Gunnison news-champion., 1908-12-25

! s<<< . er~ai nan sf hsr -ts.se tse
ssAz H4<h--as srass ss-sss< a sss.ssa
ago. Issa yos eser ns4rss his.-fnc DS~c
u ssressasg-
-Nes. Z DID grow .~d E-srsraas.
Az extzen.ess cc,...ysssssssl usaa 1
thssShs kia
Ii ~a~ ts.s hard 10 -4-e that s.csr-a =
Fefercses-S 10 slss a.s~. wcr. ins.4.s.e.i
10 a<GEsvass y.s~~ 1b-srsra.s > -a:f.rlngs
~ thai ! ss<e~ tsse iafcxeaee thai the
auke had distinguished Nnse. d. MAJ
sAs ty his ssscss,~I.. ssss Was a ~sa
0w. rsch. h-sodssuse AMI according ts
rcs,use. Ambitious. Ii vas quite J-s-
sibse thai slss. as Ges~ge put r. wa-
sysas as high a. q y~,s-saAgc who was
escvytssaz be esssd ts sasxt vi e.sias-
lag a strictly regal rank. foS tie ause
vas the soa 81 the late kiag Of .uri-
taasa cy a second and us.rgaaasic Isar.
rage And hall brcsker 10 the new King
He had Is-.a h.s fathers fayo<,te. and
sUasnscnt when he had t.cca cssa,ed a
anke. With q title derived from no
ben~ q city than tke capital itself HIS
mother had t.-eu sA good. s.xst Not ex
slted. birth
Hes Hss in Paris nov. rs he.~
asked
on. NO, Hes gene back to be pres
cot st the king's croaatiSa. u ccre
nsaay which. I stould say. he'll no,
enjoy nusA. HUT. Bert. odd man. dou {
despair. HE wont marry she fair An
t"sIsette-at beast not unless another
plan comes 10 nothing Still. perhaps.
she"- He paused and added. with a
laugh. Royal attentions are hard 10
resist. You know that. doa't you. Ru
dolf:"
''Confound you'" said I. aud. rising
! left the haVlc-s Bertram in Gcorgc' >
hands aud went home 10 bed
The next day George Fcatherly went
with me to the station, where l took
q ticket for Dresden.
George. with a grin.
George il an nvcterate gossip. and
had ! told him that was of to Ruri-
taBia the news would have been m
London in three days and in Park lane
in a week. | was therefore about TO ne
turn an svasive answer when he saved
my conscience 10y leaving me suddenly
and dartfBg across the platform. Fol.
lowing him with my eyes. ! saw him
lift his hat and accost graceful. fash
ionably dressed woman who had Just
appeared from the booking office. She
was perhaps a year or two over thirty.
tall. dark and Of rather fun figure. As
George talked ! saw her glance at me.
and my vanity was hurt by the thought
that. muiilcd Ia fur coat and a neck
wrapper dor II was a chilly April day
and wearing "A soft travelling hat pulled
down 10 my eye. must lie looking
very far from my best. A moment
later George rrjoincd me.
You've got "A charming travelling
companion" he said That's poor Bert
isertram's goddess, Antoinette de Mau.
ban. and, like you, she's going TO Dres
den-also. no doubt, to see the pictures
It's very queer. though. that she doesn'
- present desire the honor II your &C
)aintance."
didn't ask 10 be intreluced.'' I oh
nVed. a little annoyed.
Well. ! offered 10 bring you 10 her
but she said, Another time Never
mind. old fellow. perhaps there1l lie a
smash. and you'll have a chance Of res.
cung her and cutting out the Duke OF
strelsau"
No smash, however, happened, either
TO me or to Nine de Mauban. | can
speak for her as confidently as for my
self. for when, after a nights rest In
Dresden. ! continued my journey she
got into the same train. Understand
ing that she wished 10 be let alone, |
avoided her carefully. but I saw that
she went the same way as I did to the
very end Of my journey, and took op-
portunities of having a good look mt
her when ! could do so unobserved.
As soon as we reached the Rurita-
nian frontier twhere the old officer who
presided over the custom house favor
ed me with such a stare that I felt
surer than before of my Elphberg
physiognomy) ! bought the papers and
found in them news which affected my
movements. For some reason which
was not clearly explained and seemed
to be something OF a mystery the date
Of the coronation had been suddenly
advanced. and the ceremony was 10
take place on the next day but one.
The whole country seemed in n stir
about it. and il was evident that Strel-
sau WAS thronged. Rooms we're all ,et
and hctsls ove-fcwing. There would
I've very little chance Of my obtaining
lodging. and should certainly have
to pay an cxorbitant charge FOR II. !
made up my mind to stop at Zenda, n
small town fifty miles short OF the cap
ital and about ten from the frontier.
My train reached there in the evening.
I would spend the next day. Tuesday.
in a wander over the hills. which were
said 10 he very fine. and in taking a
glance at the famous castle and go
over lv train 70 SfrelSau on tho