The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-12-22

Copyright, 1909, by George Barr
(CopyrIsh}, 1909. by Dood, Mead
d Company. Published. Sept. 19Oe.)
Mr.. King saw the court in all
its glory, scattered along the
shady Castle avenue II in car
riages, in traps, in motors and in
the saddle. His brain whirled and
his heart leaped under the pres
sure of a new-found interest in
life. The unexpected oasis loom
ed up before his eyes just as he
was abandoning all hope in the
improbable desert of Romance.
He saw green trees and sparkling
rivulets. and he sighed with a
new, strange content. No, on sec
ond thoughts, he would not go to
Vienna. He would stay in Edel-
weiss. He was a disciple of Mi
cawber; and he was so much
younger and fresher than that dis
tinguished gentleman, that per-
haps he was justified in believ-
ing that, in his case, something
was bound to turn up"
II Truxton King had given up
in disgust and fled to Vienna, this
tale would never have come to
light. Instead of being the live
ly narrative of a young gentle
mans adventures in far-away
Graustark, it might have become
tale of the smart set in New
York-for, as you know, we are
bound by tradition to follow the
trail laid down by our hero, nc
matter which way he elects to
fare.
Somewhat dismayed by his
narrow escape, he confided to his
friend from Cooks that he could
never have forgiven himself If he
had adhered to his resolution to
leave on the following day.
IT didn't know you'd changed
your mind. SIR" remarked Mr.,
Hobbs in surprise.
"Of course you didn't know it, "
said Truxton. "How could you
I've just changed it, this instant.
l didn't know it myself two min
utes ago. No, sir, Hobbs-or is
it Dobbs? Thank-no, sir, I'm 60
ing to stop here for a-well, a
week or two. Where the dickens
do these people keep themselves?
l haven't seen 'em before"
"Oh. they are the nobility-the
swells. They don't hang around
the streets like tourists and rub
bernecks, SIR" in plain disgust"
Il thought you were an Eng
lishman," observed King, with a
quizziea1 smile.
81 am, sir. I can't help saying
rubbernecks, sir, though it's a
shocking word. It's the only
name for them, sir. That's what
the little prince calls them, too,
You see, it's one form of amuse-
ment they provide for him, and !
am supposed to help it along as
much as possible. Mr.. Tullis
takes him out in the avenue when
ever I've got a party in hand. ]
telephone up to the castle that
I've got crowd, and then l drive
EN- to the park here. The prince
says he just loves to watch the
rubbernecks go by. It's great fun
sir, for the little lad. He never
misses a party. and you can be.
lieve 1t or not, he has told me sc
himself. Yes, sir, the prince has
had more than one word with me
from time to time" King look.
ed at the little mans reddish face
and saw therein the signs of ex.
altation indigenous to land i'm.
perial.
He hesitated for an instant and
then remarked, with a mean i'm
pulse to spoil Hobbs glorifica.
ton: 81 have dined with the
president of the United States"
Hobbs was politely unimpress.
ed. 1--WE no doubt, SIR" he said
81 daresay it was an excellent
dinner"
King blinked his eyes and then
turned them upon the passing
show. He was coming to under
stand the real difference between
men.
81 say, who Is that Just pass
ing-the lady in the victorian" he
asked abruptly.
THAT is the Countess Mar