Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-02-26

NlICudel, ne tOuiu uOI
have the throne or the princess, had
ut least got as fine a residence as
any prince in Europe.
Soon / entered the forest and walked
on for an hour or more in its cool. SOM
Der shade The great trees enlaced
with one another over my head and
the sunshine stole through in patches
as bright as diamonds and hardly big
ger. | was enchanted with the place
and, finding n felled tree trunk. prop
ped my back against it and. stretching
my legs out. gave myself up to undis-
turbed contemplation of the solemn
beauty of the woods and to the COM
fort of good cigar. And when the
cigar was finished and i had, | sup
pose. inhaled as much beauty as |
could I went off into the most delight
full sleep. regardless of my train to
StrelSau and of the fast waning after
noon. To remember Il train in such Il
spot would have been rank sacrilege.
Instead of that l fell to dreaming that
was married to the Princess Flavia
and dwClt in the castle of Zenda and
beguiled whole days with my love in
the Gladcs of the forest. which made q
very pleasant dream. In fact, | was
Just impresSng Il fervent kiss OH the
charming lips of the princess when l
heard (anG the voice seemed at first
part of the dream) some one exclaim
in rough, strident tones:
why. the devils in it! Shave him,
and he'd be the king.
The idea seemed whimsical enough
for Il dream. BY the sacrifice of my
heavy muStache and carefully pointed
imperial | was to be transformed into
monarch, | was about to kiss the
princess again when l arrived very
reluctantly at the conclusion that |
was awake.
| opened my eyes and found two men
regarding me with much curiosity.
Both wore shooting costumes and car
ried guns one was rather short and
very stoutly built. with big, bullet
shaped head. Il hristly gray mustache
and small pale blue eyes. tritie blood
shot. The other was a slender young
fellow of middle height, dark in COM
pleXion and bearing himself with
grace and distinction. / set the one
| down as an old soldier. the other for
| Il gentleman accustomed TO move in
good society. but not unused TO mill
tary life either. 1t turned out after
ward that my guess was good one.
The elder man approached me. beck
| oning the younger to follow. He did
so. courtcously raising his hat | rose
slowly to my feet.
He's the height. too" I heard the
| elder murmur as he surveyed my six
| feet two inches of stature. Then. with
cavalier touch of the cap, he ad-
dressed me:
May ask your Nance?
! AS YOU have taken the first step in
| the acquaintance. gentlemen" said l,
with smile. suppose you give me a
lead in the matter of names
The young man stepped forward
with pleasant smile.
This" said he, lis Colonel Sapt and
l am called Fritz Won Tarlenheim. We
are both in the service of the king of
Ruritania.'
| bowed and barring my head, an
swered:
| Il am Rudolf Rassendyll. / am a
traveller from England, and once for n
year or two | held a commission from
her majesty the queen"
Then we are all brethren of the
sword" answered TarIenheim. holding
out his hand. which l took readily.
'Rassendyll. Rassendyl"' muttered
Colonel Sapt. Then CLEAN of intelli'
gence fitted across his face.
by heaven he cried, you're Of the
Burlesdons"
My brother is now Lord Burlesdon, >
said |.
Thy head bewrayeth thee" he chuc
kled. pointing to my uncovered poll
why, Fritz, you know the story?'
The young man glanced apologize
ally at me- He felt delicacy which
my sister-in-law would have admired
To put him at his ease / remarked
) with a smile:
"Ah. the story is known here as wei
as among us. it seems"
Known cried Sapt. 'If you stay
here the deuce man in all Ruritanis
, will doubt of it-or a woman either"
| DtSuu W lttl I1d'
1 realized what very plainly writer
pedigree l carried about with me
should have thought long before l Wis
tied Ruritania. However, was in fol
it now.
At this moment ringing voic,
sounded from the wood behind us:
Fritz, Fritz! Where are you. MANI
Tarlenheim started and said hastily:
ITS the king."
Old Sapt chuckled again.
Then a young man jumped out from
behind the trunk of a tree and stool
beside us. AS l looked on him / utter
ed an astonished cry, and he, seem;
me, drew back in sudden wonder Saw
ing the hair on my face and a name
a of conscious dignity which his position
gave him, saving also that he lacke,
/ perhaps half an inch-nay, less thai
that, but still something-of my height
the king of Ruritania might have bee