The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-28

ard then, looking rae in the eye, Nicho-
las .cmaIfed in English:
own up, now-you're an American
aren't your"
His question took me completely by
surprise and 1 pleaded guilty.
Il knew it, said he. twiddiing the
toothpick playfuliy. NO one but an
American would have the face. the brass
and colossal crust to walk in here under
such a pretension. DR.. Sehenck, indeed;
III bet you don't know the first require
ments for the part.
1 quoted seriously
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice
And everything nice
His majesty sat down on the steps and
laughed. You're a clever chap" he said
But so long as you're not an Anarchist
all right. No sudden death in mine
Same here" said I, opening up and
showing him my chain mail underwear
'.and sudden death keeps hanging around
the old lady-meaning the empress dow
agsr-eloser than an Agnes model
Have drink, Mr.. Smith" said his
majecty, cordially. 1T does me good TO
fnish-Ive done it so long that l duck
every time they shoot off firecracker
here. Wait, though We won't have time
I've got to be crowned this morning.
WELL said /, crowned what?'
Crowned Emperor OF China" said
Nicholas, noncnalantly lighting cigar
cite. 1T wasn't TO have been made pub
lie at all-now that you're in. l know
you'n be still about it. But il had TO
come-much more comfortable for all
concerned, like having the property reg
istered in the proper name. you know.
Mere Formally. My country all along,
OF course. This affair won't be proclaim
ed for some time. so 1 hope you'll keep
mum, Smith, old horse. Some of these
interfering powers may be sore. You see
1 had to take this step and establish my
proper claims, because they all seemed
on the point of claiming open doors here
and there as though, bless EN-, China be-
longed to any one or, less than that, to
the Chinese. I didn't want EN- fighting
you know how 1 hate fghting, I'm the
white dove of peace. you recollect"
Aye" said l, digging the royal ribs.
Stuffed with gunpowder. But the en-
press dowager all the while?"
What asharp cuss you are, Smith! oh,
the old girl? Why, she is no more than.
you might say. my housekeeper. How
did you hear of the doves at the dinner
last night? Bless me, you must BE 4 de-
tective-you know so much.
They don't where / come FROM 1
said truthfully,' and you don't seem any
more excited about being crowned than
at being shaved"
"Oh," said Nicholas. Not nearly 50
much so. I wouldn't be shaved for any
thing. It's too easy way to have your
throat cut. Besides, I've been crowned
before. It's not like a girls first ball,
you know, or first proposal"
''Or first marriage" said I.
mo. Exactly" said he. Wen, I sup
pose it's UP to pe. You see. there are my
Cossacks lined up on the green, and a
lot of Manchu gentlemen around that
hole in the wall over there. through
which we 'uns march to the crown fit
ting VIII you join in the pageant Mr.
Smith, alias Schenck?"
Don't rub it in said I. "Sure I'll
icin. Give me a cracker-box in a corner
if it's to be real informal, and I'll lend
my moral support
So it came about that I assisted at the
scene which I have just depicted the
sketch of which / send with this story
for your delectation. 1t took place in the
little courtyard of the Merrily Bubbling
Kettle where the surviving princes re
pair on half holidays to see high state
offenders boiled down in crude oil. About
dozen unlimited banneFmen had the
temerity to get up on the neighboring
palace roofs and peek. and 1 was FORUM
ate catching them just as 1 did, for just
afte-ward the empress dowager saw them
and sent UP a gent with a eleaver Vou
see him posing in the middle distance)
and they all came tunbling down il two
pieces.
The empress dowager herself affixed
the crown. and Nicholas was beautifully
g0tt. II up in a Chinese bathrobe effect
End the true laundry brand of shoes. only
much finer. He looked very much bored
all through the proceeding and once he
winked YEARLY at me, as much as 10 say
'All this is such foolishness, but it's
Just as fell to have the property, as
say in the right name. all regular
When the crown was on the Cossacks
fired off salvo without manning any one
and the Manchus cheered pathetically
and a gentleman in black collapsed in
tears. No one paid much attention. to
mint was only Kwang Hsii-vulgariy
supposed TO be the Emperor of China,
So there was great scene OF history
made, and there is the story of 1t, just
as it came off. Afterward his double
decked majesty chucked the crown-a
very pretty affair topped with cOmbin-
alton of the Russian Eagle and the Chi
nese Dragon-and set EN- up and up 10
vodka. l was there.
Great stuff. that vodka. Which makes
me think that il I've left anything out Of
this tale, or put in too much. or made any
breaks. you can fix il up. I can't !
don't attend coronation every day. So
you must excuse me row If seal up and
float out to start something.-N. y. sun.