The Winslow mail., 1914-10-10

N or quite soon, as it seemed to
~ the king, the gradient OF the
path diminished, the way wild
ened out, and they found themselves in
a very beautiful place indeed. 1t was
one of those upland clusters of sheds
and houses that are still to be found in
the mountains of north Italy that were
used only in the high summer and
which it was the custom to leave lock-
ed up and deserted through all the
winter and spring and up to the mid
die of June. The buildings We're of
soft toned gray stone buried in rich
green grass, shadowed by chestnut
trees and lit by an extraordinary blaze
of yellow broom. Never had the king
seen broom so glorious. He shouted
at the light of it, for it seemed to give
out more sunlight even than it receiv-
ed He sat down impulsively on
lchenous stone, tugged out his bread
and cheese and bade Firmin thrust the
beer into the shaded weeds to cool.
1.-The things people miss, Firmin," he
said. "who go up into the air in ships"
ungenial eye. You see it at it's best,
sir" he said, before the peasants
come here again and make it filthy"
"It would be beautiful anyhow said
the king.
''Superfcially, SIR said Firmin. "But
vanishing away. Indeed, judging by
the grass between the stones and in
the huts, am inclined to doubt if it
is In use even now"
81 suppose" said the king, "they
would come up Immediately the hay
on this flower meadow is cut. 1t would
be those slow, creamy colored beasts,
[ expect, one sees on the roads below
and swarthy girls with red handker-
chiefs over their black hair. 1t is
wonderful to think how long that beau
tiful old life lasted. In the Roman
times and long ages before ever the
rumor of the Romans had come into
these parts, men drove their cattle up
into these places as the summer came
on. How haunted is this place! There
have been quarrels here, hopes, chill
dren have played here and lived to be
old crones and old gaffers and died.
and so ct has gone on for thousands
Of lives. Lovers, innumerable lovers,
have caressed amidst this golden
broom"
He meditated over busy mOuthful
of bread and cheese.
1--WE ought to have brought tank
ard for that beer,' he said.
Firmin produced afolding aluminium
cup, and the king was pleased to
drink.
81 wish. SIR" said Firmin suddenly,
T could induce you at least to delay
your decision"
ITS no good talking, Firmin, said
the king. my minds as clear as day
light"
"Sire," protested Firmin, with his
voice full of bread and cheese and gen
uine emotion. "have you no respect for
your kngship?'
The king paused before he answered
with unwonted gravity, Its just be
cause | have, Firmin. that won't be
a puppet in this game of international
politics." He regarded his companion
for a moment and then remarked:
"Kingship! What do you know of
kingship, Firmin?
YES" cried the king to his aston
ished counselor. "FOr the first time in
my life am going to be king. l am
going to lead, and lead by my own au-
thority. For a dozen generations my
family has been a set of dummies in
the hands of their advisers. Now l am
going to be real king, and am going
toto abolish, dispose of, finish, the
crown to which | have been a slave.
But what world of paralyZing shams
this roaring stuff has ended! The rigid
old world is in the melting pot again,
and, ! who seemed to be no more than
the stuffing inside regal robe, | am a
king among kings. have to play my
part at the head of things and put an
end to blood and fire and idiot disor-
der"
But, sir" protested Firmin.
This man Leblanc is right. The !
whole world has got to be republic, !
one and indivisible. You know that. |
And my duty is to make that easy. A |
king should lead his people. You want |
me to stick on to their backs like some /
old man of the sea Today must be !
of kings. Our trust for man
kind is done with and ended. We must |
part our robes among them. We must |
part our kingship among them and say
TO them all, Now the king in every
one must rule the world. Have you
no sense Of the magnificence of this
occasion? You want me, Firmin, you
want me to go up there and haggle
like id little solicitor for some
price. some compensation, some quail
ication'
Firmin shrugged his shoulders and
assumed an expression of despair:
Meanwhile, he conveyed, one must eat.
Tor tStOo ra}rhor on1 4Ha