Free press., 1907-09-28
lCODyright- 1906. BObbs-Merrin oo.3
SYNOPSIS.


The American consul to Barscheat, a
principally of Europe. tells how the
reigning grand duke had tried to find
husband for his rebelIious niece, the
Princess EiIdegarde. finally decreeSng
that she must wed the Prince OF Doppel-
OF the principaIity of Doppelkinn. Though
be had been in the country six months
the American consul had never seen the
princess, and when at last they met it
was very much of surprise to both
CHAPTER I.-continued.
The one picture of her which was
lucky enough to see had been taken
when she was six, and meant nothing
to me in the way of Identification. For
all 1 knew might have passed her On
the road She became to me the
Princess in the Invisible Cloak, pass
ing me often and doubtless deridfog
my efforts to discern her. My curl
osity became alarming. / couldn't
sleep for the thought of her. Finally
we met, but the meeting was a great
surprise to us both. This meeting
happened during the great hubbub of
which have just written; and at the
same time l met another who had
great weight in my future affairs.
The princess and 1 became rather
well acquainted. l was not gentle
man, according to her code, but. in
the historic words of the drug clerk.
was something just as good. She hon
ored me with frank, disinterested
friendship, which still exists. l have
yet among my fading souvenirs of
diplomatic service half a dozen notes
commanding me to get up at dawn and
ride around the lakes, something like
16 miles. She was almost as reckless
a rider as myself. She was truly a ia
nous rider, and a woman who sits
we'll on a horse can never be aught
but graceful. She was, in fact, youth
full and charming, with the most mag
nif1cent black eyes ever beheld in
Teutonic head; witty, besides, and
songstress of no ordinary talent. If
had been in love with her-which l
solemnly vow l was noti-I should
have called her beautiful and exhaust
ed my store of complimentary adjec-
tives.
The basic cause of all this turmoil.
about which 1 am to spin my nara
tive, lay ia her education. l hold that
a German princess should never be
educated save as a German. BY this
l mean to convey that her education
should not go beyond German litera-
ture, German history, German venera-
tion of laws, German manners and
German passivity and docility. The
Princess Hildegarde had been edu-
Gated in England and France, which
simplifies everything, or. should say,
10 be exact complicates everything.
for that what-d -ye-call-it that hedges
In a king. Having mingled with Eng
disappearing people. she returned to
her native land, her brain filed with
the Importance of feminine liberty of
thought and action. Hence, she be-
came the bramble that prodded the
grand duke whichever way he turned.
His days were filed with horrors, his
nights with mares which did not have
box-stalls in his stables.
Never could he anticipate her in
anything On that day he placed
guards around the palace she wrote
verses or read modern fiction; the mo-
ment he relaxed his vigilance she was
away on some heartrending escapade
Didn't she scandalize the nobility by
dressing up hussar and riding her
famous black Meeklenburg cross-coun-
try? Hadn't she flirted outrageously
with the French attache and deliber-
ately turned her back On the Russian
minister, at the very moment, too,
when negotiations were going on be
tween Russia and Barscheit relative
to a small piece of land in the Bal
kans? And. most terrible of all to re-
late, hadn't she ridden shining bicy-
Gle up the Konigsstrasse. in broad dcy-
light, and in bifurcated skirts. be
sides? / shall never forget the indig-
nation of the press at the time OF this
last escapade. the stroke of apoplexy
which threatened the duke, and the
room with the barred window which
the princess occupied one whole week
They burned the offensive bicycle in
the courtyard of the palace, ceremo-
IniousIy, too. and the princess had Wit
messed this solemn auto da fe from
her barred window. 1t is no strain
supon the imagination to conjuro Up
the picture OF her fine rage. her threat
ening hands, her compressed lips, her
fearless. flashing eyes. as she saw her
beautiful new wheel writhe and twist
on the blazing fagots. Eat what the
deuce was poor duke to do with
niece like this?
For time feared that the United
States and the Grand Duchy CT Bar-
scheit would sever diplomatic rcla-
fioDs. The bicycle was. unfortunately,