The weekly exponent., April 04, 1918, Image 6

About The weekly exponent. (Peapack and Gladstone, N.J.) 1900-1926

Image provided by: Rutgers University Libraries

                
LONG LIVE THE KING
Copyright, 1917, by the Rldgway Company
AT T. RIGHTS RESERVED
Copyright; 1917, by Mary Roberta Rinehart
By Mary
Roberts Rinehart
I
CHAPTER I.
t -1
f Th* Crown Prineo Run* Away.
' The Crown Prince sat In the royal
box and swung his legs. This was
hardly princely, but the royal legs did
hot quite reach the floor from the high
'crimson-velvet seat of his chair.
Prince Ferdinand William Otto was
, bored. His royal robes, consisting of
*a pair of bine serge trousers, a short
Eton jacket, and a stiff, rolling collar
of white linen, Irked him.
He had been brought to the opera
house under a misapprehension. His
aunt, the Archduchess Annunciate, had
strongly advocated "The Flying Dutch
man,” and his English governess, Miss
Bralthwalte, had read him some In
spiring literature about It. So here he
was, and the Flying Dutchman was not
ghostly at all, nor did It fly. And In
stead of flying, after dreary eons of
singing, it was moved off on creaky
rollers by men whose shadows were
thrown grotesquely on the sea back
ing.
The orchestra, assisted by a bass
Bolo and Intermittent thunder In the
wings, was making a deafening din.
One of the shadows on the sea back
ing took out Its handkerchief and
wiped Its nose.
Prince Ferdinand William Otto look
ed across at the other royal box, and
caught his Cousin Hedwig’s eye. She
also had seen the handkerchief; she
took out her own scrap of linen, and
mimicked the shadow. Then, Her
Royal Highness the-Archduchess An
nundata being occupied with the
storm, she winked across at Prince
Ferdinand William Otto.
In the opposite box were his two
cousins, the Princesses Hedwlg and
Hilda, attended by Hedwlg’s lady In
waiting. Hedwlg was eighteen. The
crown prince liked Hedwlg better than
Hilda. Although she had been Intro
duced formally to the court at the
Chrlstmas-eve ball, and had been duly
presented by her grandfather, the
king, with the usual string of pearls
and her own carriage, she still ran off
now and then to have tea with the
primce and Miss Bralthwaite. In
we school room at the palace; and she
could eat a great deal of bread and bnt
ter.
The crown prince yawned, although
It was but the middle of the after
noon. Catching Hedwlg’s eye, he ran
his fingers up through his thick yel
low hair and grinned. Hedwlg blushed.
She had confided to him once, while
they were walking In the garden at
the summer palace, that she was
thinking of being In love with a young
, lieutenant who was attached to the
king’s suite. The prince—who was
called Otto, for short, by the family,
because he actually hod eleven names
—the prince had been much Interested.
For some time afterward ne had both
ered Miss Bralthwaite to define being
In love, but he had had no really satis
factory answer.
In pursuance of his quest for In
formation, he had grown quite friendly
with the young officer, whose name
was Larisch, and had finally asked to
have him ride with him at the royal
riding school. The grim old king had
granted the request, but It had been
quite fruitless so far after all. Lieu
tenant Larisch only grew quite red as
to the ears when love was mentioned,
although he appeared not unwilling to
henr TTpdwl tr’s name.
So now Ferdinand William Otto ran
his fingers through his fair hair, which
was a favorite gesture of the lieuten
ant’s, and Hedwlg blushed. The arch
duchess, sitting well back, was nod
ding. Just outside the royal box, on
the red velvet sofa. General Mettllch,
who was the chancellor, and had come
because he had been Invited and stayed
outside. because he said he liked to
hear music, not see It, was sound
asleep. Bis martial bosom, with Its
gold braid, was rising and falling
peacefully. Beside him lay the prince’s
crown, a small black derby hat.
Prince Ferdinand William Otto con
sidered It all very wearisome. If one
could only wander around the corridor
or buy a sandwich from the stand at
the foot of the great staircase—or, bet
*,er still, If one could only get to the
Street, alone, and purchase one of the
fig women that Miss Bralthwaite so
despised! The crown prince felt In
his pocket, where his week’s allow
ance of pocket money lay comfortably
untouched
He meditated. He could go out
quickly, and be back before they knew
•It. Even if he only wandered about
the corridor, it would stretch his short
legs. And outside it was a fine day.'
It looked already like spring,
i; . With the trepidation of a canary
who finds his cage door open, and,
hopping to the threshold, surveys the
world before venturing to explore it,
Frince Ferdinand William Otto rose
to his feet, tiptoed past the- Arch
duchess Annunclata, who did not move,
and looked around him from the door
way. ,
He picked up his hat and concealed
H. by bis side. Then nonchalantly, as
if to stretch his legs by walking ten
feet up the corridor and back, he
:passed the dressing room door. An
other moment, ana he was out of sight
’ around a bend of the passageway, and
before him lay liberty.
Not quite! At the top of the pri
vate staircase reserved for the royal
family a guard commonly stood. He
had moved a few feet from his post,
however, and was watching the stage
through the half-open door of a private
loge.
Prince Ferdinand William Otto
passed behind him with outward calm
ness. At the top of the public stair
case, however, he hesitated. Here,
everywhere, were brass-buttoned offi
cials of the opera house. A garderobe
woman stared at him curiously. The
little prince looked at the woman with
appeal In his eyes. Then, with his
heart thumping, he ran past her, down
the white marble staircase, to where
the great doors promised liberty.
Olga, the wardrobe woman, came
out from behind her counter and stood
looking down the marble staircase
after the small flying figure.
The old soldier who rented opera
glasses at the second landing, and who
had left a leg In Bosnia, leaned over
the railing. “Look at thatl” he ex
claimed. “He will break a leg, the
young rascal I Once I could have—
but there, he Is safe 1 The good God
watches over fools and children.”
“It looked like the little prince," said
the wardrobe woman. “I have seen
him often—he has the same bright
hair.”
But the opera-glass man was not
listening. He had drawn a long. saus
age from one pocket and a roll" from
the other, and now, retiring to a far
window, he stood placidly eating—a
bite of sausage, a bite of bread. His
mind was In Bosnia, with his leg. And
because old Adelbert’s mind was In
Bosnia, and because one hears with
the mind, and not with the ear, he did
not hear the sharp question of the
sentry who ran down the stairs and
paused for a second at the cloak-room.
Well for Olga, too, that old Adelbert
did not hear her reply.
"He has not passed here,” she said,
with wide and honest eyes, but with
an ear townrd old Adelbert. “An old
gentleman came a moment ago and
got a sandwich, which he had left In
his overcoat. Perhaps this Is whom
you are seeking?”
The sentry cursed, and ran down the
staircase, the nails In his shoes strik
ing sharply on the marble.
Olga of the cloak room leaned over
her checks, with her lips curved up
In a smile. “The little one 1” she
thought. “And such courage! He will
make a great king 1 Let him have his
prank like the other children, and—
God bless him and keep him 1”
The crown prince was Just a trifle
dazzled by the brilliance of his suc
cess. He paused for one breathless
moment under the porte-cochere of the
opera house; then he took a long
breath, turned to the left; and was at
once swallowed up in the street crowd.
It seemed very strange to him. Not
that he was unaccustomed to crowds.
Had he not, that very Christmas, gone
shopping In the city, accompanied only
by one of his tutors and Miss Bralth
walte, and bought for his grandfather,
the king, a burnt wood box, which
might hold either neckties or gloves,
and for his cousins silver photograph
frames?
But this was aitrerent, ana Tor a
rather peculiar reason. Prince Ferdin
and William Otto had never seen the
back of a crowd! The public was al
ways lined up, facing him, smiling and
bowing and God-blessing him. Prince
Ferdinand William Otto had never
known the backs could be so rigid. It
was most Interesting.
The next tour was full of remark
able things. For one, he dodged be
hind a street car and was almost run
over by a taxicab. The policeman on
the corner’ came out, and 'taking Fer
dinand William Otto by the shoulder,
gave him a talking to and a shaking.
Ferdinand William Otto was furious,
but policy kept him silent; which
proves conclusively that the crown
prince had not only Initiative—witness
his flight—but self-control and di
plomacy. Lucky country, to have in
prospect such a king!
Prince Ferdinand William Otto had
the fulfillment of a great desire In his
small, active mind. This was nothing
less than a ride on the American
scenic railroad, which had secured a
concession In a far corner of the park.
Hedwlg’s lieutenant had described it
to him—how one was taken in a small
car to a dizzy height, and then turned
loose on a track which dropped giddily
and rose again, which hurled one
through sheet-iron tunnels of incredible
blackness, thrust one out over a gorge,
whirled one In mad curves around cor
ners of precipitous heights, and finally
landed one, panting, breathless, shock
ed, and reeling, but safe, at the very
platform where one had purchased
one’s ticket three eternities, which
were only minutes, before.
As the early spring twilight fell, the
gas lamps along the allee, always burn
ing, made a twin row of pale stars
ahead. At the end, even as the wan
derer gazed, he saw myriads of tiny
red, white, and blue lights, rising high
in the air, outlining the crags and
peaks of the sheet Iron mountain
which was his destination. The land
of desife was very near!
There came to his ears, too, the oc
caslonal nimble that told of some pal
pitating sonl being at that moment
hnried and twisted and Joyously
thrilled, as per the lieutenant’s descrip
tion.
Now It Is a strange thing, hut true,
that one does not reach the land of
desire alone; because the half of
pleasure Is the sharing of It with some
one else, and the land of desire, alone,
Is not the land of desire at all.. Quite
suddenly, Prince Ferdinand William
Otto discovered that he was lonely. At
that moment there was a soft whirring
off to one side of him, and a yellow
bird, rising and falling erratically on
the breeze, careened suddenly and fell
at his feet
Prince Ferdinand William Otto bent
down and picked It up. It was a small
toy aeroplane, with yellow silk planes,
r
“GeeI Did You See It Go That Time?"
gay ropes of waxed thread, and a
wooden rudder, its motive power
vested in a tightly twisted rubber. One
of the wings was bent. Ferdinand
William Otto straightened it, and
looked around for the owner.
A small boy was standing under the
next gas lamp. “Gee I” he said in
English. “Did you see it go that
time?”
Prince Ferdinand William Otto eyed
the stranger. He was about his own
age, and was dressed in a short pair
of corduroy trousers, much bloomed at
the knee, a pair of yellow Russia
leather shoes that reached well to his
calves, and, over all, a shaggy white
sweater, rolling almost to his chin. On
the very back of his head be had the
smallest cap that Prince Ferdinand
William Otto had ever seen.
“This is the best time for flying,”
he said, in his perfect English. “All
the exhibition flights are at sundown."
The boy walked slowly over and
stood looking down at him. “You ought
to see it fly from the top of Pike’s
Peak!” he remarked. He had canght
sight of the despised derby, and his
eyes widened, but with instinctive
good breeding he Ignored It. “That’s
Pike’s Peak up there.”
He indicated the very top of the land
of desire. The prince stared up.
“How does one get up?” he queried.
“Ladders. My father’s the manager.
He lets me up sometimes.”
Prince Ferdinand William Otto
stared with new awe at the boy. He
found the fact much more remarkable
than if the stranger had stated that
bis father was the king of England.
Kings were, as you. may say, directly
in Prince Ferdinand William Otto’s
line, but scenic railroads—
“I had thought of taking a journey
on It,” he said, after a second’s re
flection. “Do you think your father
will sell me a ticket?"
“Billy Grimm will. Til go with
you.”
The prince rose with alacrity. Then
he stopped. He must, of course, ask
the strange boy to be his gnasL_JBut
two tickets!
was not sufficient.
“I must see first
he said with dignity.
The other boy laughed.
You come with me. It woi
thing,” he said, and
toward the towering lights.
For Bobby Thorpe to bring a
boy to ride with him was an
affair. Billy Grimm, at the ticket
dow, hardly glanced at the boy
stood, trembling with
the shadow of the booth.
The car came, and they
Perhaps, as they moved off,
Ferdinand William Otto had
occasioned by the
English child who had
timely end; but ff he did,
hid It.
"Put your lid on the floor of
said Bobby Thorpe, depositing
atom there. “Father says. If
that, you’re perfectly safe.”
Prince Ferdinand William Otto
vlned that this referred to his
and drew a small breath of relief. And i
then they were off, np an endless, click
ing roadway, where at the top the car
hung for a breathless second over the
gulf below; then, fairly launched, out
on a trestle, with the city far beneath
them, and only the red, white, and blue
lights for company; and into a tunnel,
filled with roaring noises and swlft
movlng shadows. Then came the end
of all things—a flying leap down, a
heart-breaking, delirious thrill, an up
ward sweep Just as the strain was too
great for endurance.
Above the roaring of the wind in
their ears, neither child had heard the
flying feet of a dozen horses coming
down the allee. They never knew that
a hatless young lieutenant, white
lipped with fear, had checked his
horse to its haunches at the ticket
booth, and demanded to know who was
In the land of desire.
"Only the son of the manager, and
a boy friend of his,” replied Billy
Grimm, in what he called the lingo of
the country. “What’s wrong? Lost
anybody?”
But Hedwlg’s lieutenant had wheeled
his horse without a word, and, jump
ing him over the hedge of the allee,
was oft In a despairing search of the
outskirts of the park, followed by his
cavalrymen.
As the last horse leaped the hedge
and disappeared, the car came to a
stop at the platform. Quivering,
Prince Ferdinand William Otto reached
down for the despised hat.
“Would you like to go around
again?” asked Bobby, quite casually.
His highness gasped with Joy. “If
—If you would be so kind 1” he said.
And at the lordly wave of Bobby’s
hand, the car moved on.
CHAPTER II,
Disgraced.
At eight o’clock that evening the
Crown Prince Ferdinand William Otto
approached the palace through the
public square. He approached It
slowly, for two reasons. First, he did
not want to go back. Second, he was
rather frightened. He had an Idea
that they would be disagreeable.
There seemed to be a great deal go
ing on at the palace. Carriages were
rolling In under the stone archway
and, having discharged their contents,
mostly gentlemen In uniform, were
moving off with a thundering of hoofs
that reached from the vaulted roof of
the entrance. All the lights were on
In the wing where his grandfather,
the king, lived alone. As his grand
father hated lights, and went to bed
early, Prince Ferdinand William Otto
was slightly puzzled.
He was very dirty. His august face
was streaked with soot, and his au
gust hands likewise. His small derby
hat was carefully placed on the very
back of his head at the angle of the
American boy’s cap. As his collar had
scratched his neck, he had, at Bob
by’s suggestion, taken It off and
rolled It up. He decided, as he waited
In the square, to put it on agaftft.
Miss Brnlthwalte was very peculiar
about collars.
Came a lull in the line of carriages.
-Prince Ferdinand William Otto took
a long breath and started forward.
As he advanced he stuck his hands
In his pockets and swaggered a trifle.
It was, as nearly as possible, an ex
act Imitation of Bobby Thorpe's walk.
And to keep up hls courage, he quoted
that young gentleman's farewell
speech to himself: “What d’ you
care? They won’t eat you, will they?”
Prince Ferdinand William Otto stood
In the shadows and glanced across.
The sentries stood like wooden men,
but something was wrong In the court
yard Inside. The guards were all
standing, and there seemed to be a
great many of them. And Just as he
had made up hls mind to tako the
plunge, so to speak, a part of hls own
regiment of cavalry came out from the
court yard with a thundering of hoofs,
wheeled at the street, and clattereda
Very unusual, all of It.
The Crown Prince
felt In his pocket
and, moistening^
ngue.
lowed in bis wake. Messengers clat
tered down the staircase to the court
yard. Other messengers, breathless
and eager, flew to that lighted wing
where the council sat, and where the
old king, propped up in bed, waited
and fought terror.
His eyes, weary with many years of
ruling, of disappointments and bitter
ness, roved the room. They came to
rest at last on the photograph of a
young man, which stood on his bed
side table.
He was a very young man, In a uni
form. He was boyish, and smiling.
There was a dog beside him, and Its
head was on his knee. Wherever one
stood In the room, the eyes of the
photograph gazed at one. The king
knew this, and because he was quite
old, and because there were few peo
ple to whom a king dares to speak his
inmost thoughts, he frequently spoke
to the photograph. The older he
grew, the more he felt, sometimes, as
though It knew what he said.
“If they’ve got him,” he said now
to the picture, “It Is out of my hands,
and Into yours, my boy.”
Much of his life had been spent In
waiting, In waiting for a eon. In wait
ing for that eon to grow to be a man,
In waiting while that son In his turn
loved and married and begot a man
child, In waiting, when that son had
died a violent death, for the time when
his tired hands could relinquish the
scepter to his grandchild.
Quite suddenly the door opened.
The old man turned his head. Just
Inside stood a very dirty small boy.
The Crown Prince Ferdinand Wil
liam Otto was most terribly fright
ened. Everything was at sires and
sevens. Miss Bralthwalte had been
crying her head off, and on seeing him
had fallen In a faint. Not that he
thought It'was a real faint He had
unmistakably seen her eyelids quiver.
And when she came to she had or
dered him no supper, and four pages
of German translation, and to go to
bed at seven o’clock Instead of seven
thirty for a week. All the time cry
ing, too. And then she had sent him
to his grandfather, and taken aromatic
ammonia.
His grandfather said nothing, but
looked at him.
"Here—here I am, sir,” said the
crown prince from the door.
The king drew a long breath. But
the silence persisted. Prince Ferdi
nand William Otto furtively rubbed
a dusty shoe against the back of a
trousers leg.
“I’m afraid I’m not very neat, sir,”
said Prince Ferdinand William Otto,
and took a step forward. Until his
grandfather commanded him, be could
not advance Into the room.
“Come here,” said the king.
He went to the side of the bed.
“Where have you been?”
“I’m afraid—I ran away, sir.”
“Why?”
Prince Ferdinand William Otto con
sidered. It was rather an awful mo
ment “I don’t exactly know. I Just
thought I would."
You see, it was really extremely dif
ficult. To say that he was tired of
king, “that yon hare alarmed a great
many people.”
“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t think—”
“A prince’s duty Is to think. Where
did yon go?”
“To the park, sir. I—I thought I’d
like to see the park by myself. It’s
very hard to enjoy things with Miss
Bralthwalte, sir. She does not really
enjoy the things I like. Nlkky and
I—”
“By ‘Nlkky’ you mean Lieutenant
Larlsch?”
“Yes, sir.” |
"Go on.” -
“We like the same things, sir—the
PIke’s-Peak-or-Bust, and all that.”
The king raised himself on his el
bow. “What was that?” he demanded.
Prince Ferdinand William Otto
blushed, and explained. It was Bob
by’s name for the peak at the top of
the scenic railway. He had been bn
the railway. He had been—his en
thusiasm carried him away. His
cheeks flushed. He eat forward on the
edge of his chair, and gesticulated.
“I was awfully happy, sir,” he ended.
“It feels like flying, only safer. And
the lights are pretty. It’s like fairy
land. There were two or three times
when It seemed as If we’d turn over,
or leap the track. But we didn’t.”
The king lay back and thought. More
than anything In the world he loved
this boy. But the occasion demanded
a strong hand. “You were happy,” he
said. “You were disobedient, you
were causing grave anxiety and dis
tress—and you were happy 1 The first
duty of a prince Is to his country. His
first lesson Is to obey laws. He must
always obey certain laws. A king Is
but the servant of his people. Some
day you will be the king. You are be
ing trained for that high office now.
And yet you would set the example
of Insubordination, disobedience, and
reckless disregard of the feelings of
others.”
"Yes, sir," said Prince Feramana.
William Otto, feeling very small and
ashamed.
“Not only that Yon slipped away.
Yon did not go openly. You sneaked
off, like a thief. Are yon proud of
It?”
“No, sir."
“I shall,” said the king, “require no
promise from you. Promises are poor
things to hold to. I leave this matter
In your own hands, Otto. You will be
punished by Miss Bralthwalte, and for
the next ten days you will not visit
me. You may go how.”
Otto got off his chair. He was feel
ing exceedingly crushed. "Good night,
sir,” he said. And waited for his
grandfather to extend his hand. But
the old king lay looking straight ahead,
with his mouth set In grim lines, and
his hands folded over his breast.
At the door the crown prince burned
and bowed. His grandfather’s eyes
were fixed on the two gold eagles over
the door, but the photograph on the
table appeared to be smiling at him.
Until late that night General Mett
Uch and the king talked together. The
king had been lifted from his bed and
sat propped In a great chair. Above
his shabby dressing gown his face
showed gaunt and old. In a straight
chair facing him sat his eld friend and
chancellor.
“What It has shown is not entirely
bad,” said the king, after a pause.
“The boy has Initiative. And he made
no attempt at evasion. He Is essential*
ly truthful.”
“What It has also shown, sire, is
that no protection is enough. When
I, who love the lad, and would—when
I could sleep, and let him get away,
as I did—”
“The truth Is,” said the king, “we
are both of us getting old.” He tapped
with his gnarled fingers on the blanket
that lay over his knees. “The truth