Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-24
Synopsis of Preceding Chapters

TT is name-day of the King of the ancient King
dom of kravonia, and the capital city of Slavna
is gwen over to festivities In His MaJestys honor
Sophy de Gruche is new to Slavna and it's peo-
pie. except to Marie Zerkovitch and the latter's
husband, proprietor of the leading newspaper in
kravonia She has come to Savna to find her
fortune, but on this festal day Sophy has only few
shilngs and the fee from couple of French pupils
between her and dire want.
Sophy is watching the military parade and
listening to the court gossip of Captain Markart
The latter hints Of some grave scandals in imperial
AFFAIRS notably the evident existence of factions
some plotting for the elevation of the Kings son
by morganatie wife IN place of the legitimate
Prince.
The Prince is considered martinez bv the
Slavna military, OF whom he is garrison Comman
dant, and there is no small directing when an
order is issued that all soldiers must remain at
barracks during this merry evening. Captain
Mistitch (nicknamed Captain Hercules y the
leader In mutinous talk, induces Lieutenants
order, and the three start. out to fsi the Prince
loudly Boosting of what will happen when they
meet him.
They do meet him soon. Rastatz fees in terror
and Sterkoff conceals himself behind pillar leav-
ing Mistitch to make good his threats. The latter
defies the Commandment. In the ensuing duel the
Prince sewers the tendons of Mstitch's wrist, and
is about to march him off to the guard house when
Sterkof springs out of the darkness to stab the
Prince In the back.
At that instant Sophy, who has been watching
the encounter from window overhead, lets fall a
heavy bronze statue, which brushes the wouId-be
assassin to the ground.
Sophy receives her reward, the King appointing
her Keeper of the Tapestries at four hundred
pounds year; but there is no end of trouble over
Mistitchs proposed execution. The Prince is firm
IN his intention, despite the protests of General
Stenovcs and Hercules's admirers: but finally
consents to reprieve his assailan when the General
approves an order for lot of cannon, which will
give the Princes tower command of the city
The King confers patent of nobility Sophy
making her Baroness of Dobrava, as further recog
milton of her services.
sophy goes to Prasok, the Princes country
estate, and is there appointed lieutenant of the
Voseni artillery at the request of the rank and file
The King in fear of an early death, orders the
Prince to go abroad to find fitting wife. The
Prince, in love with Sophy, temporizes. The two
plight their troth with the arrival of the news
of the big guns for Slavna.
The clique at the Palace conspire to keep from
the Prince all knowledge of his fathers precarious
condition; but the valet Lepage and the journalist
Zerkovitch inform the Prince that the Kings
life hangs by a hair; and your crown by thread
The cabal in the Palace persuade the King to
sign an order requiring the immediate return from
Praslok of Sophy, convincing him that she has
designs the Prince.
Stenovics, knowing. that Lepage is giving in
formation to the Prince so informs the King
The valet given a hearing tells the King of the
conspiracy to place the Countess son on the
throne and His Majesty, suffering from his weak
of time, when informed by the physician of the
Kings death, 'exclaims; mol His Majesty dies
tomorrow"
The twenty-four hours this would give the con-
splrators would be enough to effectually head off
the Prince attempt to assume his inheritance and
to place the Countess the throne Also
they decide to send Captain Mistitch with one hun
bred soldiers to Praslol to execute the Kings
order in reference to Sophy, with the tentative
hope that the Prince would object, and be shot
However, Lepage manages TO escape from the
Palace and inform Zerkovitch of the Kings death
and Zerkovltch departs to inform the Prince, an
hour before Mistitch leaves on his mission
Mistitch reaches Praslok subsequent to Zerko-
witch arrival, who has gone to Volseni to find the
Prince, and at once places SOphy under arrest
The Prince rushes back with a small force He and
Mstitch fire at each other simultaneously, and
both hit, the latter fatally, and the Prince
dangerously
Countess Ellensburg's son Alexis is placed on
the throne by the anti Prince faction