The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1911-09-22

msh paSheo Shdir sat OH Henry BreeO,
the richly jeweled crown upon his jerk
lily holding head, the robe of ermine
and carmine upon his emaciated form.
the diamond tipped scepter in his hand.
At one end of the table sat Jens Mel
son and at the other end Dr. Zelphan.
peering through his thick spectacles
at Rollins and grinning through his
bushy red beard. while Mrs. Rens-
selaer sat aloof in corner, thinking
her own thoughts.
"Welcome TO our courtw cackled
Breed. welcome to our court. What
plenipotentiary have we here?" and
his head nodded SO violently that the
heavy crown jerked off aud fell upon
the table.
DR.. Zelphnn calmly caught II as 1t
was about ~ roll to the floor. carefully
pushed out dent that had been made
In the soft gold and restored the crown
to Breed. who. after many bobbing at
tempts. placed It again upon his head.
II shall examine the ENJOYS creden-
tails and present him to your majesty
in due time and FORM" generously an
nounced Zelphan. with an evident en-
joyment of the mockery that Rollins.
in his shocked adherence, could not
understand.
"Quite right" agreed Breed "Quite
right. Let all things be done in due
FORM" and. apparently resolved not
to interfere with proper observances.
Breed drew his old. well worn Bible
to him and began to humble to him.
self garbled quotations. of which ven-
geance was the chief burden.
~ am the prime minister" Zelphan
stated with burlesque gravity. arising
and shaking hands with Rollins. "Our
friend Jens, here. is the lord high
chamberlain. Mrs. Rensselaer, Is the
first lady in waiting. If you behave
yourself. Rollins. we'll make you a
duke or an earl or something Pick
out your title-anything you please"
Rollins smiled thinly, but he could
not take his eyes nor his mind from
the appalling wreck of Henry Breed.
the richest man the world had ever
known or perhaps ever would know,
the man who, starting without a dol
lar, had In the course of an ordinary
lifetime comprised half the wealth Of
nation to his own use and through
that half controlled the balance Of it.
And he was come to this end!
Nelson reused Rollins to immediate
business.
''What is the news?" he asked alb
ruptly.
Rollins turned to him with relief.
81 have force of more than fifteen
hundred good, solid men who will be
here inside Of half IN hour to protect
the vaults. I am quite sure that an
attack will be made upon them to-
night. l have been collecting my
forces for week against this moment
and watching Kelvin through the spy
Of whom you told me. When they got
the Gatlings into the garage today I
knew the time was growing very short.
We made a forced march tonight,
making a straight cut to get here"
"They have Gatlings, you say?" ask
ed Nelson, troubled.
Fourteen Of them from the govern
ment arsenal mounted in automobiles.
If my men get here in time l want to
ambush the expedition from behind
the wall and have my sharpshooters
puncture their tires and pick off their
gunners. Kelvin is to be among them.
If we can capture him the whole prob
lem is solved"
But they have Cuttings" protested
Nelson.
1--WE have ambush and strategy" in
sisted Rollins confidently. eff only my
forces can arrive in timer
"You have done wonders" said Mel
son admiringly. How have you man.
aged it? thought we were helpless"
Rollins shrugged his shoulders.
"Kelvin had one enemy he could not
throttle. and that was the American
press. which, after all. is the stanch
foundation upon which our liberty has
been founded and upheld. Upon the
instant of his proclamation Kelvin had
a censor ready to take ostensible charge
Of every newspaper Office in the Unit
ed States He might as well have put
infants there. In some cases the GEN.
sors were inundated, in others they
were hoodwinked, in others they were
bound and gagged and in some places
killed. The eastern newspapers Oh the
very first day issued my call to arms.
and, though the telegraph was closed
to us, within two days the appeal was
being printed in Chicago and st. Louis.
spreading farther west every day since
the proclamation. In every village and
every country settlement men are aria-
ing-the sort Of men who always re-
spond to the call Of patriotism, the |
sort Of men who know when their |
country and their homes are in dan
ger and who are willing to die to de- |
fend them. Nelson, you can't whip |
men like that!'
Zelphan, whose whole bearing until |
now had been like the fippancy Of |
an overgrown. mischtevous schoolboy, |