Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-05-04

Au reVOlr, Cnen, SalQ tue FIR
cess, II shall expect you"
She spoke To the isyoschik, and
a rhythmical .angle Of bells, flew
the sledge, with sudden crash and
dOwn.he street. The American, with
head uncovered, stood looking afte.
1t.
CHAPTER XxXIf
How do look, Wang?" Hardy ask
ed of his Korean boy, who was sitting
in the room of their suite at the hotel
that did duty as an office Wang
glanced up from the pile of correspon-
dence with which he was busy.
you look like q gentleman" he
replied quietly.
Thanks" said Hardy. who was in
evening dress. 81 am glad you think
so, for the costume which am now
wearing was invented to convey the
impression that man is either gen
tleman or waiter, though it has,
first and last, it must be confessed,
covered the back of an occasional CO.
ward or clown. It Is necessary for
me tonight to look the gentleman,
my boy" he added whimsically, "for
am going to mingle with the hauEe
nobless The merchant of Stryetensle,
Wang. is on his way to the place of
the komanoffs!"
Wang smiled. Once a gentleman,
always a gentleman he replied.
There are many among the drunken,
licentious and cowardly nobility Of
Russia who are less worthy to enter
palaces than the merchant of Stryen-
| ski"
Hardy laid his hand on the others
shoulder.
"You look pale, my boy" he said
kindly. you are working too hard.
Put these away now and go to bed,
or, here take this and go to the
theater, - and he laid gold piece
on the table. Wang flushed and hand
ed the money bck.
/ If l go to the theater," he said
| with considerable spirit, II can buy
my own ticket"
| Hardy's finer feeling prevented him
from smiling.
| Pardon me. Wang" he said, re-
storing the money to his pocket. II
did not mean to offer you charity;
| merely reward for exceptional at
| tention to duty. But must be go
| ing. The Princess said eight and it's
nearly that now. Don't work any
more tonight"
He was gone.
The Princess!" muttered Wang,
jabbing the pen, with which he had
been writing, SO spitefully into the
table that he shattered it's point.
The naughty, lemon-haired Princess.
- and she wants nothing Of him save
to amuse herself! He has saved her
life and now she will repay him by
breaking his heart. / could kill her.! Z"
Having given vent to this ebullition
of seeming jealousy, Wang proceeded
to illustrate still further the feminine
nature of Korean boys, for he rested
his nand on his arms and sobbed for
some moments violently. After which
he twisted his neck about and kissed
the spot upon his shoulder where his
masters hand had rested.
Hardy, meanwhile, slipping into a
| long ulster, the fur collar of which
he turned up about his ears, left the
hotel and stepped to the edge Of the
! sidewalk. A droshky dashed UP i'm
| mediately.
"The princess Romanovna," said he
In Russian "The Princess Roman
ovna, in the street"
/ The isvoschik jumjed down with al
acrity extraordinary for Russian.
1.-THE Princess Romanovna?" he ,n-
! quired, looking shrewdly at Hardy.
"Yes," said Hardy, "ln the stree"
Get In" said the Russian, land
will drive you there Immediately.
know where 1t is"
There was something strange in the
mans manner, SO strange, in fact,
1 that 1t set the American wondering.
He acted as though he had been sent
for his fare. or had been expecting
him. But Hardy did not long dwell on
this idea, for he was, after all, on his
way to the Princess. He would soon
/ be in her presence again, and the
| thought SO agitated him, SO set his
heart beating, that all other matters
were driven from his mind. He realiz-
cd now, more strongly than ever be
fore, that he was too deeply interest.
ed in her for his peace Of mind, and
he had seen enough of the customs
Of the country to lead him to believe
that there was no hope of winning
her hand. Old Emery's dictum that a
| princess is but woman afforded him
little comfort. There was a vast diff
ference, he reflected, if one is a Rus
sian princess, between marrying a
tradesman and being kind to man
who has saved your life. If there were
any chance for him, he would go in
and win, to use an American expires.
sion. and If he failed, he would take
his medicine like a man. But this
going to see her, under the circum
stances. was only folly. 1t would make
1t the harder for him when it became
necessary for him to go back to the
store. Not that he admitted to him
self any social inferiority He was
too good an American for that He
was taking into account the education
n and training of the Princess, and their
i probable effect on the situation. This
falling in love is serious business
and a hopeless affection may wreck q
mans life.
y CONTINUED In next issue.l