly know. I Just thought I would."
You see, It vvaa really extremely dtl
To cay that ho was tired of things as.f
were would sound ungrateful. Woult!,
deed, do quito impolite. Ana then, exs
why had lio run aw ay 7
"Suppose," said tho King, "j-ou drawl
u chair and tell me about It. Wo'd bet
talk It over, I think."
His Iloj-al Illgncto drew up n, chair !
sat on It. ills feet not reaching the floe-rv'
tw (.WW....U ,..v... a-.wutk IIIU bllilll'lUUit im,M.yq
was permissible because, first, tho Kin- f j
could not see them frnm t-itn 1,,1 K-nnd.& -J
It kept his knees from shaking. t,
"Probably you aro aware." said tha Kin. . v
"that j-ou havo alarmed a great many pes',
:, V
mi sorry, sir; i man t unK " ir i
"A Prince's duty Is to think." 1"K'Jb
"Althoueh." observed Ills rtw.t Ufrhn 'vL&l
1 don't really bellovo Miss BralthwsJtw) Vj
tainted, fcho may havo thought sho falnte
out ncr cyeuus movco," '.
"Whero did jou go?' Mi
"To tho park. sir. I I thought I'd tl!N A m
to seo tho park by mj'self." 'jj
"Go on." ?iv t!
"It's very hard to enjoy things with MtiiA 'T a
uraunwaitn, sir. bhe does not really enjoy;, ,
tho things I llko. Nlkky and I" 'tfrj ,
11., 'Vll,!.., a.. ......... T !...,- ,tW '
Larisch?" i-,1
"Yes, sir" iW A
"uo on." j
"Wo llko tho samo things, elr tho Pike, A
Pek or Host, rm.l nil that S $
Tho King raised himself on his dberwSfa, -A
"What was that?' ho demanded. tW'-S!
Tr1n.-. VArn.n. nirillln. ,-.,, U1...C-A.IJ'
.....v., . tumuiiu ,,,!!,illl ULIU lflUBHWk
and explilned. It WB3 Bobby's namo for thiS
peak u t tho top of tho sccnlo railway. Hsm"- g
had been on tho rallwaj-. Ho had been MJ"njw
enthusiasm carried him away. His cheeku frff A
uusuea lie sat forward on tho edge of his--chair
und gesticulated Ho had never had
tuch u eood time in his life. . 'iV
"I waa awfullv hannv. ulr" 1m ntAi9. Tfc sc
feels llko fl)ing. only safer. And the lights Cf.
are pretty. It's llko fairyland. There were) (Aj
two or threA limea whpn If im,H na 1 wA ? 9
'turn over or leap the track. But we dldnt!"'. jg
The King lay bade and thought. MolTo'!gfc ;
Hut tho occasion demanded a btrontf hand. lJ J
'Vou were happy," ho said. "Tou were dIrM
utlu.,-... JWU 1C. O CAUSUI& k,i4a CtlUtlVVX K,
and distress and j-ou wero happy! ThoV
first duty of a Prince It to Ills country. His i'.
first lesson 13 to obey laws. Ho must alwayti "&vl
obey certain laws. A King Is but the servant. JA
of hid nennle." - s . .
"Yes, sir," cald Prince Ferdinand William ft'jH
The old King's volco vvas stern. "Someday ll
JOU will be the Klntr. You aro belnr tra!nd'nvs
for that high office now. And jot you would, ' $1
set tho example of Insubordination, dlsobe- ,fj
dlcnce and reckless disregard of tho feelings "Xl
of others ' ' r'
..-. . ..... . . -. . .. . ....... . i . -
es, sir. sair l'rinco i erumanu vviuuua -.;.
Otto, feellnir verv small and ashamed. i'?'
"Not only that You slipped away. TOU 13
did not go openlj". You sneaked off, like S M 1
thief Are jou proud of It?" Jr 'M
.no. sir- -j
"J shall." said tho King, "rcqulro no proBJ. J
i&u iioui )uu. j'lomisea uro lloor iningv VX vffV '
hold to I leavo this matter In your omv,l
hands. Otto. You will be punished by Mlsa &5 .
Bralthwalte. and for tho next ten days) you) fit
will not visit me. You may go now." , &$$
Otto got off his chair. He was feeling
exeeedlnelv rrushrrl. "finnr! nlifhf. h!i-"1a',--
sald. And waited for his grandfather tmtji '4
extend his hand. But tho old King lay look-ttf
Ing straight ahead, with his mouth set Itf-sU
i-rlm line I .mil l.lu Itlnil trAAetA .rf . V
."". "- "" "- v. -T-r7i5
urease. c - -
'At tho door tho Crown Pilnco turned m.fJt ;..".
bowed His grandfather's eyes were fljstil'tH
on tho two gold eagles over the door, but thX
photograph on tho table appeared to bo mll-''J
Ing at him.
. JM
CHAPTER IV
THE TERROK
u
NTIL
1 t 4lii nlti ?nnA.1 TirtlUk'.'
and
tho King talked together. Tos?"
King had been lifted trom his bed and ., .'
propped In a great chair. Above his shabby fip-
drisslng gown his faco showed gaunt and old. .2 ' .
In a straight chair facing htm sat his oldJ
friend und Chancellor. " vjy
"What it nan shown is not entirely baa, ' sk
said thn King, after a pauso. "Tho boy hasZ?,V
... ...... .... ......... .... ....w..,. VW.V ..J
slon. Ho Is essentially truthful." ty
"What it has also shown, sire, is that nows
protection Is enough.
When I, who loro the 3K
lad, and would and when I could, sleep and ,"' j
let him get awaj-, us I did " WPt
"Tho truth IV said tho King, "wo arba ,M
ui ua senilis, uiu. og laiijjsi mul ny :j
gnarled tlngern on tha blanket that lay oTtiS' 3
his knees. "Tho truth Is also." he obiiiwftgf, 2
n .-m,nl Ifit.r- ''that thn hnv 111, VAW Cam 1 i 3
Dleasures. Ho Is alono a great deal.'- aW-? nl
General Mtttlieh raised his sham haaut .: '.
Many jcars of wearing a soldier's cap haf.s&'irt
.. I..I......1 1.1- t.ann. .. h.U XSm JrVt. 3
live lujuicu ...a ,i j am; ..,,. im iya iy t
bristling ejebrows, whlto now, and a short,.-,V
fighting mustache. i.
When ho was Irritated, or disagreed wHA'
...... I.t- .1..I.H... ..-M.. . MHjl Mu jl '
uuy OIL, Ills i-jcuiuHa CU.II.U uv.tu m-it fcn. .
mustacnq went up. -ft:
.uuuy 3 cam lu ussuciuiiuu wiui mv laiwt' j.w
had given him the right to talk to him. M.J. 1
man to man. They even quarreled now mfr'A
mill II WUS U UUIU man uv nuuiu ijuaMy-j, .:'
rel with old Ferdinand II. . 4
I. 1.1 1-n-lnnn.l TT Cl.IV J
bo now- his ejebrows cams down cnAibMZ
mustache went up. "How alone, sirr Wi&j
"You do iut regard that bigoted EnftWv. 7
w oman as a companion, do j ouV" ' A"- 1
"Hn la attnchei! to her." TfV
"I'm damnid If I know why," observed tin Hj
old King, "tho doesn't appear to hav,t
ulndo human nualltv." & ... a
Human quality! General Mettllch oye,;,
l.lj l-ln.- eilth roiii-ern. Hlnrn whe.n had thf '
reigning family demanded human qualttlei i t f
In tucir governesses. one is u mougavurr
und conscientious woman, sire," lie sW -.,
stiffly. It happened that he had seleotV. '.
her "She does her duty. And as to the pa ;,
being lonely ho has not tlmo to bo lonlJi
His tutors " !.
"How old Is ho?" v gZ,
'Ten next month." V?i
ThtTKIng said nothing for a time. Itmit1
"It H hardi ho said at last, 'Tor sevcartrtf
four to seo with tho eyes of ten. Aa for tnfcyj, ,
afternoon why In the' name of a, thouaajM'.?
devils did they take him to see tha "mykft: it
Dutchman?' I detest It." K 2l
"Her lloyal Hlinessy-" '"4j?'
-tununciuiu is u loui i saiu ria iimjajau
Then, dismissing his daughter with a gMtuM
"Wo don't know how to ralsa our chlMrd
here," ho said Impatiently, "Tha English m
better. And even tho Germans " W,
It Is not etiquette to lower one's eyet
nt u King and glare. But General M
did It. Ho was rather a poor subject. -t
Germans have not our problem, slre,"lhaj
and stuck up his mustache. V,J$
"I'm not going to raiso uiai ooy
oner." Insisted the King, stubbornly.
have to bo very stubborn about thing. '
many people disapprove of tho tb,latf?i
want to do. XnJ
'Suddenly General Mettllch bent rc
and placed a hand on the old manV.
"We shall do well, sire." na saia.
"to raiso ma ooy at uu. ,'.
Continued
in Monday's
Evening Public
v 15 X-
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