The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-04-12


At sight Of the young American la
lilly lounging. feet up at the desk and
trying to light a cigarette, the mob
halted in ~momentary surprise.
They had expected to find the king
covering in terror in a corner Of the
room. and the presence of Hawthorne
bewildered them.
''Well, boys said Hawthorne, glanc-
ing pleasantly up from his task of Gig
arctic lighting, what can do for you
this EVENING""
wen attend to this fellow later
called Hohenloe to his followers,
''First, where is the king?''
'Oh,'' questioned Hawthorne polite
~, ''you request an audience with his
majesty? I'll fix it for YOU
1--WE are here to administer swift
justicer' announced fat orator in the
crowd.
There's where you have the bulge
on civilized countries, where justice is
painfully slow said Hawthorne. His
majesty will receive you, however,
nowY'
At his last word the anteroom door
opened and the king, followed by his
companions, entered the study. His
majesty's withered old face was death
~ pale, and he could scarcely support
his tottering weight. But outwardly
he was calm and regal.
At the sight of him the mob gave
voice as might pack of hounds at
sight of the kill.
your majesty" explained Haw
thorne, this, I believe. is a deputaion
respectfully entreating an audience
''Nor' vociferated Hohenloe above
the clamor, 1.-The army and the popu
lace of Borrovina and-the princess
must retire." he broke off imperiously
at sight of Irma.
'tNo.' refused Irma haughtily.
''Your royal highness," Hawthorne
reassured her. don't let this little dem
onstration bother you. Everything is
going to be all right. Now. then. gen
tlemen, speak up! What do you want?"
Hohenloe turned formally to the
king.
Augustus III. of Borrovina.' he de-
claimed, lin the name of the army and
of the nation that you have misruled,
it is the command of the people that
you be deposed from the throne you
have so long encountered and dis
graced
1.-THE nation that crowned you has
spoken. You are king no more. Here
he went on dramatically, throwing
document on the desk-''here is the will
of an outraged people. It is your abdi-
cation. You must sign it here and
now What is your answer"
His majesty interposed Hawthorne
before the king could speak, has depu-
hzed me to give you his answer
''You7' roared Hohenloe. 'eYou are
the ruffian who today brutally assault
ed Prince Vladimir, future king of Bor-
rovina!'
xiii himp' roared the crowd, and
they surged forward.
Hawthorne did not give ground be-
fore the angry advance of soldiers and
civilians. He stood where he was and
grinned pleasantly into the mass of
glowering. faces.
It is hard to attack a man who stu
pidly refuses to be scared and who
grins instead of covering or even show
ing fight. And the mob paused an in
slant. irresolute, even as Irma, seeing
the Americans dire peril. involuntarily
cried:
''Mr. Hawthorner'
The name caused looks Of sudden
curious interest among the seowling
faces. None of the crowd but had
heard or read of this American Croesus
and of his supposedly boundless wealth.
In that bankrupt country the very
thought of so much wealth was awe
inspiring.
Hawthorne? muttered HohenIoe in
"My friend. Mr.. Anthony Hamilton
America" put in the
king, for once quick to seize the psy-
Geological moment.
And now a wondering murmur ran
the crowd.
"HawthorneY' mumbled one and an
other of the conspirators. ''Haw-
the richest man in the worldr'
For by this time the tale of Haw-
thorne's winnings had swelled to I'M
believable proportions, and his notorie-
ty in BorrcSvina had left Rockefeller's
far behind. They stared at him as at
a demigod.