The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1909-09-02
CHAPTER III.

f"lHE excitement attending the
Skaggs- Wyckholme revelations
II had not yet spread to the grand
- duchy of Rapp-Thorberg, ap.
parently lost as 1t was In the cluster
of small units which went to make up
a certain empire, one Of the world
powers. The Grand Duke Michael dis
dained the world at large. He had
but little In common with anything
that moved beyond the confines of his
narrow domain. His court was sleepy.
lackadaisical. Unconditional. impregna-
BILE to the taunts OF progression. His
people were thrifty. stolid and nbso-
lutely stationary in their loyalty to the
ancient traditions Of the duchy. His
army was mere natter Of taxation
and not thing Of pnrp or necessity.
The precise location of the grand
duchy in the nap IF the world has lit
tie or nothing 10 dc with this narra-
tive I..decd. we're il not for the fact
that tie erand duke possessed II
charming aud most desirable daughter
the Thorherg dynasty would not be
mentioned ut all. The grand dukes
peace of mind had been severely dis
turbed-so severely. In fact. that he
was transferring his troubles to the
emperor. who. in turn. felt obliged to
communicate with the United States
ambassador. who in his turn, had
no other alternative than to take sum-
mary action In respect to the indiscre-
tons of fellow countryman. Chase's
conscience WAS even and serene, and
he was resigning his post with the
confidence that he had performed his
obligations as an American gentleman
should. even though the performance
had created an extraordinary commo-
ton. Chase was new to the old world
and its customs, especially those rig
orous ones which surrounded royalty
and denied 1t the right to venture into
the commonplace.
Chase had been the representative of
the American government at Thorberg
for six months. The American flag
6oated above his doorway in the Fried
richstrasse. but In all his six months
Of occupation not ten Americans had
crossed the threshold. He was Wig
orous, healthy young man, and it may
well be presumed that the situation
bored him. He was not a politician;
no more was he an Office seeker. He
was real soldier of fortune In search
of affairs-in peace or In war, on land
or at sea. Possessed Of a small in
come sufficiently adequate to sustain
life If he managed to advance 1t to the
purple age, but wholly incapable Of
supporting him as a thriftless diplo-
mat, he was compelled to make the
best of his talents, no matter to what
test they were put, He left college at
twenty-five, possessed of the praise
without recourse to the $500 income
from a certain trust fund. His plan
also incorporated the hope to save
every penny Of that income for the
possible rainy day" He was now
thirty. In each Of several New York
banks he had something like $4,000
drawing per cent interest. while he
picked his blithe way through the
world on $500 year, more or less,
as chance ordained.
when I'm forty" Chase was wont
to remark to envious spendthrifts who
couldn't understand his philosophy.
'Ill have over a hundred thousand
there. and If live to be ninety just
think what I'll have. Moreover,
may get married and have to maintain
a poor wife with rich relatives, which
is terrible strain. you know. You
have to live up to your wife's rela-
tives, If you don't do anything else"
he did not refer to the chance that
he was quite sure to come in for a
large legacy at the death Of his ma
ternal grandfather, millionaire ranch
owner In the far west.
After leaving college he drifted
pretty much over the world. taking
pot luck with fortune and clasping the
hand Of circumstance. There had
been hard roads TO travel as well as
easy ones. but he never complained.
He swung on through life with the
heart Of a soldier and the confidence
of a pagan. He loathed business. and
he abhorred trade.
He was an orphan and bounden to
no man. No one had the right to
question his actions after his twenty
first anniversary. He went In for law
at Yale and then practiced restlessly,
vaguely, for two years In Baltimore
under the patronage Of his fathers
Oldest friend, lawyer Of distinction.
firing Of the law books and reports
in the old judges Office, he suddenly
abandoned his calling and set forth to
see the world Almost before his
friends knew that he had left he was
heard of In Turkestan. In course of
time he served as war correspondent
for one Of the great newspapers, acted
as agent for great hemp dealers in the
Philippines. carried a rife with the
Beers In South Africa. hunted Wild
beasts in Asia and In Hottentot land.
took snapshots In st. Petersburg and
almost got to the north pole with one
of the expeditions. Not in a months
journey would you meet truer thor
oughbred, more agreeable chap.
more polished vagabond than Holdings
worth Chase. nrst lieutenant In Dame
fortunes army. TALL good looking
rawbo4ed. cheerful, gallant, be was
the true comsade Of those merry. reck-
a. A.xA