Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-08-23

3S=SSsSN / went StralgHt W Ihc AJioi
CkgJ and spent a quiet fortnight
mostly on my back, for severe chill
developed itself, and / was also the
victim of q nervous reaction, which
made me weak as baby. AS soon as
1 had reached my quarters sent an
apparently careless postcard to my
brother, announcing my good health
and prospective return. That would
serve to satisfy the inquiries as to my
whereabouts, which were probably
| still vexing the project Of the police
| of Strelsau.
j let my mustache and imperial grow
| again, and, as hair comes quickly on
nv face they were respectable, though
not luxuriant, by the time that land
ed myself in Paris and called on my
| friend George Featherly. My inter
view with him was chiefly remarkable
for the number of unwilling but nee
essary falsehoods that told, and raj
| lied him numerically when he toid
me that he had made up his mind that
| I had gone in the track Of Nine. de
| Mauban to Strelsau. The lady, 1t ap-
peared, was back in Paris, but was
| living in great seclusion-a fact Tor
which gossip found no difficulty in ac-
counting. Did not all the world know
of the treachery and death Of Duke
Michael? Nevertheless George babe
Bertram Bertrand be Of good cheer,
"for," said he flippantly, "a live poet
| Is better than dead duke" Then he
| turned on me and asked:
"What have you been doing to your
mustache?"
ITO tell the truth" answered, as
Stunning q sly air. ga man now and then
| has reasons for wishing to alter his
appearance. But it's coming on very
we'll again"
| "What? Then wasn't so far out?
If not the fair Antoinette, there was
| charmer"
"There is always charmer," said I
sententiously.
But George would not be satisfied till
he had wormed out of me Che took
| much pride in his ingenuity an abso-
lutely imaginary love affair, attended
with the proper soupcon OF scandal,
which had kept me all this time in
the peaceful regions Of the Tyrol. In
return for this narrative George re-
| called me with great deal Of what he
| called 'inside information" (known
| only to diplomatists) as to the true
course of events in Ruritania, the plots
and counterplots. In his opinion, he
told me, with significant nod, there
was more to be said for Black Michael
than the public supposed, and he hint
| ed at a well founded suspicion that the
mysterious prisoner of Zenda, concern
ing whom good many paragraphs had
| appeared, was not man at all, but
! there I had some ado not to smile a
woman disguised as a man, and that
strife between the king and his broth
er for this imaginary lady's favor was
at the bottom of their quarrel.
perhaps it was Nine. de Mauban
herself" suggested.
"Now said George decisively. "An-
toinette de Mauban was jealous of
her and betrayed the duke to the king
| for that reason. And, to confirm what
I say, it's we'll known that the Prin-
cess Flavia is now extremely cold to
| the king after having been most at
| fectionate."
At this point 1 changed the subject
and escaped from Georges inspired
| delusions. But if diplomatists never
know anything more than they had
succeeded In finding out in this in
stance they appear to me to be some
what expensive luxuries.
While in Paris I wrote to Antoinette,
though l did not venture to call upon
her. received in return a very at
fecting letter, in which she assured me
that the kings generosity and kind
ness. no less than her regard for me,
bound her conscience to absolute Sc
crecy. She expressed the intention OF
settling in the country and withdraw
ing herself entirely from society.
/ Whether she carried out her designs
| have never heard, but as / have not
met her or heard news Of her up to
this time it is probable that she did.
| There is no doubt that she was deeply
attached to the Duke Of Strelsau, and
her conduct at the time of his death
proved that no knowledge of the mans
real character was enough to root her
regard for him out of her heart.
I had one more battle left to fight
battle that would, knew, be severe
and was bound to end in my complete
defeat Was I not back from the Ty'
rol without having made any study OF
it's inhabitants, institutions, scenery
! fauna. fora or other features? Had
not wasted my time in my usual friv'
olous. good for nothing way? That
was the aspect of the matter which,
! was obliged to admit, would present It
self to nv sister-in-law, and against 9
verdict based on such evidence had
really no defense to offer. 1t may be
supposed, then, that / presented my
self in Park lane in a. shamefaced
I sheepish fashion On the whole, my
reception was not SO alarming as
had feared. 1t turned out that I had
done not what Rose wished, 'but-the
next best thing-what she had prophe
sled. She had declared that I should
make no notes, record no observations
gather no materials. My brother, on
the other hand, had been weak enough
to maintain that a really serious re-
solve had at length animated me.
When returned empty handed, Rose