Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1899-06-01

him or just behind it was a point he
was prone to shirk. Atany cost, though
she must be very near
AS time went on there We're many
meetings at Palace Gate The prince,
Mr.. Shum and Lady Craigenoch were
present sometimes. Mrs, Rivers and
Byers We're never wanting The prince s
imagination Was immensely stimulated
in those days. Lady's Craigenoch's love
for speculation was splendidly indnlg-
ed. Mr.. Shnm S cautious disposition re-
ceived terrible shocks Mrs. Rivers dis
cussed European politics, the attitude
of the church and the secret quarrels of
the cabinet in Prince Julian's country,
and Byers silently gathered together
all the money of his own and other peo-
pies on which he could lay. hands. He
was meditating great coup, and just
now and then he felt queer touch Of
remorse when he reflected that his coup
was SO very different from the coup to
which Mrs. Rivers disquisitions and
the princes vivid Imagination invited
him. But he believed in the survival of
the fittest, and, although Mrs. Rivers
was very tit, he himself was just by a
little bit filter still. Meanwhile the
government in the princes country
faced its many difficulties with much
boldness and seemed on the whole safe
enough
The birth and attributes of rumor
have often engaged the attention of
poets Who can doubt that their rhet-
oric would have been embellished
and their metaphors multiplied had
they possessed more intimate acquaint-
ance with the places where money is
bought and sold? For in respect Of
awakening widespread interest and af-
fecting the happiness of homes what is
the character of any lady, however
highborn. conspicuous or beautiful,
compared with the character of stock
Here indeed is field for calumny, for
innuendo, for hints of frailty, for whis-
pers of intrigue, for scandal mongers
have their turn to serve, and the hold
ers are swift to distrust When some
body writes Sheridan's comedy anew,
let him lay the scene of it in bourse.
Between his slandered stock and his
elandered dame he may work out very
pretty and fanciful parallel.
Here. however. the facts can be set
down only plainly and prosaically. On
all the exchanges there arose feeling
of uneasiness respecting the stock Of
the government of Prince Julian s coun-
try Selling was going on, not in large
blocks but cautiously, continually, in
unending driblets. Surely on system
and with purpose? Then came para
graphs in the papers Qike whispers be-
hind fans) discussing the state of the
government and the country much il
the vein which had marked Mrs. Riv-
ers dissertations. By now the stock
was down three points. By pure luck it
fell another. in mysterious sympathy
with the South African mining market.
Next there was riot in provincial
town in the princes country, then a
minister resigned and made damag-
ing statement in the chamber. Upon
this 1T seemed no more than natural
that attention should be turned to
Prince Julian, his habits, his entour-
age, his visitors. And now there were
visitors Mobiles and gentlemen crossed
the channel to see him. They came
stealthily yet not so secretly but that
there was a paragraph. These great
folk had heard the rumors and hope
had revived in their breasts They
talked to Mrs. Rivers. Mrs. Rivers had
talked previously to Mr.. Byers.
A day later weekly paper which
IL,
information announced that great ac-
tivity reigned among Prince Julian S
party and that his royal highness was
considering the desirability of issuing
manifesto Certain Interior steps, +"
the writer continued, ''are in contem-
plation. but of these it would be prema-
ture to speak. There was not very
much in all this but it made the friends
of the stock rather uncomfortable, and
they We're no more happy when lead
ing article in leading paper demon
strated beyond possibility of cavil that
Prince Julian had fair chance of sue
cess. but that, if he regained the throne,
he could look to hold it only by seeking
glory in an aggressive attitude toward
his neighbors On the appearance of
this luminous forecast the poor stock
fell two points more. There had been
sauve qui peut of the timid holders.
Then actually came the manifesto,
and it was admitted on all hands to be
such an excellent manifesto as to
amount to an event of Importance
Whoever had drawn it up-and this
question was never settled-he knew
how to lay his fingers on all the weak
spots Of the existing government. how
to touch on the glories of Prince Ju-
lian's house, what tone to adopt on
vexed questions, how to rouse the en-
thusiasm of all the disconnected. "Given
that the princes party possess the nee
essary resources observed the same
leading journal, sit cannot be denied
that the situation has assumed an as
pect of gravity" And the poor stock fell
yet little more, upon which Mr. Shum,
who had liking for taking profit
when he saw it, ventured to ask his
partner how long he meant "to keep it
up.
"We'll talk about that tomorrow,