Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-05-21

once they take up aTmS. TUT tHiS icI- son no less than an account of their devotion to him the prince did well to choose this country as the recruiting ground for his new force of gunners.
 The prince had been at Praslok for a week when Sophy set out to join him there. At the last moment Zerkovitch decided to remain in Slavna, at least until the court made its promised move to Dobrava. Measuring as pr. Nat chef was, it would do no harm to have a friendly pair of eyes and ears in the capital so long as the king remained in residence Thus ulse two ladies were accompanied only by Peter yassip. whom the prince had 3rnt to escort them. They set out in heavy travel ing carriage at 10 in the morning, reck- oning to reach the castle before even ing fell Their progress would never be rapid and for the last five miles ex- ceedingly slow. They left the capital in complete tranquility, and when So- phy settled her bill at the sign of the Silver Cock and bade farewell to old Meyerstein. her landlord, he expressed the hope that she would soon be back. though, indeed, his poor house was, he feared, no fit quarters for the Baroness Dobrava.
 T don't know whether shall come back here, but can never forget your house. shall always love it in my memory" said Sophy.
 Max von Hollbrandt had obtained leave of absence from his legation and had accompanied the prince to Pras- lok. The two ere friends, having many tastes in common and, not least, the taste for soldering. Besides hay ing the pleasure of his company the prince looked to obtain valuable aid from Max in the task on which he was engaged. The young German was amused and delighted with his expedi- ton. Praslok is primitive old place. It stands on an abrupt mound or knob of ground by the roadside. So steep and sudden is the ascent that it was necessary to build massive causeway of wood-an inclined plane-to lead up from the road to the gate of the square tower which forms the front of the building. The causeway has crossbars at short intervals to give foothold to the horses which in old days were stabled within the walls. Recently, however. modern stables had been built on the other side of the road. and it had become the custom to mount the causeway and enter the castle on foot.
 Within, the arrangements were quaint and very simple. Besides the tower already mentioned, which con- tained the dining room and two bed rooms above it, the whole building, strictly conditioned by the shape of the hill on which 1t stood, consisted of three rows of small rooms on the ground fioor. In one row lived the prince and his male guests. in the sec ond the servants. in the third the guard. The ladies were to be accom- modated in the tower above the dining room. The rows of rooms opened on covered wn1l, nr cioi~+c~ which ran round the inner court of the castle. The whole was solidly built of gray stone a businesslike old hill fortress, strong by reason of its massive masonry and of the position in which it stood. Con- sidered as modern residence it had to ha traa tad but,,nropo1v CD Nov danIar. ed, and found much pleasure in it from that point of view. The prince, always indifferent to physical comfort and ever averse from luxury. probably did not realize how much his ancestral strong hold demanded of his guests indul- gence. Old Vassip. Peters father. was major domo-always in his sheeps.Sin coat and high boots. His old wife was cook. Half q dozen servants completed the establishment. and of these three were grooms. The horses, in fact, seemed to Max the only creatures whose comfort were at all on a modern footing. But the prince was entirely satisfied and never so happy anywhere as at Praslok. He loved the simple. hardy life. He loved even more, though perhaps less consciously. the sense of being among friends. He would not yield an inch to court popularity in Slavna. but his heart went out to meet the unsouGht devotion of volseni. the