Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-08-26

1 lAI Slul-
tN borne gave sumptuous
supper at the Army and
2 Navy club for ten men
INN in honor of the newly,
- arrived military attache
of the Spanish legation. He had
drawn his guests largely from his for
eign acquaintance In Washington be-
cause the Spanish spoke little English,
and Dick knew Washington well enough
to understand that, while a girl and
man who speak different languages may
sit comfortably together at table, men
IN like predicament grow morose and
are likely to quarrel with their eyes be-
fore the cigars are passed. 1t was Fri
day, and the whole party had witness
ed the drill at Fort Myer that after
noon, with nine girls to listen to their
explanation Of the maneuvers and the
earliest spring bride for chaperon.
Shirley had been Of the party and
somewhat the heroine of 1t, too, for it
was Dick who sat on his horse out in
the tanbark with the little whistle to
his lips and manipulated the troop.
Here's a confusion of tongues.
may need you to interpret laughed
Dick, indicating n chair at his left, and
when Armitage sat down he faced
Chauvenet across the round table.
With the first filling of glasses it was
found that every one could speak
French. and the talk went forward
spiritedly. The discussion of military
matters naturally occupied first place.
Then they fell to talking about in
diyiduals. chiefly men in the public
eye, and us the Austro- Hungarian en-
bassy was In mourning and unrepre.
sented at the table the new emperor
king was discussed with considerable
frankness.
HE has not old Stroebels right hand
to hold him up" remarked young
German officer.
Thereby hangs dark tale" re-
marked Claiborne. Somebody stuck
q knife into Count Won Stroebel Mt a
singularly inopportune moment. saw
him in Geneva two days before he was
assassinated, and he was very feeble
and seemed harassed. 1t gives man
the shudders to think of what might
happen If his majesty Charles Louis
should go by the board. His only child
died year ago-after him his cousin
Francis, and then the deluge."
Bah! Francis is not us dark as he's
painted. He's the most lied about
prince in Europe" remarked Chau-
venet. HE would most certainly be
an improvement on Charles Louis. But,
alas, Charles Louis will undoubtedly
live on forever, like his lamented fa-
ther. The king is dead! Long live the
king!'
Nothing can. happen" remqrked the
German sadly. II have lost much
money betting on upheavals In that d.
rection. If there were q man In Hun
gary it would be different. But riots
are not revolutions
"That is quite true" said Armitage
quietly.
But" observed the spaniard, "if
the Archduke Karl had not gone out
of his head apd died in two or three
dozen places, SO that no one is sure
he is dead at all, things Mt Vienna
might be rather more interesting. Karl
took son with him into exile. Sup,
pose one or the other OF them should
reappear, stir up strife and inclte re-
bellion."
"Such speculations are quite idle,''
commented Chauyenet. There. is nc
doubt whatever that Karl is: dead OF
we should hear Of him.
"Of course" said the German. III
he We're not the death of the old en-
peror would have brought him to life
again"
'.The same applies to the boy he
carried away. with Internationally
dead, or we should hear of him. Kar
disappeared soon after his son Francis
was born. 1t was said
"a pretty tale 1t ISL commented the
German, "that the child wasn't ex
actly Karl's own. He took IT. quite
hard-went away to hide his shame-in
exile, taking his son, Frederick Au
gustus, with him." 49,
HE was surely mad" remarked
Chauvenet. slipping cordial. "He is
much better dead, and out of the way
for the good of Austria. Francis, as !
say, Is good fellow. We have hunted
together, and know him well''
They fell to talking about the lost
sons of royal houses-and goodly NUN.
Der there have been, even In these
later centuries-and then of the latest
marriages between American women
and titled foreigners. Chauvenet was
now leading the conversation. 1t might
even have seemed to critical listener
that he was guiding 1t with certain
intention.
fIe laughed us though at the remem.
brance of something amusing and held
the little company while he bent over
a candle to light a>cigar.
with all due respect to our Ameri-
can host, must say that title in
America goes further than anywhere
else III the whole. was at Bar Har-
Dor three years ago when the Baron
Won Kissel devastated that region. He
made sad havoc among the ladies' that
summer The rest Of us simply had no
place to stand. You remember. gentle.
men"-and Chauvenet looked slowly
around the listening circle-"thpt the
unexpected arrival of the excAllent
ambassador of Austria Hungary caus-
ed the baron to leave Bar Harbor be-
tween dark and daylight The story
was that lie got off in sailboat. and
the next we heard of him he was mas
querading under some title In San
Francisco. where he proved to be n
dangerous forger. You all remember
that the papers We're full of his per-
formances for awhile. but he was a
lucky rascal and always disappeared at
the proper psychological moment. He
had, us you may say, the cosmopolitan
accent and was the most plausible fell
low alive.
Its my experience that we never
meet n person once only-there's al
ways a second meeting somewhere
and was not ut all surprised when 1
ran upon my old friend the baron in
Germany last fall"
"At his old tricks. suppose" OBJ