Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-19

ported.
Loisl had gone to his new post on the
other side of the mountains as ordered by
us before the king arrived. But he had
remained there only three days. after which
he had disappeared. Through another
huntsman he sent word to the forester that
they could not force him back unless they
sent gendarmes, and that the first VINO iaio
a hand on him was a dead man. And the
second and third
The count asked why he acted so madly.
Tony replied. Through jealousy. no doubt
He is jealous lest somebody climb up to the
White Emperor Alp where his sweetheart
is"
But nobody goes up there"
Somebody might go; and Loisl will let
none approach her, none, not even our
master. the king"
The count rebuked him sternly, but Tony
only shrugged his shoulders and said:
'Loisl trusts none of YOU He knows
what happened to his own mother, ana
why did they send him away just as the
king arrived? That has made him Wild
The count had scarcely reported this TO
me, when q messenger arrived from MISS
Fritz. He brought letter for Gebhardt,
in which Miss Fritz warned him that Loisl
had been seen with his mother. For me
there was a basket of raspberries with a
card. which was written in childs
hand. The last raspberries.''
The last" 1t sounded in my brain and
soul as if every summer had passed as if
spring never would blossom again, birds
sing. flowers unfold or young creatures
love. kiss and be happy.
Gently | Stroked her writing and whiS-
pered. "Judica! Dear little Judica!'
Then l sat down and tried to write to
her, tore up the paper, began again and
failed. l arose, stood at the window and
looked into the night.
Up there my father had hung over the
abyss, invulnerable to death because he
willed to live in order to wear the crown.
Was the mountain weight that fell upon
his brow with that crown worth the fight
through those long, terrible hours of storm
Would ii not have been better for him If
he had not possessed the talisman of that
holy gold hanging over his head; if he had
opened his arms and permitted the waiting
abyss to receive him? Is it fortune for
US to be stronger than death?
Since II would be no fortune for the land
to have ruler in me, l would did I cling
some night to n rock. open my hands voun-
tarily. Yes. l would be weaker than
death. and for that | would receive a royal
reward grave under Gods free shining
sky.
i still stood at the window, staring into
the night. when I was ordered to attend
the king. Midnight had passed
In the middle of the night my father had
was called Regency of the Crown Prince"
and that was-the abdication of the king
We all knew it; the king, too.
l found him in his cabinet. With him
were the minister of state and the privy
councillor. Both were pale. but very calm;
unnaturally calm was my father.
The king said to me: There is a little
formality in which you are to be witness.
In your presence propose to sign a docu-
ment that my minister of state has been
@ as To Ia haf
And he pointed with an indescribable
gesture at the minister, who could do moth
ing better than to bow humbly The old
gentleman held the document in trem-
bling hand.
My father strobe toward his desk-inch
for inch king.
The minister requested his majesty's per-
mission to read the paper. His voice trem-
bled like his hand.
Must that be?"
IF your majesty will have the great
goodness"
My father sat down and beckoned me to
sit near him. After the reading was con-
cluded everything was so still for mo-
ment that l feared the beating of my heart
could be heard. What would happen now?
Something was sure to happen, something
terrible.
Lay the document here"
The king seized the pen, hesitated and
signed.
He had abdicated.
How the terrible happened I cannot re-
call | saw the king leap up and in the
next instant he had both hands around the
throat of the priVy councillor. choking him.
The attack occurred so suddenly that the
victim could not utter sound. Lackeys
had to tear the king from his prey. and re-
move him by force. Now he is being
guarded The prfvy councillor is still alive
All who had been witnesses were sworn
by the minister not to disclose a, word of
what had happened.
I visited the privy councillor He Law in
bed, in a wild fever. sat down by him and
strove for words. Finding none I could
give him only my hand. 1 think that 1
cried. At least, he pacifed and comforted
me- He did that to me.
At last l managed to ask when he would
depart.
'Depart?" said he. II shall remain with
the king
That you must not"
NO one else knows the king as I know
him"
Pardon. You did not know him as well
as you think, else this could not have hap
Il have foreseen it long ago. but 1 could
not hinder it,"
What? You were prepared for this?'
The king hates me. That belongs to his
malady"
1t was to me as If he looked at me lust
then with that glance that made me, too.
hate him Mechanically 1 repeated: That
DelCilSS 10 MS maIddY.
All sufferers of that kind hate the man
OF whom they know that he knows their
disease
L calculated: But your presence in
creases the kings pain"
My place is at the side of my sick mas
ter. Were | to leave 1t / should be like a
faithless soldier. And my successor would
be Just as deeply hated without knowing
now TO help him so we'll"
You can help him?''
Without me the king would bara bod 81
sign that document years ago"
With what means could YOU DELAY tho
final crisis so long?"
by keeping him in the condition IN r.-
main king" W
You mean that the consciousness of his
fogaiy was stronger than even-madness?
mat is what | mean
hat the king must have sufreredr'
what has the queen not suffered?''
DID the king not suffer-"
four royal mghness may be assured that
MS royal highness did not suffer at All
People with his malady feel convinced that
they are perfectly healthy"
VIII my father suffer now?"
Now he Will be distracted, because he
failed to kill me But soon he will he
come calm again, because he will hope that
he may succeed the next time"
XII.
The sick king wishes to hunt channels.
More than hundred heaters are to drive