Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-11
THE PRISONER OF ZENDA
Being History Months Life English

days and in Park lane in a week. wa
therefore about to return evasive an
swer when he saved my conscience by leav
ing me suddenly and darling across tn,
platform Following him with my eyes.
saw him lift his hat end accost a graceful
fashionably dressed woman who had jus
appeared from the booking Office. She wa,
perhaps year or two over thirty. tail
dark and Of rather full figure. AS George
talked 1 saw her glance at me, and my
| vanity was hurt by the thought that, NUT
| fled In fur coat and mech wrapper fol
1t was a chilly April day. and wearing 9
soft travelling hat pulled down over my
ears. must be looking very far from my
best. A moment later George rejoined me
You've got charming travelling com.
panion." he said. That's poor Bert Bert.
rand's goddess, Antoinette de Mauban, and
like You, she's going to Dresden-also, nc
doubt, to see the pictures. It's very queer
though, that she doesn't at present desire
| the honor of your acquaintance"
Il didn't ask to be introduced" I OBJ
| served, a little annoyed.
| We'll. offered to bring you to her; but
she said. Another time Never mind, old
Fellow. perhaps therell be smash. and
you'll have a chance of rescuing her and
| cutting out the Duke Of Strelsau!'
| NO smash, however, happened either to
me or to Nine. de Mauban. I can speak
| for her as confidently as for myself; for
| when, after nights rest in Dresden, I
| continued my journey she got into the same
train Understanding that she wished to
DO let alone, avoided her carefully, but
| saw that she went the same way 1 did to
the very end of my journey, and took OPP
| portunities of having a good look at her,
when 1 could do so unobserved.
| AS soon as we reached the Ruritanian
| frontier (where the old officer who pre-
| sided over the custom house favored me
with such a stare that l felt surer than
| before Of my Elphberg physiognomy) I
| bought the papers and found in them news
which affected my movements. For some
reason, which was not clearly explained
and seemed to be something Of a mystery,
the date of the coronation had been sud-
| denly advanced, and the ceremony was to
| take place on the next day but one. The
| whole country seemed in stir about 1t,
| and 1t was evident that Strelsau was
thronged. Rooms were all let and hotels
| overlooking; there would be very little
| chance of my obtaining lodging, and I
should certainly have to pay an exorbitant
| charge for 1t. made up my mind to stop
| at Zenda, small town fifty miles short Of
| the capital and about ten from the frontier.
My train reached there in the evening;
would spend the next day, Tuesday. in q
wander over the hills which were said to
be very fine. and in taking a glance at the
| famous castle, and go over by train to
| Strelsau on the Wednesday morning. re-
turning at night to sleep at Zenda.
Accordingly at Zenda I got out. and as
the train passed where stood on the plat
| in her place: clearly she was going through
to Strelsau. having, with more providence
| than I could boast. secured apartments
there. smiled to think hosv surprised
George Featherly would have been to know
| that she and had been fellow-travelers for
SO long.
1 was very kindly received at the hotel
1t was really no more than an inn-kept by
a fat old lady and her two daughters. They
were good, quiet people and seemed very
little interested in the great doings at
strelsau. The old lady's hero was the duke.
for he was now, under the late kings will,
master Of the Zenda estates and Of the
castle which rose grandly on its steep hill
at the end Of the valley, q mile or SO from
the inn The old lady, indeed. did not hest
tate to express her regret that the duke
was not on the throne instead Of 8
brother.
1--WE know Duke Michael" said she. "He
has always lived among us; every Rurf-
| tanian knows Duke Michael. But the king
Is almost stranger; he has been 80 much
abroad not one in ten knows him even by
| sight"
And now" chimed in ono of the young
women, they say he has shaved OF his
beard. so that no one at all knows him"
SHAVED his beard!' exclaimed her
Johann, the dukes keeper. He has seen
the king"
"Ah. yes! The king. sir. is now at the
dukes shooting lodge in the forest here;
from here he goes to Strelsau to be crown
ed on Wednesday morning..
I was interested to hear this and made
up my mind to walk next day in the direc-
llOu OF the lOQS6 on In0 chance OF coming
across the king. The old lady ran on gar
rulously:
"Ah! and I wish he would stay at his
shooting-that and wine (and one thing
our duke to be crowned on Wednesday.
That 1 wish. and I don't care who knows
Hush. mother!" urged the daughters
'Oh, there's many to think as I do"
cried the old woman stubbornly
I threw myself back in my deep arm
chair and laughed at her zeal.
For my part" said the younger and
prettier of the two daughters, a fair,
buxom. smiling wench, II hate Black
Michael! A red Elphberg for me, mother!
The king. they say, is as red as fox or
as"
And she laughed mischievously as she
cast a glance at me, and tossed her head
at her sisters reproving face.
MANY a man has cursed this red hair
before now" muttered the old lady-and
remembered James, fifth Earl of Burles-
don.
But never a womanr' cried the girl
cay, and women, when it was too late"
was the stern answer, reducing the girl to
silence and bushes.
How comes the king here?" asked, to
break an embarrassed silence. 1T is the
dukes land here, you say"
The duke invited him. sir, to rest here
till Wednesday. The duke is at Strelsau,
Then they're friends?"
But my rosy damsel tossed her head
again; she was not to be repressed for
long, and she broke out again:
AYE, they love one another as men do
who want the same place and the same
wife!"
The old woman glowered; but the last
words pricked my curiosity, and I inter-
posed before she could begin scolding:
What the same wife, too! Hows that,
young lady?'
'All the world knows that Black Michael
well, then, mother, the duke-would give
his soul to marry his cousin. the Princess
Flavia, and that she is to be the queen"
upon my word" said I, II begin to be
sorry for your duke. But II a man will be
a younger son, why, he must take what the
elder leaves and be as thankful to God as
he cam" and. thinking Of myself.
shrugged my shoulders and laughed. And
then 1 thought also of Antoinette de Maui
ban and her journey to Strelsau.
Its little dealing Black Michael has
with" began the girl, Drawing her moth
ers anger; but as she spoke heavy step
sounded on the floor and gruff voice ask
ed in threatening tone:
who talks of Black Michael In his
highness' own burgh?"
The girl gave a little Shrek, half Of
fright-half, I think, Of amusement.
vn,t'n moi tall Of nh IN cbo oil