The Detroit times., 1909-02-18
THE Man
Who Stole
The Earth"
By ". Holt Whin.
CHAPTER LviII.-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 eeil.
The king threw MIN arm from him
with a quick movement OF disgust.
and. beckoning to Ludwig TO Follow
him. dashed ont OF the room.
He was, however. too late.
RE 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
Ia his rooms and blindly CROPPED for d
means of defense.
But the violence Of his passion pass
ed and left MIN coldly determined 10
enmesh Strong in the net OF Paris.
He sent for the project OF the dis
trict. and bade Ludwig ring up the
editorial offices OF journal after jour.
nal. so that within very few mln'
utes mis- majestys room al 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 best
portrait of Strong that he could col
lect, and this he now gave INTO the
hands OF a photographer FOR reproduc-
ton.
In his intense desire TO capture
Strong he cast aside his last yestige
of dignity as a king, though thereby
ne lost nothing OF his prestige as a
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 OF
general ordering the movements OF
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 10 see that circumstances had
10 a great extent upset his equilibrium,
that he was 10 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 a
man.
And SO. facing the unpleasant fact,
he. TO employ vulgarism pulled HIM
self together and fell back again upon
his old pose OF unruffled quiet.
IL was In this mood that he went
down to the ministry, 10 learn that
the great powers were already suffi-
ciently disturbed to have ordered the
withdrawal OF their different minis
tiers from Bomberg and to have sum
moned "A has;y council at The Hague.
And I'm the midst OF his worries the
king hit upon the same reflection as
Strong-that the place which had been
apo. nted by a man. in the shape or
the car OF all the Russias. TO he the
birthplace OF universal peace had been
ordained by greater man TO become
the source of universal war.
He saw Immediately that he must
personally proceed To The Hague lie
could not take his daughter unless as
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 nc found himself In the dificul.
ty with which the man who invariably
relies too much upon himself is al.
sclf--that there was no man In whom
he could place entire confidence
Drowning men clutch at a straw.
The fugitive King OF Bahama clutch.
ed at a 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 plainness that was necessitated
by desperation explained To him the
situation as II then stood. In, conclu-
sion he spoke as follow
Our one hone lies I'm destroying
Bomberg's belief In Strong. A strong
man may defy the whole world IL only
his immediate encourage believe IN
him. The strongest man In the world
cannot defy his enemies III his friends
Will not stand by him. Now, II is safe
to assume that the people whom
Strong has annexed against their will
are not his friends
Ito Ne Continued.D