Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1914-12-02
CHAPTER VIII.
The World Republic.

n the king, the gradient of the
path diminished the way Wild
ened out and they found themselves in
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 were of a
soft toned gray stone buried in rich
green grass, Swallowed 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 a
hchenous stone, tugged out his bread
and cheese and babe Firmin thrust the
beer into the shaded weeds to cool.
The things people miss, Firmin," he
said, who go up into the air In ships!'
Firmin looked around him with an
ungenial eye. you see it at its best,
SIR" he said, before the peasants
come here again and make it filthy"
1T would be beautiful anyhow" said
the king.
"Superfcially, sir" said Frmin. But
it stands for a social order that is fast
vanishing away. Indeed, judging by
No Nd In
the huts, l am inclined to doubt if 1t
Is in use even now"
Il 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,
l 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 CATERS and died,
and so it 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 folding aluminium
cup. and the king was pleased to
drink.
Il wish, SIR said Firmin suddenly
II 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 kingship?''
The king paused before he answered
with unwonted gravity, Its just be-
cause l 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 a king. am
going to lead, and lead by my own au-
ority. For dozen generations my
family has been a set Of dummies in
the hands of their advisers. Now l am
going to be a real king, and am going
toto abolish, dispose Of, finish, the
crown to which l 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 q
'rament 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
them all, Now the king In every
one must rule the world. Have you
no sense Of the magnifcence Of this
. occasion? You want me, Firmin, you
: want me to 60 up there and haggle
like a ID little solicitor for some
price. some compensation, some quail
6cation."
Firmin shrugged his shoulders ant
assumed an expression Of despair
Meanwhile, be conveyed, one must eat
For a time neither spoke. and thu
king ate and turned over in his mint
the phrases of the speech he intended
to make to the conference. By virtue
Of the antiquity Of his crown he was t.
preside, and he intended to make hi
presidency memorable. Reassured o
his eloquence, he considered the de
spondent and sulky Firmin for space
"Firmin," he said, "you have ideal
lied kingship."
1T has been my dream, SIR" said Fir
min sorrowfully, Ito serve"
AT the levers, Firmin," said tn
king.
You are pleased to be unjust" sail
Firmin, deeply hurt.