Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-02-15
CHAPTER II,

| VA Graustark was in most
| "a prosperous condition. Its af-
fairs were under the control
| of an able ministry, headed by the
venerable Count Halfont. The Duke
! tersburg and fnancier of high stand
| ing. had returned to Edelweiss soon
| after the distressing death of the late
| Princess Yetive and her American hus-
| band. and to him was intrusted the
treasury portfolio.
! The financing of the great railroad
project by which Edelweiss was to be
| connected with the Siberian line in the
i north fell to his lot ut time when no
one else could have saved the little
government from heavy losses or even
bankruptcy.
/ The opening of this narrative finds
the ministry preparing to float new
/ 100000 gavvo issue of bonds for con-
struction and equipment purposes.
Agents of the government were ready
to depart for London and Paris to take
up the matter with the great banking
houses. st. Petersburg and Berlin were
not to be given the opportunity to COB
bic up these extremely fine securities.
This seemingly extraordinary eXclu-
sion Of Russian and German bidders
was the result of vigorous objections
raised by an utter outsider. the Ameri-
can. John Tullis. long time friend and
companion of Grenfall Lorry, consort
to the late princess.
Iullis was strange man in many
particulars. He WAS under forty years
OF age. but even at that rather imma-
ture time of life he had come to be
recognized as a shrewd. successful
financial power In his home city, New
York. At the very zenith of his pow
err he suddenly and with quixotic dis
regard for consequences gave up his
own business and came TO Graustark
for residence, following promise
made to Grenfall Lorry when the lat
ter lay dying in little inn near Brus.
| sells.
They had been lifelong friends. Tul-
lis jestingly called himself the little
princes 'morganatic godfather" For
two years he had been constant resi-
dent of Graustark.
His wide awake, resourceful brain,
attuned by nature to the difficulties Of
administration. lent itself capably to
the solving of many knotty financial
puzzles: the ministry was never loath
to call on him for advice and seldom
disposed to disregard it. An outsider,
| he never offered suggestion or plan
unasked. 10 this single qualification
he owed much of the popularity and
esteem in which he was held by the
classes and the masses Socially he
was IL great favorite. He enjoyed the
| freedom of the most exclusive homes
in Edelweiss.
There was but one man connected
/ with the government to whom the pop
ularity and influence of John Tullis
| proved distasteful. That man was the
Duke of Perse. On more than one
| occasion the cabinet had chosen to be
guided by the sngacity of John Tulis
in preference to following the lines
| laid down by the astute minister of
| finance. The decision to offer the new
bond issue in London and Paris was
due to the earnest. forceful argument
OF John TullS--outsidc Nthe cabinet
chamber. TO be sure. This was but
| one instance in which the plan of the
] treasurer WAS overridGen. He resent
ed the plain though delicate influence
OF the former Wall street man. Tullis
had made 1t plain TO The ministry that
| Grnustark could not afford to place it.
| self in debt 10 the Russians. into whose
hands sooner or later The tlestinies of
the railroad might be expected to fall.
The wise men OF tiranStark saw his
| point without force Of argument and
voted down in the parliament The
dukes proposition 10 place the loan in
ST. Petersburg and Berlin For this
! pafhcllar act OF trrSpaSs upon the
dnkes osnclal preserves he won the
hatred or the worthy treasurer ard his
no lhconSld'rable following among the
deputies.
But John Tulis was not in Edel-