HAHNVILLE. LOUISIANA.
w . .........
> M »» »» H-K-W-f ■4
LONG uw t
By Mary
Roberts Rinehart
Copyright, 1917, by the Ridgway Company
nwmm HM MlUlOHMIHil t M #S t # + 4 »###
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Copyright, 1917, by Mary Roberts Rinehart
he
guess—
CHAPTER XVII—Continued.
— 17 —
"Bobby." said his mother, with i
atoli in her voice, "haven't you some
thing to suggest—ns u toast?"
Bobby's eyes were on the oak
rame bark with difficulty.
"Well," he meditated, "I
would 'home' be all right?"
"Home!" they all said, a little shak
ily. and drank to it.
Home! To the Thorpes, a little
house on a shady street in America;
to the Fraulein, a thatched cottage in
Hie mountains of Germany and an old
mother; to Pepy, the room in a tene
ment where she went at night; to
b erdinnnd William Otto, a formal
suite of apartments in the palace, sur
rounded by pomp, ordered by rule and
precedent, hardened by military dis
cipline. and unsoftened by family love,
save for the grim affection of the old
king.
Home !
After all, Pepy's plan went astray,
for the Fraulein got the china baby,
mid Ferdinand William Otto the I.iu
coln penny.
"That," said Bobby's father, "is a
Lincoln penny, young man. It hears
?
eg
f*
'A Long Life, Full of Many Sorrow*."
.'he portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Have
you ever heard of him?"
The prince looked up. Did he not
know the "Gettysburg address" by
heart?
"Yes, sir," he said. "The—my
grandfather thinks that President Lin
coln was a very great man."
"One of the world's grentest. I hard
ly thought, over here—" Mr. ihorpe
paused and looked speculatively at the
boy. "You'd better keep that penny
where you won't lose it," he said sob
erly. "It doesn't hurt us to try to be
good. If you're in trouble, think of
the difficulties Abralmm Lincoln sur
mounted. If you want to be great
think how great he was." He was a
trifle ashamed of his own earnestness.
"All that for a penny, young man!"
The festivities were taking a serious
turn. There was a little packet at
each plate, and uow Bobby's mother
reached over and opened hers.
"Oh!" she said, and exhibited a
gaudy tissue paper bonnet. Everybody
had one. Mr. Thorpe's was a dunce s
cap. and Fraulein's a giddy Pierrette
of black and white. Bobby had a
military cap. With eager fingers Fer
dinand William Otto opened his; he
had never tasted this delicious paper
enp joy before.
It was a crown, a sturdy bit of gold
paper, cut into points and set with
red paste Jewels—a gem of a crown.
He was charmed. He put it on his
head, with the unconsciousness of
childhood, and posed delightedly.
The Frnuleln looked at Prince Fer
dinand William Otto, and slowly the
color left her lean face. She stared.
It was he. then, and none other.
Stupid, not to have known at the be
ginning! He. the crown prince here
5 tta home of these barbarous
Americans, when, by every plan that
had been made, he should now be in
the hands of those who would dispose
Wf "î 1 giVe you." said Mr. Thorpe, rais
ing his glass toward his wife, the
giverof the feast. Boys, up with
y °T t I was then that the Frauleln, mak
ing an excuse, s lipped out of the room.
CHAPTER XVIII.
The King la Dead.
Now at last the old king's hour had
come. Mostly he slept, as though hi
body, wr for J.Wj "'La
uuuj, - «trurale. stimu
£dVX«. Other
a group of them, but It was Doc
I
1
i
bed
tor Welderman who stood by th
and waited.
Father Gregory, his friend of many
years, had come again from Etzel, and
it was In» who had administered the
sacrament. The king iiad roused for
it, and had smiled at the father.
"So!" lie said, almost in a whisper,
"you would send.me clean! It is hard
to scour an old kettle."
Doctor Welderman bent over the
bod. "Majesty," lie implored, "if there
Is anything we can do to make you
comfortable—"
"Give me Hubert's picture," said the
king. When his fingers refused to hold
it. Annuuciata came forward swiftly
and held it before him. But his heavy
eyes closed. With more intuition Ilian
might have been expected of her, the
arehduohess laid it on the white cover
let, and placed her father's hand on
it.
The two sisters of mercy stood be
side the bed, and looked down at the
quiet figure.
"I should wish to die so," whispered
the elder. "A long life, filled with
many deeds, and then to sleep away !"
"A long life, full of many sorrows!"
observed the younger one. her eyes
full of tears. "He lias outlived all
that lie loved."
"Except the little Otto."
Their glances met, for even here
there was a question.
As their thought had penetrated
the haze which is, perhaps, the mist
that hides from us the gates of heaven,
the old king opened his eyes.
"Otto !" he said. "I—wish—"
Annuuciata bent over him. "He is
coming, father," she told him, with
white lips.
She slipped to her knees beside the
bed, and looked up to Doctor Welder
man with appealing eyes.
"I am afraid," she whispered. "Can
you not—?"
He shook his head. She had asked
a question in her glance, and he had
answered. The crown prince was
gone. Perhaps the search would he
successful. Could he not be held, then,
until the boy was found? And Doctor
Weiderman had answered "No."
In the antechamber the council
waited, standing and without speech.
But in an armchair beside the door
to the king's room the chancellor sat,
his face buried in his hands. In spite
of precautions, in spite of everything,
the blow bad fallen. The crown prince,
to him at once son and sovereign, the
little crown prince, was gone. And
his old friend, his comrade of many
years, lay at his last hour.
Now he waited for the king's death.
Waited numbly. For, with the tolling
of St. Stefan's bell would rise the cry
for the new king.
And there was no king.
In the little room where the sisters
kept their medicines, so useless now,
Hedwig knelt at the prie-dieu and
prayed.
The king roused again. "Mettlich?"
he asked.
The elder sister tiptoed to the door
and opened It. The council turned,
dread on their faces. She placed a
hand on the chancellor's shoulder,
"ifis majesty has asked for you."
When he looked up, dazed, she bent
down and took his hand.
"Courage!" she said quietly.
The chancellor stood a second in
side the door. Then he went to the
side of the bed, and knelt, his lips
to the cold, white hand on the counter
pane.
"Sire!" he choked,
lieh."
The king looked at him. and placed
his hand on the bowed gray head.
Then his eyes turned to Annunciata
and rested there. It was as if he saw
her, not as the embittered woman of
late years, but as the child of the
woman he had loved.
"A good friend, and a good daugh
ter," he said clearly. "Few men die
so fortunate, and fewer sovereigns.
His hand moved from Mettlich's head,
and rested on the photograph.
The elder sister leaned forward and
touched his wrist. "Doctor!" she said
sharply.
Doctor Weiderman came first, the
others following. They grouped
around the bed. Then the oldest of
them, who had brought Annunciata
Into the world, touched her on the
shoulder.
"Madame!" he said. "Madame, I—
his majesty has passed away."
Mettlich staggered to his feet, and
took a long look at the face of his old
sovereign and king.
In the meantime, things had been
happening in the room where the
council waited. The council free of
the restraint of the chancellor's pres
ence, had fallen Into low-voiced con
sultation. What was to be done?
They knew already the rumors of the
streets, and were helpless before them.
They had done what they could. But
the boy was gone, and the city rising.
Already the garrison of the fortress
had been ordered to the palace, but
it could not arrive before midnight.
Friese had questioned the wisdom of It,
at that, and was for flight as soon as
the king died. Bayerl. on the other
hand, urged a stand. In the hope that
the crown prince would be found.
Their voices, lowered at first, rose
to
to
is
"It is I—Mett
acrimoniously; almost they <
to the silent room beyond, i et rated I
discussion came Nikk.v Lariseh, Hie | the
ereil with dust and spotted with fiV
front his horse. He entered witlion* ( >f
ceremony, his boyish face drawn and'i 111
white, his cap gone, his eyes star
ing.
'•Tlte chancellor?" he said.
Some one pointed to the room be
yond.
Nikky hesitated. Then, being young
and dramatic, even in tragedy, lie un
tckled his sword belt and took it off, !
placing it on a table.
"Gentlemen," he said, "I have come
to surrender myself."
The council stared.
"For what reason?" demanded Mar
sehall coldly.
"I believe it is called higli treason."
He closed his eyes fur a moment. "It
is because of my negligence that tins
thing has happened. He was in my
charge, and 1 left him."
No one said anything. The council
looked at a loss, rather like a flock of
sheep confronting some strange ani
mal.
"I would have shot myself," said
Nikky Lariseh, "but it was too easy."
Then, rather at a loss as to the
exact etiquette of arresting one's self,
lie bowed slightly aud waited.
The door into the king's bedchamber
opened. The chancellor came through,
his face working. It closed behind
him.
"Gentlemen of the council," he said.
"It Is my duty—my duty—to an
nounce—" Ills voice broke; his
grizzled chin quivered; tears rolled
down his cheeks. "Friends." he said
pitifully, "our good king—my old com
rade—is dead!"
«.**»*•*
The birthday supper was over. It
had ended with an American lee cream,
brought in carefully by I'epy, because
of its expensiveness. They had cut
tiie cake with "Boby" on the top. and
the crown prince had eaten far more
than was good for hitn.
He sat. fingering tlie Lincoln penny
and feeling extremely full and very
contented.
Then, suddenly, from a far off church
Prince Ferdinand William Otto
deep-toned bell began to toll slow- |
caught it. St. Stefan's bell! He sat
up and listened. The sound was faint ; j
-ne felt I» rather than heard It. h,.t
tiie slow booming was unmistakable, j
He got up and pushed his chair back, j
Other hells had taken it up, ami
now the whole city seemed alive with
bells—be'lls that swung sadly from side
to side, as if they said over and over: j
"Alas, alas!"
Something like panic seized Ferdl- j
nand William Otto. Some calamity
had happened. Some one was—per
haps his grandfather. j
He turned an appealing face to Mrs. 1
Thorpe. "I must go," he said. "I do j
not wish to appear rude, but some- \
thing is wrong. The bells—"
Pepy had been listening, too. Her
broad face worked. "They mean one
3T
«a
Y//
It Rang Out, Slow, Ominous, Terrible.
thing," she said slowly. "I have heard
it said many times. When St. Stefan's
tolls like that, the king Is dead!"
"No! No!" cried Ferdinand Wil
liam Otto and ran madly out of the
door.
While the birthday supper was at
Its height, in the bureau of the con
cierge sat old Adelbert, heavy and
despairing. That very day had he
learned to what use the committee
would put the Information he had
given them, and his old heart was
dead within him. One may not be
loyal for seventy years, and then easily
become a traitor.
Then, at seven o'clock, something
happened.
The concierge's niece had gone.
leaving the supper ready ». inked on i ns
the Intel; of the stove. <»]<! Adelhert \
alone, and watched the
>f the stove fade to black. My that
111 '' *t was done, and in* was of the
lîuned. The crown prince, who was
stu\ age with the American lad up
handsthe crown prince was in the
iiert, hahis enemies. He. old Adei
And none it.
Terrible tint was forever too late,
could not livifs tilled ids mind. He
! die. The daughis, yet lie could not
sion. He must must have the pen- j
whose breast the u traitor, he on
pinned a decoration. - himself had
He wore his new tun
of the day. Suddenly he in honor
could not wear it any long, that he ;
no right to any uniform. Hefe had i
sold iiis country was of no con had j
He went slowly out and up the . I
ease, dragging his wooden leg pi. j
fully from step to step. He heard th
concierge come in below, ills heavy
footsteps re-echoed through the build
ing. Inside the door he called furi
ously to his niece. Old Adelhert heard
him strike a match to light the gas.
In his room he sat down on a
straight chair inside the door, and
stared ahead. Then, slowly and me
chanically, he took ->ff his new uni
form and donned the old one. He
would have put on civilian clothes, had
he possessed any. For by tin» deeds
of that day lie had forfeited th<- right
to 1he king's garb.
It was there that Black Humbert,
hurrying up. found him. The con
cierge was livid, his tuassite frame
shook with excitement.
"Quick!" he said, and swore a great
oath. "To the shop of the cobbler
Heinz, and tell him this word. Here
in the building is the hoy."
"What boy?"
The concierge closed a great hand
on the veteran's shoulder. "Who but
the crown prince himself!" he said.
"But I thought—how can he be
here?"
"Here is he. in our very hands. It
is no time to ask questions."
"If lie is here—"
"He is with the Americans," hissed
was
the
most
of
d"the lad I 1
the concierge, the veins on his fore
| hpfl(J SW()llou w j t h excitement. "Now,
go. and quickly. 1 shall watch. Say
that when I have secured the lad, I
sha]1 take him there. Let all be ready. 1
j , hour aK0 *• t,,» sa i«l. raising his,
"at L. on high. "„nd everything |
j logt ^ow—hurry. old wooden leg. It
j j g a Krpat night."
"But_I cannot. Already I have
(]one too inuc |,. i ttm damned. I have
lost my sou] j w flo aIU sotm to die—"
j ..y 0 „ w jjj g0 "
And, at last, he went, hobbling down
j the staircase recklessly, because the
looming figure at the stairhead was
listening. He reached the street,
j There, only a block away, was the cob
1 bier's shop, lighted, but with the dirty
j curtains drawn across the window,
\ old Adelhert gazed at it. Then he
pal
packed dense throngs of silent people.
Now and then a man put down a box.
and rising on it, addressed the crowd,
attempting to rouse them. Each time
angry hands pulled him down, and
hisses greeted him as he slunk away.
Had old Adelhert been alive to any
thing but his mission, he would have
seen that this was no mob of revo
lutionists, hut a throng of grieving
people, awaiting the great bell of St.
Stefan's with its dire news.
Then, above their heads, it rang out,
slow, ominous, terrible. A sob ran
through the crowd. In groups, an»l at
last as a whole, the throng knelt. Men
uncovered and women wept.
The bell rang on. At its first notes
old Adelhert stopped, staggered, almost
fell. Then he uncovered his head.
"Gone !" he said. "The obi king!
My old king!"
• mi A.iemen guzeu a* ,*. — j
commended his soul to God. and turned
toward the palace. e oie it were
j
!
His face twitched. But Hi»* horror
behind him drove him on through the
kneeling crowd. Where it refused to
yield, he drove the iron point of his
wooden leg into yielding flesh, and so
mode his way. Some one raised a cry
and others took it up.
"The king!" they cried. "Show us
the little king.
But the balcony outside the dead
king's apartments remained empty,
The curtains at the long windows were
iuc »-u »
drawn, save at one, opened f»ir air.
u ,, ,,./*• . , .
The breeze shook its curtains to and
fro, but no small, childish figure
emerged. The cries kept up, but there
was a snarl in the note now.
"The king! Long live th»? kiug!
Where is lie?"
A man in a red costume, near old
Adelhert, leaped on a box and lighted
a flaming torch. "Aye!" he yelled,
"call for the little king. Where is he?
What have they done with him?"
' Old Adelbert pushed on. The voice
J of the revolutionist died behind him,
j in a chorus of fury. From nowhere,
; apparently, came lighted box banners
proclaiming the chancellor s ireuson.
| and demanding a republic. Some of
them instructed the people to gather
around the parliament where, it was
stated, leading citizens were already
forming a republic. Some, more vio
lent, suggested an advance on the pal
ace.
• The crowd at drat ignored them, hut
i ns time went on. it grew t:g!y I!
\ preeedent, the new kiug should he
all
a
He
but
be
It
before them. What. then, if tills rumor
was true? When* was the little king?
Revolution, now, in the making. A
flame ready to blaze. Hastily, on th»»
outskirts of the throng, a delegation
formed to visit the palace, and learn
the truth.
Drums were now beating steadily,
Ailing the air with their throbbing, al
most drowning out tin* solemn tolling
of the bell. Around them were rallv
S-'o.
Sf
ft
cT
'su
'V
a.
1
f?i
X
Slid
• Make—Haste," He Said, and
Stiffly to the Ground.
Ib*
Hie
a
tains,
ered
such
stiffly
was
too
to
that,
In
looked
in
glare
'h<*
y re
oaded
ng
onger.
been
could
re
ne.
rage
little
\v
ing angry groups. As the groups grew
large, eaeli drum led its followers
toward the government house, where,
on the steps, the revolutionary party
harangued the crowd. Bonfires sprang
up. built of no one knew what, in the
I 1 P ubli <' s( l ,ia!VS ' Red ttre burned ' The
The city had not yet risen. It was
Say
I , , . ,
1 drums throbb '
his, , , c . „ -
| !«»?<* »"1 s !™ J"'
It
the
was
cob
he
box.
time
and
any
have
revo
St.
out,
ran
at
Men
believe in treason, or that it had no
King. But it was a matter of mo
ments now, not of hours.
The noise penetrated into the very
wards of the hospital. Red tires bathed
pale faces on their pillows iu a fever
ish glow. Nurses gathered at the win
dows, their uniforms and faces alike
scarlet in the glare, and whispered to
gether.
One such group gathered near the
bedside of the student Haeckel, still :
in his lethargy. His body had gained ;
stren'trth so "that he was clothed at
j J* ; der aimleM iy about the !
hft hu( , reinaine(1 dazed,
and tll0n t |ie curtain of the past j
lifted but for a moment only. He had
forgotten his name. He spent long j
hours struggling to pierce the mist. j
But mostly he lay, or sat, as now, j
beside his bed, a bandage still on his
head, clad In shirt and trousers, bnre !
feet thrust into worn hospital slippers,
The red glare hail n»it roused him, nor
yet the beat of the drums. But a word j
or two that one of tiie nurses spoke
caught ids ear ami h»*ld him. He j
looked up, and slowly rose to his feet,
I'nsteadily he mad»» his way to a win
»low, hnhling to lie* sill to steady him
self.
j Oid Adelhert had been working Ids
! way Impatiently. Tiie temper of the
j mol) was growing ugly. It was
suspicious, frightened, potentially dan
j gerous. The cry of "To tiie palace !"
■ greet*»»] his ears as he finally emerged
| breathless from the throng.
the | stt , p p P( j boldly to the old stone
to Hr ',,w a y. and fa< ed a line of soldiers |
his : f[iprp \,j w))U i»i see the chancellor!" j
so ^ KHSI , P(1 am j saluted. ;
cry , Thp (1Jlptaln of the guur d stepped
out -u tiat is it you want?" he de- .
us | Iua ' 1( | e( j j
"The chancellor " he lowered his I
dead ; ..j ' have new8 0 f the crown
j . „
were P nIlCe -
I yj aK | C words, indeed. Doors opened
air. . ~ „ .. ...
. I swiftly before them. But time was
and i - . . .
there
kiug!
old
he?
voice
him,
of
was
vio
pal
hut
flying, to»*. In his confusion the old
man had only one thought, to reach
the chancellor. It would have betm
better to have told his news at once.
The climbing of stairs takes time when
one is old and fatigued, and lma hut
one leg.
However, at last it was done, and
old Adelbert stumped to the door of
the room where the council sat de
bating and the chancellor paced the
floor.
Small ceremony now. Led by sol
diers, who retired and left him to enter
alone, old Adelbert stumbled into the
room. He was out of breath and
dizzy; his heart beat to suff<*catlon.
There was not air enough in all the
world to breathe. He clutched at the
velvet hangings of the door, and
swayed, but he saw the chancellor.
The crown prince, h> said thi<
ly, "Is at the home of the Americans.
Ib* stand about hint. Strange that
Hie room should suddenly be filled with
a mist. "But there he those—who wait
—there—to capture him."
He caught desperately at the cur
tains, with their royal arms embroid
ered in blue and gold. Shameful, In
such company, to stagger so'
"Make—haste," he suid. and slid
stiffly to Hu* ground. He lay without
moving.
The council roused then. Mettlich
was tin» first to get to him. But it was
too late.
Old Adelbt 1 1 hud followed the mist
to the gates it concealed. More than
that, siiain traitor that he was, he had
llowed his kiug.
CHAPTER XIX.
In the Road of the Good Children.
Haeckel crept to a window and
looked out. Met;fires were springing up
in tiie open square in front of the gov
ernment house. Mixed with the red
glare came leaping yellow flames.
'h<* wooden benches 'were'piled to
other and'fired, and by each such
y re stood a gesticulating, shouting red
emon.
Guns were appearing now. Wagons
oaded with them drove into the
•quare, to he surrounded by a howl
ng mob. Th»» p**reentage of sober
■itizens was growing—sober citizens no
onger. For the little king had not
been .shown to them. Obviously ha
could not be shown to them. There
re rumor was right, aDd the boy was
ne.
Against the palace, therefore, their
rage was turned. The shouts for tits
little king turned to threats. Tiie
rchbishop had come out on tiie bal
\v accompanied by Father Gregory,
archbishop ha»l raised his hands,
d not obtained sib»uce. Instead,
vrror and dismay, a few' stones
He \hrown.
Fa (Vor
the evo
raised tu be\,'
his chest. Sh
hud
ft, breathing hard. Bui
, ' w 'Ny ha.
1 remained, facing
his arms not
ftn. but folded across
great voice, s„, rn a ' frowd j I(s
them. .... ' h .,
.......'*. h ""**
bur he did not "' ,, T
"attled about him,
gained the \ a rs *, ,
■ * ** and at last h*
"My friends," hp s.i^ .
to be done, and you \ )SC
cannot show you the " or
Is not here. While you «tan.
W«
h«t
shrieking, his enemies hav* the!-,
of him. The little king has bo>n s&
from the palace."
He might have swayed them, oven
then. He tried to mtjve them U a
search of the city. But a pallid mai.
sweating with excitement, climbed on
the shoulders of two companions, and
faced the crowd.
"Aye, he is stolen," he cried. "Bol
who stole him? Not the city. We are
no
to
: loyal. Ask the palace where he In
; Ask those who have allied themselve*
at with Karnia. Ask Mettlich."
the ! There was more, of course. TS«
cries of "To the palace!" Increased,
j Those behind pushed forward, ehov
ing the ones ahead toward the arch
j way, where u line of soldiers with fixed
j bayonets stood waiting.
j The archduchess and Hilda with a
his handful of women, had flpd to the roof,
! a nd from there saw the advance of the
mob. Hedwig had haughtily refused
nor to go.
j th*» hospital, Haeckel, the stu
j ( . n t stood by his window, and little
He j l)y nttle the veil lifted. His slow
i,!,,,,,* stirred first. The beating ol
drums, the shrieks of the crowd, the
fi r( . Sj „p played their part. Another
patient joined him, and together they
looked out.
(TO BK CONTINUED!
Ids
the
was
!"
Warship Repairs.
Over and above the great activity
of the British yards in building new
warships, particularly destroyers, and
Ihe construction of merchant ships, an
enormous amount of time and labor
| ^ns to he devoted to repairs. In a re
j oen t speech Sir Eric Geddes said:
; "During one month the number of war
vessels which needed repairs was
de- . nearly 1,000—that is, In addition to th«
j 1,100 merchant ships—and that was by
his I no means an abnormal month. Sines
was
tiie beginning of the war 31.000 war
vessels. Including patrol craft and
mine sweepers, have been docked or
plnced on the ways, and these figure*
do not Include repair work done to the
vessels of our allies."
Add to this the arming of the vast
fleet of British merchant vessels, and
we have some conception of the enor
mous task of shipbuilding, equipping
and repairing carried on by the Brltlah
admiralty.
old
hut
and
of
de
the
sol
the
and
the
the
and
-.unnerve tue fodder hu
vested during th# —inj ****
Silos in New 8outh Wale«.
Recently the New South Wales gov
ernment department of agriculture an*
nounced that funds would be provided
for assisting farmers In the «rectloa
of silos and numerous inquiries have
been received, especially from dairy
farmers. Many of the applicants hava
signified their willingness to pay
much larger deposits than was antlel
rated, owing to the abundance of
rainfall In many districts stlo# will
greatly benefit dairy farmers by
blina them to conserve the fodder I