The Tupelo journal., 1905-03-24

and president of the club looked at one
another. bowed low and tiptoed out
like so many whipped schoolboys. At
the door the chief turned and came
| forward once more ito pay his respects
to the ladies'" And the rest meekly
followed.
While Boris and his friends were
laughing to split their sides the polizei-
master interviewed the waiter.
"You knew that the masked gentle
man was his imperial highness?" he
asked, sharply.
Eyes. at your excellency's ORDERS re-
ported the trembling Ganymede. His
imperial highness forbade me mention
ing it. He said he would have my ears
if | ~squealed."
"Well, l will have your ears, and your
nose, both, if this gets me into trouble"
cried the chief. Then. turning to the
two ministers of state. the admiral and
the rest, he added: Gentlemen, | am
astonished at your behavior. All of
YOU seem to have been blind and deaf
tonight. Cannot distinguish the i'm
perial voice, his gait. demeanor. Gen
tlemen, you must have taken leave of
your senses before you came here"
The ministers, admiral, bankers, presi-
dent etc, were profuse in excuses One
confessed that he was excited" another
that he couldn't see we'll under artifi-
cial light, a third that he suspected the
identity of his imperial highness, but
his protest was overheard.
cat any rate, the all-highest gentle
man would have stayed probably no
longer than half an hour or an hour.
Why could you not oblige him? Why
in thunder must you read newspapers
at IL midnight"
The five old gentlemen departed singly
or in groups whispering to each other
with the air of persons who had just es-
caped some great disaster. When their
wives and daughters on the floor heard
what had happened they were loud in de-
| nunciation of husband and father. He"
never knew where to stop, and would
make them all unhappy" Some families
went home abruptly. and army officers
and officials separated ostentatiously
from civilian members.
At two O'Clock his imperial highness,
Grand Duke Boris, issued from the Ii
brary with heavy step. His face was red
as a Holsters, his hair disheveled, his
clothes in disorder. His women compan-
ions remained behind, stretched out in
their chairs, fast asleep.
The grand duke ordered several gen.
tlemen he met to assist him to the music
stand. He took a seat by the side of the
bass drum, his head dropped upon his
chest, and he began to snore audibly. I'm
mediately the ~bandmaster dropped his
baton. "All quiet, his imperial high
ness deigns to Sleep"
He slept one, two, three hours. while
the club members, their wives anddaugh-
etrs. a thousand all told. looked on with
out daring to stir. However, the per-
soRs most interested in Boris slumber
were the two ministers of state, the adj
miral, millionaire banker, marshal o. the
a~ristocracy and the president of the No
bility club, desperately bent upon WHIP
ing out the insults they had in%nocently
heaped upon the imperial loafer.
At last the marshal of the a%ristocracy
took courage to step up to Boris and
whisper in his ear.
His imperial highness moved his lips
as if trying to blow away a fly perched
on his lose.
will your imperial highness deign
to permit me to attend you to your pal
ace, or is your imperial highness
pleased to order me to fetch the car
riage?"
Boris mumbled something; then,
awakening, bawled out with a yawn:
yes, / am about ready to go home,
and you shall have the honor to conduct
me. fellow"
The marshal's face cleaned with hap
| piness; he was once more summing him.
self in the radiance of right royal ia
vor. But the admiral. the president, the
two ministers of state and the banker
| wanted their share, too. They crowded
around his imperial highness with COM
pliments, offers of service and petty talk.
Finally, they half carried him to his
n Z8M 49,