The Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1903-1909, 1908-05-09

There was barrier Of thirty-six
years difference in age between the
two, and they had never been friends
In the true sense Of the word, for the
old man was temperamentally unable
to sympathize with the tastes or I'M
derstand the temptations Of the young
er brother and the younger man was
mentally unable to appreciate the quail
tiles Of the elder.
Nevertheless it was rumored at court
that Iron Heart had more than once
used the gay and good looking captain
Of cavalry for catspaw In pulling
some very big and hot chestnuts out Of
the fire. At all events, Handsome
Egon" $50 known among his followers),
1.-THE chancellor's jackal" (thus nick
named by his enemies), would have
found difficulty in keeping up appear
ances without the allowance granted
by his powerful half brother The Ill
assorted pair were often in communi-
cation, and the baroness liked to think
that news fresh from Lyndalberg must
sooner or later be waited like a wind
blown scent of roses across the water
to Schloss Breitstein.
She was still less displeased than sur
prised, therefore, when. the emperor
having been three days at Lyndalberg,
with two more days Of his visit to run,
an urgent message arrived for Captain
Won Breitstein from his brother.
Poor old Lorenz was wrestling with
his enemy, govt, 1t appeared, and wish
ed for Egon's immediate presence.
Such a summons could not be neg
! lected. Egon's whole future depended
upon his half brothers caprice. he hint
ed to the baroness in asking leave to
desert her pleasant party for few
hours. So of course she sent the chan
cellor her regrets, with the baron's,
and Egon went Off charged with
friendly message from the emperor as
well.
When the captain Of cavalry had set
out from Lyndalberg to Schloss Brett
stein by the shortest way-across the
lake In smart little motor boat
promising to be back In time for din
ner and concert, the baroness spent
all her energy in getting up an I'M
promptu riding party, which would
give Leopold the chance of another
tete-a-tete with Miss Mowbray.
Already many such chances had been
arranged. so cleverly as not to excite
gossip, and If the Irritation. destined
by the hostess to disgust Leopold with
his chancellor's matrimonial projects.
did not advance by leaps and bounds
1t was certainly not the fault of Baron
ess Won Lyndal.
"Egon has been told to use his eyes
and ears for all they're worth at Lyn-
dalberg, and now he's called upon to
hand In his first report" she said to
herself when the younger Won Brett
stein was off on bis mission across the
lake.
But for once, at least, the Chan
celor's jackal" was wronged by IN
Just suspicion. He arrived at Schloss
Breitsteln ignorant Of his brothers mo-
tive In sending for him, though he
shrewdly suspected 1t to be something
quite different from the one alleged.
The chancellor was In his study. a
deep Widowed tower room. with
walls book lined nearly to the cross
beamed ceiling. He sat reading a
budget of letters when Egon was an
bounced, and If he were really Ill he
did not betray his suffering. The
square face, with its beetling brows.
eyes of somber fire and forehead i'm
pressive as cathedral dome, showed
no new lines craven by pain.
"Sit down, Egon," he said abruptly,
tearing In half an envelope stamped
with the head of Hungaria's king.
"Ill be ready for you in a moment"
The young man took the least un-
comfortable chair in the room, which
from his point of view was to say lit
tie in Its favor, because the newest
piece of furniture there had been made
q hundred years befora the world I'M
derstobd that lounging was not
crime. Over the high stone mantel
hung q shield, SO brightly polished as
to fulfill the office Of mirror, and
from where Egon sat- perforce upright
and rigid, he could see himself vi
gnetted In reflection.
He admired his fresh color. which
was like girls, pointed the waxed
ends of his mustache with nervous
cigarette stained fingers, and, thinking
Of many agreeable things, from bac-
carat to roulette, from roulette to races
and races to pretty women, he wonder
ed which he had to thank for this sum-
mons to the chancellor. Unfortunately
Brother Lorenz knew everything.
Ones pleasant peccadillos buzzed to
his ears like flies. There was little
hope of deceiving him.
Egon sighed, and his eyes turned me-
chanically from his own visage on
shining steel to the letter held In an
old hand so veined that 1t reminded the
young man of rock netted with the
sprawlina roots Of ancient trees. He
had just time to recognize the writing
as that of Adalbert, crown prince or
Hungaria, whom he knew slightly,
when keen eyes curtained with furled
and wrinkled lids glanced up from the
letter
ITS coming" thought Egon What
| can the old chan have found outY