Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-16


YOU dumb? Was it for this that we have
striven through so many years? Shall our
country be wrecked now because hot
headed youth puts his VOWS to woman
before every consideration of national
welfare?'
The notion is preposterous! growled
Julius, gaining courage from Stampotf S
bold denunciation; but Beliani tried to
temporize. =,
I'VE are far too excited to deal with
this vexed affair tonight" he said. 1.-The
King is naturally aggrieved by trying
experience and is hardly in a fit state of
mind to consider the grave issues raised
by his words. Let us forget what we have
Just heard. Tomorrow we shall all be
calner and saner.'
Monsieur Nesirnir,'' said Alec sternly,
fixing the hap1ess president with his mas
terful eye, while | remain King you must
obey my orders! See to it that notices are
despatched tonight to the members of
the National Assembly summoning spe-
cial meeting for an early hour tomorrow"
Monsieur Nesimir will do nothing of
the kind!" shrieked the Infatuated Prince
Michael. Il forbid it!'
And l command i'll" cried Alec. :" If
he refuses, l shall take other steps to in
sure my wishes being fulfilled"
THEN l will tell you why your Joan has
gone!" beloved the Prince. No,
Marie, l will not be restrained" he
shouted to his wife, who had rushed to
him in frenzy of alarm. She clutched at
his shoulder; but he shook himself free
brutally.
1t is full time YOU knew what l have
done for you!" he Kissed venomously at
Alec ''Stampoff and your mother and l,
alone of those in this room, are aware of
the fraud that has been perpetrated on
the people of this country. You are not
King of kosnovia You are not my son.
Your father was Colorado gold miner, to
whom your mother was married before 1
met her. who died before you were born.
For the sake of his widows money gave
her my name, and was fool enough to fall
in with her whim of pride that you should
be brought up as a Prince belgrade. |
suppose Stampoff urged your mother to
reveal the facts to that chit of girl who
has added your brain, and she, fortu-
natelv, had sense enough to see that you
could not continue to occupy the throne
FIVE seconds after it became known that
YOU were mere alien, that your name
was Alexander Talbot, and that /, Michael
BELGRADE who married foreigner in order
that might live, and permitted an Amer
lean child to be reared as lawful Prince
OF my mouse, was llc lawful hllS!
The little man strutted up and down
the room in a fume of indignation, and
evidently felt fully justified in his own es-
teem Ever selfish and vain, he fancied
that he had been the victim of a cruel
fate, and he read the sheer bewilderment
in A1ec's face as tribute to the master
stroke he had just delivered.
But his self conceit wilted under the
contemptuous scorn of his wife's gaze,
which he CHANGED to meet when his pos
turing ceased.
A Lee looked to his mother for some
IA confirmation or denial of the astound-
ing statement blurted forth by her hus-
band; but she had no eyes for her son
then. The wrongs and sufferings of a life
time were yelling up from her heart to
her lips. The agonized suspense of the
last few minutes had given way to the
frenzy of a woman outraged in her deep
est sentiments.
Il did harm to none by my innocent de-
ception," she pleaded. - was very young
when | married Alec's father, who was
nearly twenty years older than l. We
were not rich, and were compelled to live
in rude mining camp, where my husband
owned some claims that seemed to be of