The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-01-24

N@"S oAIaA1 0AAAD hAkCOA III
utes before the appointed time.
The pale light of the summer morn
ing had already begun to make the
trees and paths distinguishable when
Paul arrived at the gate of the Bots
nearest to the dueling ground. It
was twenty minutes to five. He
quickened his steps, directing them
toward the little glade. At last he
reached it-thank God, 1t was empty
and, 1inging himself down upon the
dewy grass, he rested. His limbs
ached and his head was swimming;
his eyes were heavy from want OF
sleep. He needed all his strength to
control himself. He must act wisely,
swiftly and say not one rash word.
Presently a fiacre ratified up and
halted in the middle Of the nearby
carriage drive, and two men stepped
out Of it. Almost Immediately 1t was
followed by another, which, hating in
the identical spot, disgorged three
others. Through the bushes behind
which he lay concealed Paul could
see, in the rapidly increasing light,
that the first two men were Manuel
and his second; the other three were
the supposed prince, his second, and
a man who carried a little black case
and was evidently a doctor.
The parties saluted formally, and
the man with the case stepped for
ward and communed for a while with
Manuels second. Then, being joined
ly fhotr norftad thou tokaffOnaA. 4hnpn
in chosen places, some fifteen PAGES
apart. And, as the man with the case
opened it, Paul perceived to his hor-
ror that the case did not contain
surgical supplies.
It contained two pistols. This was
evidently to be a duel a loutrance.
And one of the combatants would
fall, killed, or perhaps MORALLY
wounded.
That the duel was to be a serious
n was evinced from the fact that
the combatants were set facing each
other, and not back to back, as is
commonly done in encounters when
only honor is sought. The principals
raised their pistols; the seconds took
their stations. The man with the
case, half between the two, raised a
white handkerchief.
"One!" he counted.
Suddenly Paul saw a third carriage,
driven at a furious pace, dash down
the drive and come to a halt fifty
yards away. A middle-aged gentle
man and a lady, primly dressed, de-
scended, and, perceiving what was
taking place, began running wildly to-
ward the combatants.
"Two!" shouted the man in the mid
die.
Paul bounded from the underbrush.
Put up your weapons!" he yelled in
French. And the five, startled by
this sudden appearance and still more
unceremonious command, obeyed.
Monsieur" exclaimed the man
with the handkerchief, as Paul STUN
bled toward him, this is most un-
seemly. If you"
well done! Well donei" shouted
the middle-aged man, finding his voice
as he staggered into the middle of the
group, leaving the lady toiling in the
rear Just in the nick of time. Ed
ward!"
But IL the others were disconnected
the ~middle-aged man was more dis
comfited than they. He seemed to tot
ter backward; his eyes stared through
their heavy fringes, and his mouth
opened and remained open. The lady,
who Joined the group at that moment,
seemed paralyzed with fear. She sank
to the ground, sobbing. The gentle
man raised her in his arms and, turn
ing upon the group with an expression
Of sternness, said:
THAT mar is not my SON."
Round the bend of the drive came
a fourth carriage, and before it stop
ped q young man leaped from 1t and
came bounding, 1.-THE as a deer, across
the grass, shouting as he advanced.
He burst into the midst Of the as.
sembled company and clasped his
mother in his rms. And the rest, en-
tirely overcome by the crescendo OF
these unparalleled circumstances, only
looked wildly at one another. They
could not find their tongues.
1t was really astonishing how little
they resembled each other-the true
prince and the false. If clothes make
the man, they had certainly made the
prince in the minds Of the Parisians
Fer, save that each wore a trim Eng
fish coat and patent leather boots
and spats, and carried a cane with a
dogs head, there was astonishingly
little resemblance between the true
Prince Edward, with his arms round
his sobbing mother, and the false
Prince Edward, still holding the duel
ing pistol.
Il heard that you had come here tc
look for me, father" exclaimed the
prince. "What does it mean? They
sent a telephone message to the mar
quis' house"
who sent it?"
"The Daily STAR They told the
marquis that I had been out all night
in a cafe, that / was to fight a duel
that you had come to Paris and hat
been warned to be In the Bots, and sc
what does it mean?"
Queen Mary picked herself up ant
came forward, her eyes boring like
steel augers into Clothilde's face.
"Who is that woman, masqueradinl
as my son, the ~prince?" she asked.
Then, rising to the occasion, Pau
stepped forward. dofing his hat will
his politest smile.
ut means, Madam" he said, "tha'
q NATURALIZATION nInA...o uan - l.