The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-26

the exiles
 erept mysteriously home to avoid the police, who were greatly amused at these platonie conspiracies.
 Elysee soon saw that he was too young for these ghosts of ancient France. He learned, too. that the opinions of his dis trict were not held by everybody and that the return of the legitimate king would be delayed longer than his people at home supposed. His loyalty was only increased by this. But 1t changed his plan. He decided to write a book-a burning book to convince France.
 Like all the people in his part of tho country, Elysee was a man of words and gestures. Ideas only came to him when he was on his feet and heard the sound of his own voice. His thoughts left his pen slowly, drop by drop; but they flowed from his lips in perfect tide of eloquence. So it happened that he be- gan speaking in the cafes, especially those in the Latin Quarter. These were the only places where opposition could be expressed, when books and journals were under the ban of the government. Every cafe had it's orator and it's great man. Indeed, all the learned and elo- quent youth went there to repeat the fine political and philosophical discus sions of the beer taverns of Bonn and Heidelberg.
 In this noisy forge of ideas the tall Cas- con, who was always inspired and whoss convictions were as old-fashioned as anti Quarian objects in that modern Paris, became famous quickly. Here is Me- raut!" the crowd would exclaim when they saw the tall ungainly figure, with a book or a review under his arm. And Meraut would toss back his inextricable tangle of black hair surrounded by a broad white tuft, peer forward, with his haggard, near-sighted eyes, and begin to gesticulate while the young men pressed around him.
 Come in quc1lyl We have Monsieur Meraut here!" the lady at the cafe coun- ter would say proudly to all who entered. The parties at dominoes stopped. The billiard players leaned over the stairs. Beirg without intrigue or personal ambi-  tie of his faith and threw himself into the indefatigable work of the missinoary. The years came and passed almost un- noticed to this man of the rapt dream and the splendid vision. He lived hard and sparsely, earning enough to keep himself in a shabby room and in shabby clothes by giving lessons. Thus for IS years he sowed ideas among the young men of Paris. Many who reached high po- siticns carefully gathered for their own glory the crumbs that the singular fel low dropped carelessy from his table. Meraut knew it. When he found one of his ideas repeated by distinguished gen tleman he felt the dislnterested happi- ness of father who sees his daughters well married yet has no desire to claim them.
 It was the chivalric self f-denial of the old weaver-the old man who sang in his loudest tones: Long live Henry the Fourth!' when he lay dying.
 This was Elysee Meraut, when the world was thrilled by the heroic defense of Ragusa by the King and Queen of Illyria and Dalmatia after their people
  voured all the news-how the insolent crowds cried for her life under the Queens window at Laybach; how the council, mad with fear, begged the King to abdicate, only to be met with a re- fusal; how the royal couple with the young heir to the throne fled across the mountains at night disguised as peasants. and how, at last having shut themselves Up in Ragusa, they. defended the place for two months, besieged by the nation in arms outside and assailed by hunger. illness and despair inside.
 When at last they escaped and sue ceeded in taking ship for France, Elysee Meraut was foremost in the crowd that assembled around the hotel where the ex- lied couple had taken refuge. When they came out on the balcony he saw slender, frail man with a dull complexion. black, curly hair and meagre mustache which he twirled continually. His eyes were handsome and irresolute. That was the King.
 His Queen was a tall, 1.-the. beautiful Dalmatian, with an extraordinary bril- liance of complexion and superb hair of Venetian blonde. Her eyes were sad and serious. She looked down at the crowd with naughty pride.
 Their son was a tiny, weak little crea- ture, D or years old, with sharp. marked features and light colored hair. For him exile opened happily He was enlivened by being relieved of the childish fear of the cannon. The King too, seemed de- cidedly gay. He looked with keen inter- est at the busy street.
 While they stood thus Elysee Meraut suddenly swung himself to the fence oppo- site the hotel and waved his hat, crying Long live the King" The Queen looked gratefully downward at this unknown friend in republican Paris. The salutation, of which she had been deprived so long, warmed her to the heart and the cheer ing reaction was completed by the appear ance of another evidence of loyalty in tho rerson of General the Duke of Rosen.
 The Duke of Rosen, the conqueror at Mostar and Livno and the hero of the great Montenegrin wars, had been away from Illyria for three years. ever since the king had removed him from his place as chief of the military service to give it 10 liberal.
 Surely the old chief of pandours had the right to be aggrieved at Christian, who bad sacrificed him coldly and had permit