The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1914-07-31
The Kind
Of Government He
Liked
By JOHN c. LARNED

II any event. tne crown prince
must not be exposed" said Won Bern
stein. ISL
Which means that must lose my
self to the world"
The reply was made by Count Ester
hon. on whose person had been found
a puck Of marked cards. A party Of
young nohlenen and the prince had
been playing baccarat His royal
highness had lost heavily. and Ester
hon had won. In order to force the
latter to return his winnings the
prince. who sat near the winner. slip
ped the marked pack into his pocket
and then accused him of having won
bis money by cheating. To prove his
accusation he demanded that Esterhoff
be searched. and the cards were found.
No one WINS deceived. nor was 1t In
tended that any one should be deceiv-
ed The scheme was to effect the re-
turn Of the money the prince had lost
TO Esterhoff without the heir apparent
being obliged to demean himself by
accepting It as gift.
There is way out of II II you
choose to avail yourself OF it" said
Bernstein.
"What wayY'
Give up what you have won to the
prince and the matter will be hushed
up
THAT would be to acknowledge my
self guilty. | prefer to appear guilty
to the world and preserve my own self
respect"
Nonsense, count 1t is our duty to
preserve the sovereign from reproach
He belongs to the people. Let them
lose confidence In him and what fol.
lows1 Anarchy"
Esterhoff stood arm. He was ex-
cluded from the princes set on the
ground that he had used marked cards
he gave his winnings to the poor.
which was considered proof that his
conscience had IN the end got the bet
ter OF him Under the name Of Peter
Esterhoff no went to America. His
family estates had been lost by his ia
ther, and It was his ambition to mike
money and redeem them.
Twenty years rolled by. The crown
prince had become king under the title
OF Oscar VIII. he had remained q
gambler and q spendthrift though the
I'll success to recoup bis losses with
Count Esterhoff had kept him from
trying such d method again. During
the two decades that bad since passed
he had become personally bankrupt
All that saved him was that the
wealthy pobility. fearing that II he col
lApeed he would carry the government
and them down With him, kept him
aAoat.
A wealthy American came to the
capital and took a residence he was
unmarried and lived entirely alone,
Nobody knew why be had coma why
he remained or what be did With him
ell. Bankers knaw that ha. had
bfoughfI with him ,unlinitedS cfedis
from America, and It seemed to them
that the money he drew wAs expsnded
for somethihs. though they didS hS{
know what. ~ ~ = 2 ~ y J. d y
One day the king received notice.
from q lawyer that ono OF his notes
which was due must b paid at onea
Oscar forwarded the note through HIS
chamberlain 10 n nobleswho had been
appointed by the other mobiles to talrs
care Of the kings debts. The anount
was paid. but other similar notices
came pouring In 20 fast that II was
found impossible to take care OF them
His majesty was informed that there
was danger Of a public scandal. Many
Of these. claims were for money ad-
vanced for Legitimate purposes. The
king asked who was pressing them
and was told that an American multi
millionaire was supposed to be at the
bottom Of II all.
One morning the American received
command" to appear at the palace.
he replied that he had no wish to visit
the king; IL the king wished to see him
he would find him at home. The NEXT
day the royal carriage stopped at the
Americana house; the king aIighted
and was received in the drawing room.
Il have called" said Oscar. ito learn
the meaning Of your having bought up
claims against me and pressing them
for payment"
Perhaps your majesty may remem-
Der when you were crown prince slip
ping pack Of marked cards into my
pocket"
-Your pocketY'
81 am Count Esterhoff."
The king blanched.
II have kept those cards." continued |
''and would like to sell them
to your majesty" 0 $40 Ns
How much do you ask for themr'
inquired Oscar after collecting his fac
ulties. Ns'4 'sS t.3@ *a4 ~ @s
Two hundred thousand American
dollars for each card"
"Grsat heavens. mani What DO you
mean?- sa,a,s.
II mean that in my youth lived
under a system wherein the chief men
md women found It to their interest 20
support injustice. II your people stiil
feel the same in this matter let them
a !. Az, n<,<. ~