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

Offering You exactly what you might
be equal to-
"A thousand thanksr' l murmured.
Hes to have an embassy in six
months. aud Robert says he is sure
that he'll take you as an attache. Do
take It. Rudolf. TO please me-"
Now, when my sister-in-law puts the
matter in that way, wrinkling her !
pretty brows. twisting her little hands
and growing wistful III the eyes, all on
account of an idle scamp like myself. |
for whom she has no natural RESPONSE
bility | am visited with conjunction. |
Moreover | thought it possible that | |
could pass the time in the position suG- |
gested with some tOlerable amuse |
ment. Therefore | said:
MY dear sister. if in six months |
time no unforeseen obstacle has arisen |
and Sir Jacob invites me. hang me if |
don't go with Sir Jacob
ooh, Rudolf. how good Of you! /
am glad"
"Where's he going to-"
"He doesn't know yet, but it's sure
to be good embassy"
Madam said |. for your sake I'll
go If it's no more than Il beggarly fe@a
ton. When | do Il thing. don't do il
by halves"
My promise. then was given, but six
months are six months and seem an
eternity. and inasmuch as they stretch
ed between me and my prospective in
duStry II suppose attaches are indus
triOuS; but I know not. for | never he
came attache to Sir Jacob or to any
| body elSeI | cast about for some de
| sirable mode of spending them And
| il occurred to me suddenly that |
would visit Ruritania. 1t may seem
| strange that | had never visited that
| country yet but my father lin spite of
! Il sneaiing fondness for the Elph-
| bergS. which led him to give me, his
| second son. the famous Elphherg
name of Rudolf had always been
averSe to my going, and since his death
my brother. prompted by Rose, had ac-
cepted the family tradition which
taught that Il wide berth was to be
| given to that country.
But the moment Iiuritania had come
into my head l was eaten up with Gu
riosity to see it. After all red hair and
| long noses are not confined to the
! house Of Elphberg. and the old story
seemed a preposterouSly insufficient
| reason for debarring myself from ac-
| Quaintance with highly interesting
| and important kingdom. one which had
played no small part in European his
tory and might do the like again I'M
u
ruler. such as the new king was ru-
mored to be. My determination was
clinched by reading in the Times that
Rudolf V. was to be crowned at Strel-
Sau in the course of the next three
weeks and that great magniticence
was TO mark the occasion. At once
made up my mind to be present and
began my preparations. But inaSmuch
as it has never been my practice to
furnish my relatives with an itinerary
of my journeys, and in this case | an
ticipated opposition to my wishes,
gave out that | was going for ramble
in the Tyrol-an old haunt of mine
and propitiated Roses wrath by de
claring that | intended to study the
political and social problems of the
, Interesting community which dwellS il
that neighborhood.
Perhaps" | limited darkly. there
may be an outcome of the expedition"
What do you mean" she asked.
We'll" said l carelessly, there
1 seems Il gap that might be filed by AZ
, exhaustive work on
l "Oh. will you write a book" slit
! cried. clapping her hands. THAT woulC
t be splendid, wouldn't it. Rohert:"
e Its the best of introductionS to pO
1 litical life nowadays" observed III,
t brother. who has. by the way. intro
r duced himself in this manner seyera
l times over. BurieSdOn on "Ancien
t Theories and Modern Facts and "Th,
:, Ultimate Outcome" by n political stu
V dent, are both works of recognized en-
e inence.
e Il believe you are right. Bob, IN,
l. boy" said l.
Now. promise you'll do it." sal
n Rose earnestly.
$ No; | won't promise. but if | fin
J. enough material | will"
q That's fair enough" said Robert
l. "Oh, material doesn't natter Sh
It said. pouting
IS Bit this time she could get no NOR
than qualified promise ont of m,
J. To tell the truth, would have wager
st ed handsome sum that the story c
q my expedition that summer woul
e stain no paper and spoil not Il sngI
4 pen. And that shows how little w
Ii know what the future holds, for hel
lie | am fulfilling my qualified promis
J. and writing. as | never thought t
A write, 4 book. though it will hardl
le serve as an Introduction to polite;
lie life and has not a iot to do with I'll
Il, Tyrol.
a Neither would it. fear. please Lad
al BurleSdOn if | were to submit il to he
at / HunVadi