Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-02

ing, anyhow? Nobody cares any more.
1t just stirs your blood up bit. but you
don't do anything. was thinking. on my
way up just now. that springs a mere ex-
ASPIRATION. Nobody wants it. There's no
more romance In the world
Colonel Won Altdorf gave short laugh.
"Oh. isn't there?' said he.
I looked from his face to MacKenzie's
There had been certain significance in
the tone.
Mackenzie clinked the bit of ice in his
long glass, and frowned down upon it
! thoughtfully. Then he drew long breath
and met my eyes.
Creighton" said he. smiling little, you
"Ah." said I, reddening, "as for that. it
| wasn't of any but Mackenzie raised
his hand.
"An' you did it," he proceeded. by sug-
&c tin way out of a deeiculty. l may
say brilliant way" he added. Have
We your wits about you tonight. man? for
there is deeficulty ready for your solvin'
! for Won Altdorfs, here. into the bargain.
diplomatist though he is
why" said 1, Il am no barrister, and
I'm no writer Of melodramas either. that
| l should be able to solve difficulties at the
| drop of the handkerchief; but what's your
| trouble, Sir Gavin? AT least let's hear it"
! Mackenzie shook his head and made a
little helpless gesture with his two hands.
| "'Tis no trouble O mine" said he: that
| is. in way O. speakin'. Indirectly it's
| bound to be a trouble to all of us who're
concerned" He nodded to Colonel Won
| Altdorf.
| Tell him, man." said he
Won Altdorf rested his elbows upon the
| edge of the little table. hands clasped
| among the glasses. and turned his deep-set
| eyes upon mine. When he spoke it was in
excellent English, but with an accent, a
| dwelling upon sibilants, an alien value of
| dentals and gutterals too slight to be re-
| producible.
| do you know where Novodnia is, Mr.
/
| Il do" said l. Its on the lower DAN
| ube, all mixed up with Roumania and Ser
via and Bulgaria and the rest. It's the
| littlest one, isn't it? Poor dear! Russia
will gobble it some day"
| Precisely" said Colonel Won Altdorf I'M
| smiling. Precisely! Russia will gobble 1T
some day, but Russia hasn't gobbled it yet,
my friend. 1t would perhaps have been
! better for certain people if she had. Very
well, if you know that much you may pos
| sibly know that certain prince of the
| dominant house In Noyodnia has recently,
| through a most extraordinary and improb-
| able series of deaths, come to the throne
| Carol Ill.," said /.
Precisely" agreed Won Altdorf again
| Carol III sits upon the seat of his faith
| ers. May he long sit there! But the point
| is this. 1 have said that he came to the
| throne through an extraordinary series of
| deaths. Indeed. so improbable was his sue
| cession considered that it was never
| thought of at ALL that he was allowed to
| marry outside ofsEoyal circles
| THE deuce!' said I. ''You begin to COM
plicate matters. n
| being without Fortune continued Colo
| mel Won AItdorf. Ethe prince at last mar
| ried a young American woman of great
| beauty, understand, and of tremendous
wealth: his idea Sbeing. Of course, to es-
| tablish himself inEthe state which his rank
| permitted, but his lack of fortune for
And then" saad u why, then. no
sooner was he married than occurred this
| improbable serieslIpf deaths which brought
him to the throne and-face to face with
an extremely embarrassing problem"
You state 1t. said Colonel Won Altdorf.
with brevity ana point. His wife being
not of royal rankS indeed commoner, his
children by her could mot succeed to the
throne" al
There remainaE tied," said l. but one
course. The marriages bad to be regarded
as morganatic one. and a princess of the
proper extraction provided,
Colonel Won AItdorf smiled
I'VE get on" said he with little incli-
nation of his head. But right at this
point-if may continue the tale-arose an
amazing and most unlocked for obstacle in
| the path of what might have been con-
sidered an embarrassing. but surely not an
| insurmountable difficulty. The prince, If
you like, refused point blank either to
divorce his wife or to marry again in his
own rank"
1.-THE devilp' said I.
MY sentiments exactly" observed Colo
mel Won Altdorf.
''But there is mora to come If mistake
not?" I protested.
Colonel Won Altdorf smiled again
1T Is matter OF qualification to me-"
he said. that you happened into the Cafe
] d.Alencon this eyeninE.fs You have not q