New-York tribune., 1910-01-02

nj
WN~ tW decade earlier. Small wonder then
", M w that Alec should express surprise
SMSa at such display of galantry on his
S1NI part
And indeed, the unprecedented
action of the gruf old Serbian
General in taking Princess belgrade for drive that
evening was destined TO have consequences not TO
be foreseen by any person. least of all by the Young
couple whose contemplated marriage was then IN
the mouths of all men. 1t the first step IN the
new march of events StampOf meant TO prove TO the
King S mother that her son would be ruined IN the
eyes of his people if he married foreigner ruined
instantly and lrretrievably no matter how gracious
and pleasing Joan might seem to be IN their eyes,
and true to his military caste, he wasted no time
in making the Princess Of his motive IN seeking
this tete-a-tete conversation.
i think L right assuming that YOU approve
OF the young American lady as Your son wife said
ne when the carriage clear of the paved streets
and bowling smoothly along the south bank OF the
Danube on the only good driving road outside the
city.
The notion startled me at first" confessed The
Pr1nCeSS; but the more | see of loan the more
like her Alec and she are devoted 10 each other.
and am sure she will be popular for she Is the type
OF woman who will take her position as Queen
seriously.
She is admirable in every respect" interrup ted
StampOt; " but she suffers from one defect that out
We: shs all her virtues, she IS not Serb
Nor am L, " said the Princess quickly. vet no one
seems to tlnd fault with the King on that ground
One cannot Judge the conditions that hold good
today by those which existed twenty five years ago
said StampOff gravelv. When Prince Michael
married YOU madame he was an exile. but Alexis IS
the relgnlng King and he will offend his people
mortay he brings IN foreigner oshare his throne
DRINCESS BELGRADE was bewildered bv this
sudden attack She turned and scanned the old
man impressive features with feveriSh anxiety.
" hat do YOU mean2 she asked quickly Are YOU
trying to enlist my aid in a campaign against nv
sons chosen wife, If so YOU will fail General am
weary to death of political ntrgues and the never
ceasng tactics of wire pullers. have been surround
ed by them all my life, and thanked Providence IN
my heart when saw that my son began his reign by
sweeping aside the whole network of lies and artifCe
He has not imposed himself on his people He is
here by their own free Will and if thev are ready 70
accept him so thoroughly they will surely not think
marriage
But they are thinking of it." said Stampof
uoggedy mat IS why You are here with me
felt that L must warn YOU of the trouble ahead
alec, admit; would be an ideal King in an ideal
state out he has failed absolutely appreciate the
rac1al preJudlCeS that exist here. They are the
growth OF centuries They cannot be uprOOted merely
because hlng IS IN love with eminentlv desirable
young woman. Among the ten millions of our
people, Princess, there are hardly thousand who
have any settled notions of government whether good
or bad, and those ten thousand think they have a
PRIOR night TO control the deStinieS of the remainder
OF the nation With the exception of a few of the
younger OihCerS, there not a man anOno the
governing class who doesn't harbor more OF les of
resentment against Your SON. He is putting down
with a ruthless hand the petty corruption ON which
theN thrlNed and at the same time reducing their
recognized salaries In and out of season he
breaches the duties OF good CITIZENSHIP but these
men nave too long been considering sell 70 Weld
without struggle the positions attained under a,
less SCrupulOuS regime.
speak of what | know when / tell YOU that
placid and contented as Delgratz looks II IS really
SeethlIlS volcano OF hate and discomfort Re
PeSSeu lor the hOur, Kept IN check perhaps bv the
uhdoubted loyalty of the masses il is ready 10 SpOut
devastating fire and ashes at the least provocation
he ff,IYr1