The Detroit times., 1909-02-17
The Man
Who Stole
The Earth
By ". Holt Whin.
CHAPTER LvilI.-continued

/ CHAPTER lViiI.-Continued
He has been here, and ! am glad
of IT, For | know that now | am not
mad | only know that you are evil.
/ The king threw MIN arm from him
with "A quick movement OF disgust
and. beckoning to Ludwig TO follow
: MIN dashed out Of the room.
! He was, however. too late
lie was drunk with rage when he
stood on the steps of the hotel and
/ saw his enemy escaping. He was
drunk with hatred when he strobe up
10 his rooms and blindy CROPPED for a
means of defense.
! But the violence OF his passion pass
ed and left him coldly determined TO
enmesh Strong in the net of Paris.
! He sent for the project OF The dis
trict. and babe Ludwig ring up the
editorial Offices of journal after jour
nal, so that within a very few min'
utes mis- majestys room at the hotel
became a species of informal and i'm
promptu Press club.
The king before now had been care
! full TO provide himself with the beet
portrait OF Strong that he could col
! lect. and this he now gave into the
hands OF photographer for reproduc-
ton.
/ In his intense desire 10 capture
Strong he cast aside his last vestige
of dignity as a king. though thereby
he lost nothing of his prestige as
business man.
! For. with his usual habit OF com
mand. he mastered the journalists AT
once. and before half an hour had
elapsed he had distributed them over
Paris with the care and precision or
general ordering the movements or
his intelligence department.
Beyond ascertaining the fact that
Strong had dined openly, and with an
insolent defiance OF recognition, at
the Cafe de Paris, he learned nothing.
And SO the news of Strong's escape
from the Eiffel tower came 10 him
as double blow.
Il was then that the king had sense
enough TO see that circumstances had
to a great extent upset his equilibrium,
that ne was 10 a large extent without
balance, and was rapidly falling into
the bad habit OF losing his temper.
And there Is no worse vice In the
world than this-no vice that more
quickly and completely enslaves
man.
And SO. facing the unpleasant fact,
he. 10 employ a vulgarism. pulled him
self together and fell back again upon
his old pose of unruffied quiet.
IL was in this mood that he went
down 10 the ministry, to learn that
the great powers were already sum"
GENTLY disturbed 10 have ordered the
withdrawal OF their different minis
tiers from Bomberg and TO have sum
moned a hasty council at The Hague.
And in the midst OF his worries the
king hi, upon the same reflection as
Strong-that the place which had been
appo. nted by a man. In the shape or
the car OF all the Russias, to be the
birthplace OF universal peace had been
ordained By greater man 10 become
the source OF universal war.
He saw Immediately that he must
personally proceed TO The Hague. He
could not take his daughter. unless as
q result Of his determination TO have
her declared insane. What he lacked
was man upon whom he could rely
"a man whom he could trust.
Here ne found himself I'm the difficult
~ with which the man who invariably
relies too much upon himself Is al
ways sooner or later bound to find him.
self--,hat there was no man In whom
he could place entire confidence.
Drowning men clutch ut straw.
The fugitive King of Bahama clutch.
ed al broken reed. He decided To-
send Ludwig back TO Bomberg to act
as his eyes and ears.
He sent for that gigantic. clumsy
and apparently dull young man. and
with a plainness that was necessitated
by desperation explained 10 him the
situation as II then stood. In conclu-
sion he spoke as follows:
Our one hope lies in destroying
Bomberg's belief In Strong. A strong
man may defy the whole world II only
his immediate encourage believe IN
him. The strongest man In the world
cannot defy his enemies II his friends
will not stand by him. Now, II is safe
70 assume ttet the people whom
Strong has annexed against their VIII
are not his friends.
ITO He CostinuedJ