The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-03-21

renovation of Lady Craigennoch's town
house. Its other effects, if any, were
more obscure.
BY accident of birth and of political
events, Prince Julian was Il pretender,
one of several gentlemen who occupied
that position in regard to the throne of
an important European country. By a
necessity of their natures, Messrs Shum
4 Byers were tnanciers; thanks to a
fall in rents and taste for speculation.
Lady Craigennoch was hard put to it for
money, and had become a good friend
and ally of Mr.. Shum; sometimes he
allowed her to put a finger to one OF his
pies and draw out little plum for her
self Byers. hearing one day of his
partners acquaintance with Lady
Cragennoch. Observed: 'She might in
troduce us to Prince Julian" Shum
asked no question. but obeyed; that was
the way to he comfortable and to
grow rich if you were Mr.. Byers part
ner The introduction was duly effect
ed: the Prince wondered vaguely, al
most ruefuly, what these men expected
to get out Of him. Byers asked himself
quite as dolefully whether anything
could be made out of an indolent, arts
I1Xy young ~usdii lihe the L llntC, plS
tenders such sss he. served only to but
tress existing governments.
''Yes" agreed Shum. Besides, he's
entangled with that woman
us there woman:' asked Byers. Il
should like to know her
SO, on his second visit to Palace Gate.
Mr.. Byers was introduced to the lady
who was an inmate in Prince Julllan's
house, but was not received i'll society.
Lady Craigennoch, however, opining,
Justly enough, that since she had no
girls she might know whom she pleased,
had called on the lady and was on
friendly terms with her. The lady was
named Mrs Rivers, and was understood
to be a widow And surely one needn't
ask for his death certificate" pleaded
Lady Craigennoch. Byers, as he took
tea in Mrs. Rivers boudoir, was quite of
the same mind. He nursed his square
chin in his lean hand, and regarded his
hostess with marked attention. She
was handsome-that fact concerned
Byers very little; she was also magniti-
Gently lf-confident-this trait reused
his interest a moment. He came to
see her more than once again; for now
an idea had begun to shape itself IL his
brain. He mentioned it to nobody, least
of all to Mrs Rivers. But one day she
said to him, with the careless contempt
that he admired:
''If had all your money l should do
something with it."
''Dont ~ he asked, haf-liking, half
resenting her manner.
80, you make more money with it,
suppose"
She paused for moment, and then,
leaning forward, began to discuss Eu-
ropean politics, with especial reference
to the condition Of affairs in Prince
Julian's country. Byers listened in 81
lence; she told him much that he knew.
She told him also one thing which he
did not believe-that Prince Julian's in.
dolent airs covered character of rare
resolution and tenacity. She repeated
this twice, thereby betraying that she
was not sure her first statement had
carried conviction. Then she showed
that the existing government In the
princes country was weak, divided, un-
popular and poor; and then she ran over
the list of rival pretenders, and proved
how deficient all of them were in the
qualities necessary to gain or keep.
throne. At this point she stopped, and
asked Mr.. Byers to take a second cup OF
tea. He looked at her with interest and
amusement in his shrewd eyes; she had
all the genius, the native power, with
none of the training, none of the knowl-
edge of men. He read her so readily; but
there was a good deal to read. In one
point. however, he read her wrongly;
almost the only mistakes he made were
due to forgetting the possible existence
Of urselfish emotion.
Prince Julian had plenty Of magma
ton; without any difficulty he imag-
ined himself regaining his ancestral
throne, sitting on it in majesty, and es-
tablishing it in power. This vision Mrs.
Rivers caleb up before his receptive
mind by detailing her conversation with
Mr.. Byers. "You want nothing but
money to do it." she said. And Byers
had money in great heaps; Shum had it,,
too. and Shum was for present purposes
Beers: so were a number of other per-
sons. all with money. II believe the
people are devoted to me in their
hearts," said Prince Julian; then he
caught Mrs. Rivers by both her hands
and cited, "And then you shall be my
queen"
"Indeed l WON'T" said she; and she
added almost fercely, "Why do you
bring that up again now? 1t would
spoil it ALL" For, contrary to what the
world thought Prince Julian had offered
several times to marry the lady who
was not received nor visited Except, Of
course, by Lady Craigennoch.) Stranger
still, this marriage was the thing which
the prince desired above all things, for
failing il he feared that some day
lowing to conscience and other con-
siderations) Mrs. Rivers would leave
him, and he really did not know what
he should do then. When he imagined
himself on his ancestral throne, Mrs.
Rivers was always very near at hand,
whether actually on the throne beside
him or just behind it was point he
was prone to shirk; at any cost, though,
she must be very near.
As time went on there were many
meetings at Palace Gate; the Prince, Mr..
Shum and Lady Craigennoch were pres