Evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1907-1913, 1908-01-02

thought and action. Hence, she be-
came the bramble that prodded the
grand duke whichever way he turned.
His days were filled with horrors, his
nights with mares which did not have
box-stalls in his stables.
Never could he anticipate her in
anything. On that day he placed
guards around the palace she wrote
verses or read modern fiction; the mo-
ment he relaxed his vigilance she was
away on some heartrending escapade.
Didn't she scandalize the nobility by
dressing up hussar and riding her
famous black Mecklenburg cross-coun-
try? Hadn't she flirted outrageously
with the French attache and deliber-
ately turned her back on The Russian
minister, at the very moment, too,
when negotiations were going on be-
tween Russia and Barscheit relative
to small piece of land in the Bal
kans? And, most terrible of all to re-
late, hadn't she ridden a shining bicy-
Gle up the Konigsstrasse, in broad day.
light, and in bifurcated skirts, be-
sides? / shall never forget the indig-
nation of the press at the time of this
last escapade, the stroke of apoplexy
which threatened the duke, and the
room with the barred window which
the princess occupied one whole week.
They burned the offensive bicycle in
the courtyard of the palace, ceremo-
niously, too, and the princess had wit
messed this solemn auto da fe from
her barred window 1t Is no strain
upon the imagination to conjure up
the picture of her fine rage, her threat
ening hands, her compressed lips, her
fearless, flashing eyes, as she saw her
beautiful new wheel writhe and twist
ON the blazing fagots. But what the
deuce was poor duke to do with a
niece like this?
For a time feared that the United
States and the Grand Duchy OF Bar
scheit would sever diplomatic rela-
tions. The bicycle was. unfortunately,
I of American make, and the manufac-
lturers wrote to me personally that
they considered themselves grossly in
suited over the action of the duke.
,, Diplomatic notes were exchanged, and
finally prevailed upon the duke to
state that he held the wheel harmless
and that his anger had been directed
solely against his niece. This letter
was duly forwarded to the manufac-
turers, who, after the manner of their
kind, carefully altered the phrasing
,,, 4,
tisements. They were so far appeased
that they offered me my selection from
the private stock. Happily the duke
never read anything but the Fliegende
Blatter and Jugend, and thus war was
averted.
the town-at the secret bidding of her
highness-but he was so unceremo-
niously hustled over the frontier that
his teeth must have ratified like a
dancers castanets. It was great
country for expeditiousness, as you
will find, if you do me the honor to
follow me to the end.
So the grand duke swore that his
niece should wed Doppelkinn, and the
princess vowed that she would not.
The man who had charge of my horses
said that one of the palace maids had
recounted to him a dialogue which
had taken place between the duke and
on the road was compelled to listen
to his gossip.
The Grand Duke-In two months
| time you shall wed the Prince of Dop-
| pelkinn.
The Princess-What! that old red
nose? Never! l shall marry only
where love.
| The Grand Duke-Only where you
| love! (Sneers-) One would think, to
| hear you talk, that you were capable
Of loving something.
The Fsincess-You have yet to
| learn. I warn you not to force me.
promise to do something scandalous.
| will marry one Of the people-a man.
The Grand Duke-Bah! (Swears
softly on his way to the stables)
| But the princess had in her mind
| plan which, had it gone through
safely, would have added many gray
hairs to the dukes scanty collection.
II was a mighty ingenious plan, too,
| for woman to figure out.
| In his attitude toward the girl the
| duke stood alone. Behind his back his
ministers wore out their shoes in wait
! ing on the caprices of the girl, while
the grand duchess, half-blind and half
! deaf openly wcrshired her willful but
wholly adorable niece, and abettcd her
| In all her escapades So far as the
/ populace was concerned. she was the
| daughter of the favorite son, dead
these IS years. aad that was enough
| for them. Whatever she did was right
and proper. But the hard.headed duke
had the power to say what should be
what, and he willcd 1t that the Prin-
cess. Hildegarde should marry his old
comrade in arms, the Prince of Dop-
| pelkinn.