The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-12-21
The EVENING STORY
On the Dukes Highway.
(By Curran Richard Greenley.)


(By Curran Richard Greenley.)
The white highway wound among
the dndens unendingly, to Spots
woode Behring'S impatient eyes-too
much like toy road in a toy forest
for a big plainsman accustomed to
sweep OF the desert reaches. The
giant machine purred contentedly un-
der the tremendous speed at which he
/ was forcing her along, when sudden
| ly in the path stood a girl, and Der
ing threw in the clutch barely in time.
With hardly pause for the car to
come to a standstill, she was in the
seat beside him, the child in her arms.
and her eyes urging him more than
| the frantic whisper-"Drivei Drivei
They are close behind me and a minute
may cost his little life!"
Who "they'' were, and why 1t was
necessary to save "him" was left ito
Behring'S imagination, while she stil1ed
the child's petulant cry. Then she
| asked:
Have you a woman's coat-any-
thing that will cover me?"
Mrs. Jimmie had cautioned him to
| take exceeding care of her new mo-
tor garb-a fearful and wonderful as
semblage of leather and linen, but he
| paid up like g. gentleman. ss.
You will find the whole outfit back
there in the tonneau, and you might
smuggle the little chap down among
the rugs. Just toss them up trife,
and he is so little that he will never
be noticed. This passport will serve
for you-for both of u.s.
He produced Jimmie Montjoy's
passports from the pocket of Jimmie's
motor coat. Mrs. Jimmie. too, had
blonde hair and brown eyes, and the
difference in height would not be no
ticed. Dering was plunging head over
ears in the affair without the faint
est notion of the reason thereof. He
had wished for an adventure-some-
thing that would fill in Mrs. Jimmie's
too many idle moments, and here it
was to hand. That Mrs. Jimmie was
absent did not spoil the sport. az
AS they approached the barrier, he
glanced around.
"Corne up here" he said, settling
her comfortably beside him. Nov
act up. You want everything that can
not possibly be had You want to know
| if your friends have passed and how
many hours ahead will supply the
rest of the jargon.''
! Duly impressed, the guard gave full
particulars of the party who had gone
through. Dering chuckled. Mrs. jim
mics pet aversion was that big green
| car, and all it contained; but for once
| the Fitz-Jones outfit were friends in
need-anyhow, he owed Mrs. Jimmie
| one for slipping off to Monte Carlo with
| Jimmie, and leaving him to bring the
car through. If he felt any qualms on
| the score of the young woman who
seemed bent upon getting away from
! her natural guardians, he failed to note
| them. Doubtless she had reason As
| for kidnapping the child-if she wanted
| the child, well, she ought to have him
that was Behring'S philosophy.
| 1t came upon him like earth
quake, when a few hours later he
scanned the headlines while they were
waiting to go to the yacht. When he
had finished the double-leaded article,
he thanked the Gods f-Things-that-
1 F0,- toe ooI+ md fnr al
things of Jimmie's that had aided him
in that days adventure, for in that
small dukedom of Herzorania, whose
| linden forest had seemed SO much or
a-toy forest, had occurred one Of those
sudden revolutions that belong to toy
| dukedoms whereupon the ms are out
| and the outs are in.
| Franz Wilhelm had been declared
duke, and the little Duke Friedrich,
now deposed, had disappeared in the
melee when the palace guards were
| rushed. The regent, now prisoner,
! knew nothing of him. That was proven
beyond doubt. There was no trace OF
the child other than the fact that the
Countess Amadie Won Schwarzwald
| had also disappeared. The fondness be-
| tween the two was well known, and IT
was thought if the countess could be
| found the little duke would not be far
away. For reasons of state it was nee.
| essary that he be found and placed I'M
der strict supervision.
Strict SuperviSioni" Dering jumped.
| She was standing a little behind him,
! reading over his shoulder, and the
brown eyes were blazing. They would
have murdered a baby and termed 1t
| reasons of stated know Franz VIII
helm and his politics.
| Dering was regarding her in blank
amazement. DO you mean to say
| you are-he iS?"
HE is the Duke of Herzornia, but
| Franz Wilhelm has stolen his throne
! Now he is only a little child whose
| life is hunted. You will help me to
| take him to America? ?"
Dering promised recklessly. His eyes
were so appealing, and, too, the poor
duke touched soft spot in the heart
| of the big westerner. as he thought or
| that other little prince who had paid
| the debt of royalty in this sunny, fri
volous land of France.
"F'raulein, u
FRAU" she corrected.
| Dering grasped for his bearings; but
i hand held out to him, and he came
/ down to earth with thud, the zest all
| gone from his romance.
| Mrs. Jimmie'S telegram was handed
to him as he came up the gangway.
| She wanted the yacht brought round
| to Monte Carlo. Dering was relieved.
| 1t was only matter of a few hours,
and Mrs. Jimmie would take the sit
uatson in hand and his part of the
game would be played.
| Mrs. Jimmie arrived in a hutter..
There Was strained ten minutes
while Dering made his speech, and
then Mrs. Jimmie rose to the bait. She
| smothered Amadie in her laces and
| wanted to wake IN, the child that min