The San Francisco call., 1901-11-24

$So,ooo,oo0 in your money. In fifteen years
this money was to be paid, with interest.
On the 10Th of November, this year, the
people of Graustark must pay 25, 900 600
gavvos. The time is at hand, and that Is
why we recall the war so vividly. 1t
means the bankruptcy of the nation, gen.
tlemen."
Neither of his listeners spoke for some
moments. Then Lorry broke the silence.
You mean that the money cannot be
raised?" he asked.
1T is not in our treasury. Our people
have been taxed so sorely in rebuilding
their homes and in recuperating from the
effect of that dreadful invasion that. they
have been unable to pay the levies You
must remember that we are a small ma
ton and resourceless, gentlemen. Your
nation could secure $50 900 900 in one hour
for the mere asking. To us it is like
death blow I am not betraying state
secret in telling you of the sore straits
in which we are placed, for every man
in the nation has been made cognizaht
of the true conditions. We are all fac
ing it together
There was something so quietly heroic.
in his manner that both men felt pity.
Anguish, looking at the military figure,
asked:
You fought through the war, your Ex-
cellency?"
'I resigned as Minister. sir, to go to
the front. was in the first battle and
was in the last" he said, simply.
'And the Princess-the present ruler,
mean-was a mere child at that time.
When did she succeed to the throne?"
asked Lorry.
"Oh, the great world does not re-
member our little historyi Within a
year after the death of Prince Gan
look, his wife, my sister, passed away,
dying of broken heart. Her daughter,
their only child, was, according to our
custom crowned at once. She has
reigned for fourteen years, and wisely
since assuming full power. For three
years she has been ruler de facto. She
has been frugal, and has done all in her
power to meet the shadow that is de-
scending.
'.And what is the alternative in case
the indemnity is not paid?' asked Lorry,
breathlessly, for he saw something
bright in the approaching calamity.
''The cesson of all that part of Grau-
stark lying north of Edelweiss, including
fourteen towns, all of our mines and our
most productive farming and grazing
lands. In that event Graustark will be
no larger than one of the good-sized
farms in your western country. There
will be nothing left for the Princess
Yetive to rule save tract so small that
the WOrQ pTlnClpdlly Will D0 d IrdVSSly
and lest. TINS city and twenty-five
miles to the south, strip about one hun
dred end fifty miles long. Think of 1t!
Twenty-Five by one hundred and fifty
miles, and yet called a principality Once
the proudest and most prosperous state in
the east, considering its size reduced to
that! Ach, gentlemen-gentlemen! 1 can
not think of it without tearing out a
heart string and suffering such pains as
mortal man has never endured. 1 lived
in Graustark's days of wealth, power and
supremacy; God has condemned me to
live in the days of her dependency, weak
ness and poverty. Let us talk no more
of this unpleasant subject"
His hearers pitied the frank, proud old
man from the bottoms of their hearts
He had told them the story with the can
dor and simplicity of child admitting
weakness and dependency. Still he sat
erect and defiant, his face white and