Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-02-23

wrapper tIDI IL WAS Il emily April uaND |
and wearing Il soft travelling hat pulled !
down TO my eyes. | must be looking |
very far from my best. 4 moment |
later George rejoined me.
~ You've got Il charming travelling |
companion" he said. That's poor Bert |
Bertram's goddess, Antoinette de Maui |
ban. and, Ike you. she's going to Ores |
den-also. no Noubt. TO see the pictures.
Its very queer though. that she doesn't
AT present desire the honor of your ac-
quaintance"
Il didn't ask ts be introduced" OBJ
served. little annoyed
We'll, | offered to bring you to her
but she said. Another time Never
mind. old fellow. perhaps therell he
smash. and you'll have chance of res
cuing her ana cutting out the Duke of
Strelsau''
No smash, however, happened. either
to me or TO Nine. de Mauban. / can
speak for her as confidently as for my
self. for when, after nights rest in
Dresden, | continued my journey she
got into the same train. Understand
ing that she wished to be let alone, |
avoided her carefully, but | saw that
she went the same way as did TO the
very end of my journey, and | took OPP
portunities of having Il good look at
her when | could do so unobserved.
AS soon as we reached the Rurita-
MAN frontier (where the old officer who
presided over the custom house favor
ed me with such 4 stare that | felt
surer than before of my Elphberg
| physio%nomy) | 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 n mystery the date
of the coronation had been suddenly
| advanced. and the ceremony was to
| take place on the next day but one.
| The whole country seemed in stir
| about it, and it was evident that Strel-
Sau was thronged. Rooms were ali iat
and hotels Ove~fiCwing. there would
be very little chance Of my obtaining
Il lodging and | should certainly have
| to pay an exOrbitant charge for it, |
made up my mind To stop at Xenda,
small town fifty miles short of the cap
ital and about ten from the frontier
| My train reached there in the evening.
would spend the next day. Tuesday,
in 4 wander over the hills which We're
said to he very fine and in taking 4
glance ut the famous castle and go
over by train TO Strelsau on the
| Wednesday morning. returning ut
night to sleep at Xenda.
Accordingly at Zenda l got out and
as the train passed where / stood on
the platform l saw my friend, Nine
de Mauban. in her place. Clearly she
was going through to Strelsau. hav-
ing. with more providence than | could
boast. secured apartments there.
smiled to think how surprised George
Featherly would have been to know
that she and / had been fellow travel
ers for so long.
l was very kindly received ut tn,
hotel-it was really no more than III
inn-kept by fat old lady and he
two daughters. They We're good. Quie
people and seemed very little interest
ed in the great doings ut Strclsau. TIL
, old ladys hero was the duke. for h.
was now unuer the late kings WI
master of the Zenda estates and of tn
r castle, which rose grandly on its stee
hill at the end of the valley, a mile o
| so from the inn. The old lady. indeed
| did not hesitate to express regret tina
the duke was not ON the throne inStea
:. of his brother.
2 I'VE know Duke Michael" said shC
1 HE has always lived among us. EN
e cry Ruritanian knows Duke Michae
But the king is almost Il stranger; h
has been so much abroad not one i
l ten knows him even by sight,
And now" chimed in one of til
$ young women. they say he has SHAY
q ed off his beard, so that no one at Il
), knows him
shaved his beard exclaimed he
! mother. "Who says So?"
/ Johann. the dukes keeper. He Ia
seen the king
"Ah. yes. The king. sir, is now ut I'll
= dukes shooting lodge in the fore: