The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-01-27

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 this swarthy fel- E low was close at Sy 1 his heels. always A swARTHY FELLOW keeping we'll out PASSED OUT OF of sight himself. THE DOOR. "I'll come in soon to look at those rings" said King. placing the notes on ,, the counter Spantz merely nodded, raked in the bills without counting them and passed the sword over to the | purchaser.
 Truxton picked up the weapon and stalked away.
 l A few minutes later he was on his way to the castle grounds, accompa- nied by the short legged Mir. Hobbs. 1 Hobbs led him through the great park gates and up to the lodge of Ja- i cob -Fraasch, the venerable high stew ard of the grounds. Here, to Kings 8 utter disgust, he was booked as a plain Cooks tourist and mechanically ad- 1 vised to pay strict attention to the 1 rules.
 ''Its no disgrace" growled Hobbs, redder than ever. You're inside the | grounds. and you've got to obey the rules, same as any tourist. Right this way, sir. We'll take a turn just inside l the wall. Now, on your left, ladies and-ahem!-I should say-ahem!-sir, you may see the first turret ever built 1 on the wall. It is over 400 years old. 1 On the right we have"- "See here, HObbs,' said King, stop ping short, I'm dashed if I'll let you lecture me SIS if I were a gang of hay seeds from Joshville.'' "'Very good, sir. No offense. quite forgot, sir"
 'Just tell me- old chap. Don't lec- ture. Hobbs, this is all very beautiful and very grand and very slow,'' said l King. stopping to lean against the moss covered wall that encircled the park within a park, the grounds ad- 1 Joining the grotto. Cant 1 hop over this wall and take a peep into the grotto?"
 "By no means!'' cried Hobbs, mortified
 King looked over the low wall. The prospect was alluring.e The pool, the trickling rivulets, the messy banks, the dense shadows-it was maddening to | think he could not enter. 'I wouldn't be in there a minute,' he argued. And I might catch a 1 glimpse of a dream lady. Now, I say Hobbs, here's a low place. I could jump
 "Mr. King, if you do that I am ruined forever. I am trusted by the steward. He would cut off all my priv. ileges''- Hobbs could go no further He was prematurely aghast. Some 1 thing told him that MT. King would hop over the wall.
 "Go and report me, Hobbs; there's a good fellow. Tell the guards wouldn't obey. That will let you out, my boy, and I'll do the rest.' @ He strode off across the bright green l turf toward the source of all this en- chantment, leaving poor MT. Hobbs braced against the wall, weak kneed and helpless.
 'What are you doing in here?' de 1 manded a voice.
 Truxton, conscious of guilt, whirled with as much consternation as if he had been accOsted by a voice of thun der. He beheld a very small boy stand. ing at the top of the knoll above him not thirty feet away. His face was 1 quite as dirty as any small boys should be at that time of day, and his curly brown hair looked as if it had not been combed since the day before His firm little legs, in half hose and presumably white knickers, were spread apart, and his hands were ir his pockets.
 King recognized him at once and looked about uneasily for the attend ants who, he knew, should be near. Ii is safe to say that he came to his feet and bowed deeply, even in humility.
 1T am resting, your highness," he said meekiy.
 Don't you know any better than to come ill here" demanded the prince Tru1ton turned very red.
 'I am sorry. I'll go at once."
 ''Oh, I'm not going to put you outv' hastily exclaimed the prince, coming down the slope But you are old enough to know better. You are the gentleman who picked up my crop yesterday. You are an American"
 ''Yes, a lonely American" with an attempt at the pathetic.
 The youngster looked cautiously about. Say, do you ever go fishingY' he demanded eagerly.
 Occasionally"
 You won't give me away, will you" with a warning frown. Don't you tell Jacob Fraasch. He's the steward I-I know fine place to fish,"
 The prince led the way up the bank followed by the amused American who stopped so admirably that the boy looking back, whispered that 1t was ''just fine." At the top of the knoll the prince turned into little shrub slined path leading down to the banks