The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-18
Iruxton King
-
Story Of Grausark By George Barr McCutcheon
Copyright 1909 by George Barr MeCon Copyright 1909 BY D Mead Co
Bonny, adorable Prince ROBIN:

! On came the splendid phalanx of
/ guardsmen. followed by rigid infantry
men in measured tread. The great
! coach of gold, with its half score of
! horses, rolled somberly beneath ma
/ lures canopy Of green, surrounded on
! all sides by proud members of the
/ royal guard Two carriages from the
/ royal stables preceded the princes
| coach. In the first were the Duke Of
| Perse and three fellow members OF
/ the cabinet. The second contained
I Baron Dans less and General Braze.
/ The curtains In a house at the cor
ner of the square parted gently. A
hawk faced old man peered out upon
! the joyous crowd. His black eyes
swept the scene. A grim smile crept
! Into his face. He dropped the cur
! tains ana walked away from the win
+ dow, tossing a cigarette into CRATE
on the opposite side of the room. Then
he loolied at bis watch.
! The man who stood In the middle of
+ the freight car looking down In wonder
at the fugitives was a tall vagabond of
the most picturesque typo. No raga-
i muffin was ever so tattered and torn
RS this raklsh Individual His clothes
barely hung together on his lank
frame.
/ Long. thin lips curled into a smile OF
delicious regard Ills sides shook with
/ the quiet chuckle of understanding.
! He was thinking OF other days and
i nights and OF many maids In farofc
lands and of countless journeys In
which he. too. had had fair and gentle
company-short Journeys, yes, but net
to be forgotten.
/ He lighted the stub OF tallow cam
die. All. how eav;ed this great, sleep
Ing w1yfarrr! How beHutffuf hts MIS-
tress: How fortunate the ioveri They
slept. How tired they were! Whence
had they Gomez
Why should he stay here 10 spoil
their waking hour7 No. He would
surrender his apartment TO them.
Softly he tiptoed to his own corner
of the car. Tie gathered up his be-
! longIngs-an ancient violin case, a
stout walking stick, q goodly sized
pack done up In gaudy cloth, well
worn pals OF sandals with long. frayed
lacings. As gently he stole bac. to
the deer He tossed 4 kiss to the
sleeping girl. his dart: gypsy face
aglow with admiration and mischief
! and was atIouf 10 blow Uut the light
I Of hiS candle Then he changed hts
mind
With determined shake OF his head
and new fash of the eye. he calmly
seated himself and began to open his
ragged pack.
At last lis small store OF food lay
exposed. Without hesitation be divid-
ed the pieces OF smoked yenison, CIV
I ing one part 10 himself. two to the
sleepers. then the inIller's bread and
the cheese and the bag Of dates he had
bought the day before.
Again he blew kiss to the prettiest
girl be had ever seen. Shutting his
candle. he dropped to the ground and
closct. the door against ell spying I'M
civil eyes.
Daybreak found him at the wharf
gates
Coming to I'M empty fat car direct
from the quarries. he resolutely seated
/ himself upon its edge and, with amia-
Bile resignation. set about devouring
/ his early meal. all the while casting
i longing. almost appealing. glanees to-.
ward the next car but one Busy lit
/ tie switch engines began chugging
about the yards. The railroad at least
was exhibiting some signs of life.
I Down through the maze Of side
tracks whisked the little train. out
! upon the main line with thin shrek
/ of greeting. past the freight houses.
/ 1t was thcn that Sir vagabond sat up
! very straight, look OF mild interest
/ in his eyes. Interest gave way to per-
/ plexity, perpleyity TO concern, What's
this leaving the city? He wasted no
/ time Clutching his belongings to his
( side. he vauited from one hand. nimbly
] landing safely on his feet at the road
( side.
He thought of the iuckless pair In
/ the empty box
Suddenly he stopped. his chin up.
/ his hands to his sides A hearty peal
of laughter scared from his lips. The
! Joke was on them. 1t was rich. The
more he thought Of their astonishmene
| on awakening the more he laughed.
! Ills immense levity attracted atten-
I ten. Four or five men approached
/ him from the shadows of the freight
/ houses. ugly. unsmiling fellows. They
i demanded Of him the cause Of his un-
I seemIy mIrth. With tears In his mer-
| ry black eyes he related the plight OF
/ the pretty slumberers. They piled him
+ with questions. He described the cotl-
/ pie. even giowingiy. Then the SIMS
ter fellows smiled. More than that,
! they clapped each other on the back
and swore spendidly.
| And so 1t was that the news spread
over town at o'clock that Truxton
/ King was where he could do no harm.
| 1t was well known that the train
would make forty miles an hour down
the steep grade into the lower valley.
Ito be continued)
Short Cut to Poverty.