Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-26
A Son of the Immortals
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Continued from page 9

palace. At five she and Alec and eaumanoir
went for ride the outskirts of the town,
The men took her to very fine turfed avenue
that wound through three miles of woodland.
AT the close of a glorious canter turn in the
path revealed rather pretty chateau situated
from the northern shore of a large lake.
do you like it," asked Alec.
1T is perfectly charming place. she said
enthusiastically.
a am glad you think So" said he. 1T is
called the New Konak, in contradistinction to
the old one the Schwarzburg. 1t will be our
summer residence | propose to occupy it as
soon as it is properly furnished"
He, spoke lightly; but quiet glance con-
veyed far more than the words. This, then,
was their destined nest their very own house,
and for their first ramble he had brought her
there. Its seclusion gave a sense of secure
peace that was absent from the Presidents
gloomy palace. The lovely park and its belt
of forest shut out the noise and glare of the
streets. Joan sat on her horse and surveyed
the scene with glistening eyes. Her future
home lay there, and the belief thrilled her
strangely. If she could have peered into the
been stirred; for if ever she was fated to be
happy in the companionship of the gallant
youth by her side, assuredly that happiness
was not SO near or to be SO easily attained
as it seemed to them both in that charming
sylvan hour.
Beaumanoir broke in on her reverie in his
usual happy-go-lucky style mot a bad look
ing crib, is it, Miss joan" said he. Il have
promised Alec to remain in Delgratz until you
are all settled down in it, nice and comfy.
Jove! | shall be something of hero there
shine with reflected glory-eh, WHAT"
Berry" said Alec. you can hardly realize
how good he has been, Joan" he continued
Il had fearfully hard time during the first
week. More than once | wanted to cut and
run: but he kept me to it, chatting out of
wrong"
Beaumanoir winked brazenly at her. HE
kingly habit | understand. Alec has got it
down to fine point. He makes every fellow
believe that he is the only It. and there you are,
you know"
THERE was some substratum of sense in
Beaumanoir's chatting. Alec was taking
his kingship very seriously, and Joan was hard
pressed to bridge the gulf that lay between
Paris and Delgratz.
At first she found it almost impossible to
realize that Alec had been in harness little more
than month. His talk was replete with local
knowledge; he seemed to understand the peo
pie and their ways SO thoroughly. He was
versed even in the pecularites of their methods
costume and racial appearance, and might have
spent his life in studying all their customs and
folklore
Fortunately, Joan herself was gifted with
quick perception and retentlve memory.
After a few days residence in the White City
she began to assimilate the rills of information
that trickled in upon her from so many sources,
and the feeling of bewildered surprise with
which she regarded her lovers attainments
during the first hours of real intimacy was soon
replaced by an active sympathy and fuller
Outstanding. She was helped in this by the
Kings mother since there could be no doubt
that Princess belgrade took her absolutely to
her heart.
Prince Michael, who was completely eclipsed
not only by his sons extraordinary versatility
in all public affairs, but by lack of that opulent
setting for his peculiar qualities which Paris
alone could supply, seemed to accept the inevi-
table. He tolerated Joan, openly praised her
beauty. and became resigned in more or less
patronizing way to the minor distractions of
local life.
Felix and Joan gave up their mornings to
art. The Pole discovered some quaint old
frescoes in the cathedral which attracted him
by their remarkable freedom of design and SIM
plicity of color. He va1iantly essayed their re
production; but Joan suspected in her deepest
heart that Poluski's sudden conversion to
Byzantine ideals was due far more to the fact
that the lofty dome of the building produced
musical effects of the most gratifying nature
than to any real appreciation of the quaint
contours and glazing tints of a series of wall
pictures that set forth some long forgotten
Bulgar artists conception of the life and history
of John the Baptist.
Thoro of, 11xy nod doal nf