Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-06-01

Il don't think / want 20 be an am
bassador." said 1.
"It's more than you ever will be-" she
retorted.
That is very likely true. but IL Is not
more than 1 have been. The idea OF
being an ambassador could scarcely
dazzle me. I had been a king.
So pretty Rose left US in dudgeon,
and Burlesdon, lighting a cigarette.
looked at me still with that curious
gaze.
That picture ia the paper he said.
well. what or it, IL shows that the
| king OF Ruritania and your humble
servant are as Ike as two peas"
My brother shook his head.
Il suppose So" he said. But I
should know you from the man In the
photograph"
And not from the picture IN the
paperT'
Il should know the photograph from
the picture: the pictures very like the
photograph, but
'WelIT'
ITS more like you" said my bro
tber.
My brother is a good man and true.
50 that. Tor all that he is a married
man and mighty fond OF his wife. he
] should know any secret Of mine. But
/ this secret was not mine, and I could
not tell il TO him.
Il don't think it's SO much like me as
the photograph" said / boldly. But.
anyhow. Bob. I won't 90 to Strelsau."
mo. don't go TO Strelsau, Rudolf"
said he
And whether he suspects anything or
has a glimmer OF the truth 1 do not
know. If he has, he keeps II TO him
self, and he and I never refer to Il.
And we LEE Sir Jacob Borrodaile end
another attache.
Since all these events whose history
have set down happened have lived
a very quiet life az a small house
which I have taken in the country.
The ordinary ambitions and aims OF
men In my position seem 10 me dull
and unattractivc. have little fancy
for the whirl of soc ETY. and none FOR
the jostlc OF politics. Lady Burlesdon
| utterly dcspairs Of me. My neighbors
think me 0n ind9lcnt, dreamy. unso-
/ ciable fellow. Yet 7 am a young man,
and sometimes 7 have a fancy-the SUI
perstiuous would call it a present.
ment-thot my part in life Is not yet
altogether played. that. aomehow and
some day. ! shall mix again IN great
Affairs. l shall again spin policies In a
busy brain. match my wits against my
enemies. brace my muscle % fight a
good fipht and strike stout blows. Such
Is the tissue OF my thoughts as. with
gun or rod Ia hand. I wander through
| The woois or 10y the side OF the stream.
Whether the fancy viii be fulfilled
cannot tell. still less whether the scene
| that, led 10y memory. lay FOR my new
! exploits viii Doe the true one-for
love 20 see myself once again In the
| crowded streets OF Strelsau or be-
meath the frowning ke. > OF the castle
OF Zenda.
Thus led. my broodings leave the fu-
turc and turn back on the past Shapes
rise before mo Ia long array-the wild
first rcvcl with the king. the rush with
my brave tcatablc. the night In the
moat the pursuit IN the forest. my
friends and my foes, the people who
| learned 20 love and honor me. the des-
perate men who tried TO kill me. And
from amid these last comes one who
alone OF all OF them yet moves on
earth. though where / know not. yet
| plans (as I DO not doubO wlckedness.
yet turns women's hearts TO softness
and mems 20 fear and hate. Where IS
young Rupert OF Hentzau, the boy who
came so nigh 10 beating me? When his
name comes into my head I feel my
hand grip and the blood move quicker
through my veins, and the hint OF
fate, the presentiment, seems 20 grow
stronger and more definite and 20
whisper Insistently in my ear that /
have yet a hand TO play with young
Rupert: therefore exercise myself In
arms and seek TO put or the day when
the vigor of youth must leave me.
One break comes every year in my
quiet life. Then l go TO Dresden, and
there am met by my dear friend and
companion, Fritz Won Tarlenheim
Last time his pretty wife Helga came
and a lusty. growing baby with her
And for a week Fritz and I are to
|. gether. and hear all OF what falls
out in StrelSau, and IN the evenings as
we walk and smoke together we tall
OF sapt and OF the king and often OF
young Rupert, and as the hours grow
small at last we speak OF Flavla, FOL
every year Fritz carries with him e
Dresden a little box; in II lies a rec
rose. and round the stalk OF the rose
is a slip OF paper with the words writ
ten, "Rudolf-Flavia-alw And
the like send back by him. Thai
message and the wearing OF the rings
} are all that now bind NE and tn,
, queen OF Ruritania, for-nobler, a.
told her, for the act-she had followed
! where her duty 10 her country and he
; house led her and is the wife OF thu
king. uniting his subjects TO him b,
the love they bear 10 her, giving peace
. | and quiet days TO thousands by he
! self sacrifice. There are moment
, when / dare not think Of il. but Their
ere others when l rise In spirit q
where she ever dweils; then 1 cal
thank God that ] love the noblest lad.
| in the world, the most gracious ans