Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-09
CHAPTET x.
Affairs of State.

The grand duke stamped back and
| forth with. a rumble as of distant thun-
der. He would search the very deeps of
I this matter. He was of a patient mold.
but this was the final straw. He would
have his revenge if it upset the whole
continent: They would play with him,
Ell? Wen, they had Ioosed the lion this
time. He had sent his valet to summon
her highaess and Herheck
And tell them to put everything else
aside
He kneaded the, note in his hand pow
erfully. It was anonymous, but it spoke
clearly like truth 1T had been left with
one of the sentries. who declared that q
small boy had delivered it. The sender
remained undissoverable.,
His highness had just that hour re-
| turned from the military field. He was
tired and it was not the psychological
moment for thing like this to turn up.
Had he not opposed it for months? And
now, having surrendered against his bet
ter judgment. this gratuitous affront was
offered him, 1t was damnable He smote
the offending note. He would soon find
out whether it was true or not Then
he flung the thing violently to the floor.
But he realized that this burst of fury
would not translate the middle, SO he
stopped and recovered the missive. He
laughed but the laughter had a grim
Homeric sound War. Nothing less He
was prepared for ii. Twenty thousand
troops were now in the valley. and there
We're twenty thousand reserves. What
Franz Josef of Austria William of
Prussia said did not amount to the snap
of his two fingers. To Savenge himself
of the wrongs SO long endured of Jug
endheit. to wipe out the score with blood,
Did they think that he was In his dotage.
to offer an insult of this magnitude?
They should see. aye. that they should.
1t did not matter that the news reached
him through subterranean channels or by
treachery: there was truth here and that
Sufficed.
Enter he cried as some one knocked
on the door.
Herbeck came in, AS calm, as imper
turba BILE ever.
Your highness sent for me?'
Il did Why the devil couldn't You
have left well enough alone? Read this.'
fiinging the note down on his desk.
Herbeck picked it up and worked out
! the creases. When he had read to the
final word. his hand, even as the dukes.
closed spasmodicallX. over the stiff paper.
.'Wel1?" The query tingled with rage.
The answer on the chancellor's lips was
not uttered. Hldegarde came in. She
blew kiss at her father. who caught the
hand and drew her toward him. He en-
braced her and kissed her brow.
T.. WHAT is it,. father"
-Herberk waited.
Read said the duke.
As the last word left Herbeck's lips she
slipped from her fathers arms and looked
with pity at the chancellor.
What do you think of this, Hide
earde?''
Why. father. l think it is the very
best thing in the world dryly.
AN insult like this?" The duke grew
rigid. You accept it calmly, in this
fashion,
Shall l weep and tear my hair over a
boy | nave never seen? No. thank you.
was about to make known to YOU this
very evening that | had reconsidered the
offer. | shall never marry his majesty"
"A fine time" The dukes hand trem-
bled. why. in Gods name did you not
refuse when the overtureS were first
made? The truth. Herbeck, the whole
truth; for there is something more than
THIS
Herbeck in few words and without eva
sion, explained the situation.
Your highness, the regent is really not
to blame. for his majesty had given him
free rein in the matter; and his royal
hghIess. working. as | have been, for the
best interests of the two countries, never