The Washington times., 1909-10-17

/ than one forest 10 say nothing of the
little encounters he had had in most un-
Occidental towns and critics. He had
seen women in Morocco and Egypt and
Persia and-Du- It is a waste OF time TO
enumerate. Strange TO say, ne was
now drifting back toward the civiliza-
ton which We are pleased 10 call our
own, with a sense of genuine disap-
Doinment in his heart. He had found
no sign Of Romance.
Adventure IN plenty. but Romance
ah. the fairy princesses were in tie
story books, after ali.
Here he was, twenty-six years old.
strong and fun OF the fire of life con-
vincing himself that there was nothing
for him 10 90 but drift back To dear I'D
New York end talk to his father about
going into the offices. TO let his mother
tell him over and over again OF the nice
girls she knew who did not have 10 be
rescued from osres and ali that sort
Of things In order To- settle down TO
domestic obsoIescence; to tell his sis
ter and all Of their mutual friends The
whole truth and nothing but the truth
concerning his adventures i'm the wilGs.
and 10 feel that the friends, at least,
were predestiued TO look upou him as
a fearless liar nothing more
For twenty-five days he had travelled
by caravan across the Persian Uplauds.
through Herat and Mesbed and Box
havs, striking off with his guide alone
toward the sea of Ar8l and the eastern
shores o. the Caspian thence through
the CraI foothills To the old Roman
green valleys IF the land he had thought
eat as nothing more than the creation
OF a hair-brained hCtionisg
Somewhere out in The sh-mmeriug
east Ie had learned to his honest amaze
ment that there was such a land as
Grsustark. At nrst ne woulG not be-
lieve But the English bank in Meshed
assured him Ubat he would come 20
IL if hc travelled long enough and far
enough iu-o the north and west. and
If he were not afraid of the hardshiFs
that most men abh0r- The dying spirit
of Romance famed mp IN his heart;
las blood STOW quick again and eager.
he would not so home until he had
Sough, or his land of fair women AMI
sweet tradition. And SO he traVersed
the wild ana dangerous Tartar roads
for G;vs and days. like the knights OF
Scheherazade i'm the times of old, and
came at last "a the Eates OF Edelweiss.
Net until he sat down 10 rare din
ner in The historic Hotel Regengetz was
he able TO realize that ne ras truly in
that tabled. mythical land Of GraustarlS,
quaint. grr. little principalitr in the
most secret pocket OF the eart'l's great
mantle. This was the land OF his
dreams, the land of MS fancy; he had
not even dared to hope tEat Il actually
existed.
and now. here me was pinchIng him
self 20 prove that ne was awake, stretch
ing his wOrld-worn bones under dainty
table TO which real food was being
brought by-wei, ne was abliged 10
pinch himself again. From the broad
terrace after dinner he looked out into
the streets Of the quaint, piCture-bOok
town with its medieval simplicity and
ruegedness combined; his eyes tried 10
keep pace with the things that his fer
tile brain was seeing beyond the glim-
mering lights and dancing window
panes-for the whole scene danced be-
fore him with a persistent unre -lity that
made him feel his own pulse IN the fear
that some sudden, insidious fever had
seized upon him.
II any one had told linn six months
before that there was such a land as
Graustark and that If he could bat
keep on travelling In a certain direc-
ton he would come 10 il in time, he
would have laughed that person TO
scorn, no matter how precise a geOg-
rapher he might have been
Young Nr- King. Notwithstanding his
naturally reckless devotion TO first inn
pressiOns, was a much wiser person
than when He left his New York home
two years before. Roughing it In the
widest parts Of the world had taught
him that eagerucss is the enemy OF
common sense. Therefore, re curbed
the thrilling impulse TO fare forth in
search 81 diversion on this first night,
he conquered himself ana went 10 bed
early-and to sleep al once, II that may
serve TO assist YOU IN getting an idea
OF what time and circumstances had
done for his character.
a certain hard-earued philosophy had
convinced him long ago that adventure
is quite content 20 wait over from day
TO day. but that when a man is tired
and worn IL isn't quite sensible TO ex-
pect sleep to be put Off regardless. With
a fine sense OF sacrifice therefore. he
went 10 bed, lorsakiug the desire TO
tread the dim streets of city by night
in advance OF more cautious survey
by daylight He had come 40 know that
o. IS best 10 make sure OF your grounds,
On measure, at least. be soro taking
too much for grsnted-to lock before
you leap. so 10 speak And SC. his mind
tingliug with visions of fair l.d.es and
goodly opportunities, he went 10 sleep
and did not get no to breakfast until
noon the next day.
And now It becomes my depIorable
duty to divuIge the fact that Truxton
King, after two FUN days and nights
ia the city OF Edelweiss. was quite
ready to pass on 70 other fields com
pleteIy disillusionized in his own mind
and not a little Disguised with himself.
for having gone to the trouble to visit
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