Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-07-14

thrOugn me tnat the city surrendered,
bringing the siege to an eud. Fifteen
years ago this autumn the goth of No
yaxnber. to be expiiclt-the treaty Of
peace was signed In Sofia. We were
compelled to ccde portion OF territory
in the far northeast. valuable for its
mines. Indemnity was agreed upon by
the peace commissioners. amounting to
2O.0C0,000 gayyos, or nearly $4,000, 900
in your money. In fifteen years this
money was to be paid. with interest.
On the Goth Of November. this year,
the people Of Graustark must pay 25.-
10000 garyas. The time is at hand,
and that is why We recall the war so
WILDLY. 1t means the bankruptcy Of
the nation, gentlemen"
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 peo-
pie have been taxed SO sorely In re-
pudding their homes and in recuper.
atlng from the effect of that dreadful
invasion that they have been unable
to pay the levles. You must rensem.
Der that we are a small nation and OF
limited resources, Your nation could
secure $30,000,001 in one hour for the
mere asking. To us 1t is like a death.
blow, / am not hetraylng state Sc
erct IN telling you ot the sore struts
III which we are placed, for every man
Il fi,y, 1,o l,nov, ~
of the true conditions. We are oil fac.
ing 1t together
There was something SO quietly he.
ro1c In his manner that both men felt
pity. Anguish, looking at the military
figure, asked:
"You fought through the wan your
cKcellency Z"
l ." resigned as minister, sir. to so to
the front. was In the first battle
and was In tho lastsp he said simply.
And the princess-the present ruler,
mean--was mere child at that time,
Wi'en did she succeed to the thrones-
asked honI
.0h the G'At Ne1A does not e,
Wah3leg our NNR history Wlfa4n }
5ab after the aeafh Of PctEe GA
look lns wife. my sistE passed awaR
dying OF broken heart. Her daugh-
ter, their only child, was, according to
our custom. crowned Mt once. She has
retgned for fourteen years. and wisely
SINCE assAGng ftjA RONer Ebr 1fee
feRtS sha has been ruler de facto, Sid
has been frng,aR and has done all In
Il hoSs Yunxyxse IN TTnSox tho nh dnxv fQ,nH 20
descending. :
And what is the alternative in case
the indemnity is not paid?" asked
Lorry breathlessly, for ha Jaw some
thing bvight In the approaching calam-
1 ity.
4 The cession OF all that part Of Grau-
starh lying north Of Edelweiss, includ-
ing fourteen towns, I'LL of our mines
and our most productive farming and
grazing lands. In that event Grau-
stark will be no larger than one Of the
good sized farms in your western coun-
4 try. There will be nothing left FOR her
royal h,ghness to rule save a tract SO
small that the word principality will
be travesty and a jest-this city and
/ twenty five miles to the south. a striu
about $50 miles long. Think OF itI
4 TWENTY-FIVE by $50 miles. and vet call,
4 ed principally! Once the proudes,
4. and most prosperous state In the east
considering its size, reduced to that
i Ach, gentlemen-gentl i cannot
think of it without tearing out q heart
string and suffering such pains as NOR.
tai man has never endured. lived II
i Graustark's DAYS Of wealth. mower and
supremacy. God has condemned me IL
live in the days Of her dependency
weakness and poverty. Let us talk d,
more Of this unpleasant subtect.a +. i 4
i s'Willingly, your excellency, since i
is distastefui to you. hope. however
you will permit me to ask how mucl
you are short OF the amount" sail
4 Lorry considerably, yet curlously.
four minister Of finance, Gaspon
will be able to produce $4,000, 600 CAV
! vos at the stated time, far from enough
This amount has been sucked from III,
people from excessive levy and ha.
been boarded for the dreaded day
Try as we would. 1t has been impossl
BILE to raise the full amount The PEG
pie have been bled and have Responded
nobly, sacrificing everything to NEE
the treaty terms honorably, but thu