The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-12-02
CHAPTER ~xxn-Continued.

SVNT EN- NNII- Continued.
The Royal carriage with it's outri,
srs and positions had just gone u
he Row. Sir Hercules, as he passed
'eceiyed a bow and answering smil
o his salutation from the angus
person who sat beside the dusky nor
= from the East. He cantered OF
put his heart beat rapidly, wonderin
what was going to happen.
He knew something was going +
happen, and he half guessed at II
nature.
Not for many years had the well
Known old society man experiences
such a thrill as when he saw his sol
and Michael Grant come as uncon
cernedly into the club as IL all LondoI
were not busy with their names a
implicated in a mystery-and perhap,
scandal-unparalleled in experience
And now-and now-and now-wha
was going TO happen?
AS he was walking his horse slow
ly along, little Tom Davidson canteret
upon his park hack-little Tom David
son who knew everybody and every
thing, and vas always primed with
he latest tit.bit of news.
"Halloa, Admiral" the little, clean
shaven fellow said cheerfully, "shak.
ing up your liver? What? Did yo,
see the dusky p~otentate go by? Looks
very Ill and worn, doesn't he? There's
a good deal of unrest In Persia, I'm
told IInnV1 ~ frnro mEu hn,
just come back from Teheran, and
knows what's going on. Any day the
poor old Shah may be blown up
diamond aigrette and all-when he
gets back. Regular mortality among
royalties lately, too. | suppose you
saw In this afternoons paper that the
Princess OF Wohlau-Landskrona is
dead? Beautiful woman, by Cad! she
was. / remember her years ago when
they said Alberto London was going
to marry her. Curious thing, too, but
a man from the German Embassy,
whom | saw at Whites just now, told
me that the Princess suddenly went
raving mad three or four days ago
without any cause. Her paroXysms
were frightful, so they say. There's
more behind IL than meets the eye,
! make no doubt. Any news been
heard, by the way, about the Duchess
Of London and the little Duke? PEG.
pie are saying all sorts of queer things
and they are mixing up her name with
Michael Grants, the athletic fellow,
you know? Grant has been missing
from London for days, and nobody
knows where he is-and, of course, he
was awfully sweet on the Duchess"
Sir Hercules Marriott was not par.
ticularly fond of little Tom Davidson,
and he rather enjoyed the next few
seconds.
"Quite wrong, my dear Toni" he
said; "as your information generally
is, by Jove! Michael Grants in town;
I have just had a long talk with him;
in fact, he will be in the Park in a
minute, for the old Duke of Perth has
asked him and my son to drive with
him. There they are! Afternoon,
TOM" and the ancient dandy cantered
off towards the old-fashioned ducal
CdIIid6cs Which, was opPiooSh'h6 WIN
the four men.
He turned his horse as the carriage
came up to him and cantered along
by the side, talking to Sir Anthony
HELLER. whose face wore a curiously
preoccupied and anxious expression.
The sun beat down upon the bril-
liant crowd of equipages. The roads
were lined with sightseers, who point
ed out this or that notability as they
went by.
Suddenly the men In the carriage
and Sir Hercules also heard a curious
noise of cheering coming from the
neighborhood of Hyde Park Corner.
1t grew louder and louder, and both
the Duke and Sir Anthony turned
round and looked behind them.
Then, suddenly. an astonishing thing
happened. A pair-horse victoria, driv-
en- at a rapid rate, came up the ride.
Upon the box we're two lei in the
well-known livery of peach-colour and
purple which the servants OF the
Dukes of London always wore.
In the victoria. radiantly lovely, her
violet eyes alight with happiness, her
glorious hair shining In the sun, the
glory of health upon her cheeks, sat
the Duchess OF London herself!
And by her side, In a sailor suit,
was the little Duke.
The Park had, perhaps, never known
such a sensation before.