The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-02-22
CONTINUED from last weeko
CHAPTER VI.

in London there happened rev events
worth chronicling. Shortly after my
arrival Hillars disappeared. His two
months vacation stretched into II. and
/ was directed to remain in London.
AS | knew that Hillars did not wish TO
be found. | made no inquiries. He
was somewhere on the continent, but
where no one knew. AT one time
a letter. dated at st. Peters
burg. reached me, and at another time
| was informed of his presence at
Monte Carlo. In neither letter was
there any mention of her serene high
ness the Princess Hildegarde of Ho-
henphalia. Since the night he recount
ed the adventure the hayward prin-
cess had never become the topic OF
conversation. | grew hopeful enough
to believe that he had forgotten her.
Occasionally l received a long letter
from Phyllis. l always promptly an
swered it. To any one but me her let
ters would have proved interesting
reading 1t was not for what she
wrote that 1 cared, it was the mere
fact that she wrote. A man cannot
find much pleasure In letters which
begin with Dear friend" and end
with yours sincerely when they
come from the woman he loves.
In the preceding autumn l completed
my first novel. l carried it around to
publishers till l grew to hate it as one
hates a Nemesis, and when finally
did place it it was with a publisher
who had just started in business and
was necessarily obscure. | bowed po-
litely to my dreams of literary fame
and became wholly absorbed in my
journalistic work. When the book came
out, could not but admire the excel
lence of the bookmaking, but as look
ed through the reviews and found no
mention save in books received
threw the book aside and vowed that
it should be my last. The publisher
wrote me that he was surprised that
the book had not caught on. as he con-
sidered the story unusually clever.
merit is one thing" he said, 'but luck
is another" | have found this to be
true not only in literature, but in all
walks Of life where fame and money
are the goals Phyllis wrote me that
she thought the book lust splendid"
but / took her praise with a grain of
salt, ii being likely that she was par
tial to the author and that the real
worth of the book was little in COM
parison with the fact that it was l who
wrote it.
One morning in early June / found
three letters on my desk. The first
was from Hillars. He was in Vienna:
My Dear Son-There is another rumpus The
princess disappeared the Goth of last month.
They hunting high and low for her and Incl
dentally for me. Why me is more than ! can un-
derstand, but received letter from Rockwell
OF the American legation warning that IL /
remained in Austria should be appreherled, put
In jail, hanged and quartered for other reason
earth than that they suspect my having some
thing to do with her disappearance-due, l sup
pose, to that other miserable affair. Though /
have hunted all over the continent, / have never
seen the Princess Hildegarde since that night at
Il. Where shall find her? l haven't the least
idea, but a last throw | going to the prin-
cipality of Hohenphalia, where she was born and
over which she rules with infinite wisdom. The
king is determined that she shall wed Prince
Ernst. He would take away her principaiity but
for the fact that there would be a wholesale dis
turbance to follow any such act. If | ever meet
that watchdog of hers, the Count Won Walden,
the dufer who gave me my congo there will be
trouble. The world isn't large enough for two
such men BY the way, | played rou-
lette at the Casino last night and 5000
francs. Well, au revoir, or adeu, the case may
be- They sell the worst whisky here you ever
heard Of It's terrible to have educated palate.
HILLABs.
So he was still desiring for some
thing he could never have! / got out
of patience with the fellow. Even if
she loved him, what chance had he
against the legions of the king? Hill
lars was a wild headed fellow, and if
at liberty was not incapable Of Great
ing a disturbance. 1t might land him
in Jail or on the gallows. Still Hillars,
with all his love of adventure, was
not ordinarily reckless. Yet, if he met
the princess, she would find a willing
tool in him for her slightest caprice
Whatever happened the brunt would
fall upon him. My opinion, formed
from various stories l had heard of
the princess was not very fiattering
to her. The letter and 1T, possibilities
disturbed me.
The second letter was from head
quarters in New York:
Dear 7throp--We want a good Sunday spe-
cial. Her serene hghness the Princess Hildegarde
Of Hohenphalia has taken 1t into her head to dis
appear again. Go over and see Rockwell IN b.
He will give you good yarn. II has never been
in type yet, and l dare say that il will make
good reading. London seems particularly dull
just now, and you can easily turn over your af
fairs 10 the assistant. This woman's life is more
full of romance than that Of any other woman Of
the courts Of Europe. The most interesting part
of 1t is her reputation is said to be like that Of
Casar's wife, above reproach. Get a full history
of her life and OF the prince whom she is TO mar
ry. If you get any photographs. do So I
know how you dislike this sort OF work. prying
into private affairs, as you call IL. but with all
these sensational sheets springing up around uf
we must keep ~ line now and then. DO you
luow anythsfg about Hillars7 Is he dead OF
alive2 Take all the time you want for the story
and send II by mail.
"The Princess Hildegardev' / cried
aloud. 1.-THE deuce take the woman
whats that?" asked my assistant,
who had overheard my outburst.
ooh. am to go across on a special
story" / said, with a snarl, Just as l