Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-10-15

it may hmuse you 10 know that
 have seen the gentleman before" That is possible" remarked tn,
 old man, who never evinced surprise
 in my circumstances. q expect to see him here within . few days"
 Count von Stroebel held up his emp ty glass and studied 1t attentively while he waited for Armitage to ex' plain why he expected to see Ram baud in Geneva.
 He is interested in . certain young woman. She reached here yesterday and Rambaud, alias Chauvenet, is quite likely to arrive within a day or so."
 "Jules Chauvenet is the correct name. I must inform my men," said the minister.
 "You wish to arrest himY
 "You ought to know me better than that, Mir. John Armitage! Of course shall not arrest him. But must get that packet. l can't have 1t peddled all over Europe, and I can't advertise my business by having him arrested here. If could catch him once in Vienna l should know what to do with him. He and Winkelried got hold of our plans in that Bulgarian affair last year and checkmated me. He carries his wares to the best buyers-Berlin and St. Petersburg. So there's a wo- man, is there? I've found that there usually is.'
 "There's very charming young American girl, to be more exact"
 The old man growled and eyed Armi- tage sharply. while Armitage studied the photograph.
 q hope you are not meditating a preposterous marriage. Go back where you belong, make proper marriage and waltz
 "Eventsw And John Armitage laugh ed. T tell you, sir, that waiting is hot my forte. That's what like about America. They're up and at 1t over there. The man who waits is lost"
 "They're a lot of swinew rumbled 'Von Stroebel's heavy bass.
 "I still owe allegiance to the Schom- burg crown. so don't imagine you are hitting me. But the swine are indus trious and energetic. Who knows but that John Armitage might become fa- nous among them-in politics, in finance! But for the deplorable acci- dent of foreign birth he might be- come president of the United States. As It is, there are thousands of other offices worth getting-why not?"
 "I tell you not to be fool. You are young and fairly clever"
 Armitage laughed at the reluctance of the counts praise.
 'Thank you. with all my heart"
 "Go back where you belong and you will have no regrets. Something may happen-who can tell? Events-events If man will watch and wait and study events. But"-he gulped down more of the brandy-"where and how do you live?'
 "Where? I own a cattle ranch in Montana, and since the archduke's death l have lived there. He carried about f50,000 to America with him. He took care that should get what was left when he died, and I am al- most afraid to tell you that have actu- ally augmented my inheritance. Just before l left bought place in Vir- ginia to be near Washington when got tired of the ranch"
 "Washingtonw snorted the count. 'In due course 1t will be the storm center of the world"
 You read the wrong American news papers," laughed Armitage.
 They were silent for a moment, in which each was busy with his own thoughts. Then the count remarked in as amiable tone as he ever used:
 "Your French is first rate Do you speak English as well?"
 'As readily as German, think. You may recall that had an English tutor, and maybe I did not tell you in that interview at Paris that l had spent . year at Harvard university"
 "What the devil did you do that fort" growled Von Stroebel.
 From curiosity or ambition, as you like. I was in Cambridge at the law school for a year before the archduke died. That was three years ago. am twenty eight, as you may remember. am detaining you; have no wish to rake over the past, but I am sorry-l am very sorry-we can't meet on some common ground"
 T ask you to abandon this democrat Ic nonsense and come back and make i ! man of yourself. You might go far very far-but this democracy has hold of you like disease"
 What you ask Is impossible. It Is lust as impossible now as 1t was when ] we discussed 1t in Paris last year. To | sit down in Vienna and learn how to l leep that leaning tower of an empire l rom tumbling down like a stack of | )ricks-it does not appeal to me-"
 Don't talk to me like that. It is not ! 
 'No; It Is not funny. To see men like i Tou fetching and carrying for a dull ling. who would drop through the ,allows or go to planting turnips with ut your brains-it does not appeal to ny sense of humor or to my imagina- ion. If I were going to furnish the brains for an empire I should ride In he state carriage myself and not be merely the driver on the box. who ,eeps the middle of the road and looks