Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-01-19
.Graustark
s1----------
BY GEORGE BARR M'cuTcHEoN
Copyrighted 1901, by Herbert S. Stone.

L z = q
two rattle Drained chaps who should
be I'm home for imbeciles instead of
IN the castle their audacity might have
blghted Our rashness was only sur
passed by our phenomenal good luck.
BY chance it turned out we'll. There
were ten thousand chances of ignomin-
ious failure Had we fniled would we
have geen guests of honor? No. We
would have been stoned from Grau-
stark. You don't know how thin the
thread was that held your fate. 1t
makes me shudder to think of the crime
our act might have been. All, had
but known you were the princess. no
chances should have been TAKEN" he
said fervently.
"And n romance spoiled she laugh.
ed.
so you are princess-a real 'prin-
cess he went on. as If he had not
heard her II knew it. Something
told me you were not an ordinary wo-
man
"Oh, but am very ordinary wo-
man." she demonstrated. You do not
know how easy it is to be princess
and n mere woman at the same time.
l have IL heart head; breathe and
eat and drink and sleep and love. Is 1t
not That way with other women?"
"You breathe and eat and drink and
sleep and lSve in different world,
though, your highness."
Zach, my little maid, Therese, sleeps
rs soundly. eats as heartily and loves
as warmly as /, SO fig for your judg-
ment."
You may breathe the same air, but
would you love the same man that
your maid might loyel'
as man the only excuse for love-"
she asked "If so. then must say that
l breathe and eat and drink and sleep
and that is all"
pardon me, but some day you will
find that love is a man. and"-here he
laughed-"you will neither breathe nor
eat nor sleep except with him in your
heart. Even princess is not proof
against man."
lis man proof against q princess!"
she asked as she leaned against the
easement.
at depends on the'-he paused-''the
princess, should say"
"Alas! There Is one more fresh re-
sponsibility acquired. 1t seems to me
that everything depends on the prin-
cess,' she said merrily.
"Not entirely" he said quickly. "a
great deal-a very great deal-depends
on circumstances. For instance, when
you were Miss Guggenslocker 1t
wouldn't have been necessary for the
man to be prince. you know"
but l was Miss Guggenslocker be-
cause man was unnecessary" she
said SO grayely that he smiled. IL was
without n title because 1t was more
womanly than to be freak as I
should have been had every man, worn-
an and child looked upon me as prin-
cess. l did not travel through your
land for the purpose Of exhibiting my
self, but to learn and unlearn."
81 remember it cost you certain
coin to learn one thing" he observed.
ut was money well spent, as subse-
quent events have proved. l shall
never regret the spending of that half
gavvo. Was it not the means Of bring
ing you to Edelweiss?"
"Well, It was largely responsible. but
nm inclined to believe that certain
desire on my part would have found a
way without the assistance of the coin.
You don't know how persistent an
American can be"
would you have persisted had you
known l was princessf" she asked.
We'll, can hardly tell about that.
but you must remember didn't know
who or what you were"
"would you have come to Graustark
had you known was its princess?"
"1'll admit came because you were
Miss Guggenslocker."
"a mere woman"
II will not consent to the word
mere What would you think Of a
man who came half way across the
earth for the sake Of mere woman?"
II should say he had great deal Of
curiosity" she responded coolly.
"And not much sense. There Is but
one woman man would do so much
for, and sho could not be mere WON
an In his eyes, Lorry's face was
white and his eyes cleaned as he
hurled this bold conclusion at her.
Especially when he learns that she
is princess" said she. her voice SO
cold and repellent that his eyes closed
involuntnrily, us II an unexpected hor-
ror had come before them. You must
not tell me that you came to see me-"
"But did come to see you, and not
her royal highness the Princess Yetive
of Graustark How was to know?"
he cried impulsively.
but you are no longer ignorant"
she said. looking from the window.
Il thought you said you We're mere
woman!"
al am. and that is the troub!er she
said, slowly turning her eyes back to
him. Then she abruptly sank to the
window seat near his head. THAT is
the trouble, say A woman is wo-
man although she be princess. Don't
you understand why you must not say
such things to meY'
Because you are princess" he said
bitterly.
NO. because 1 am woman. AS u