Tombstone epitaph., 1915-10-31
 Copyright. 1913. by W. c. Chapman.)

by her childish diminutiye. Finding
 her in tears, he surmised at once that his mission was going to be a hard
 one. He found a maid of honor in the corridor, and grasping her by the
 wrist, dragged her into the queens apartment, and stood by. his rugged face wrinkled with anxiety. while she applied eau de cologne and smelling salts. Nothing ever satisfied old Nix las during his visits to Rome unless her majesty evidenced signs of faint. ing, a highbred accomplishment. in the old fellows opinion, unknown in Montenegro, and proof positive of gen tie manners.
 I have spoken of the acute Italian mind of Pietro Della Campagna. my friend. At that time he had an affair with a certain maid of honor the same whom old Niklas had dragged so unceremoniously into his daughters rooms. Whether she tilted him or mar iiei ihiiIn {: 1o ao. hao-; perhaps the affair is still dragging it's slow length along. Anyway. about ten min utes after the application of the smell ing salts. Pietro. ignorant of what is happening inside. goes on duty outside her majesty's apartments. Then out comes the maid Of honor. stops. con siders, and. in turn. drags the valiant sentryman bodily inside the queens drawing room.
 There he found old Niklas pacing up and down and glancing anxiously at an inner door. behind which. he un' | derstood. her majesty was resting
 This gentleman and I. sir. are her majesty's most faithful servants" said the maid of honor to the prince.
 That doesn't help" stormed the old man. Who's going to make the king
 see that he's on the wrong track? Who's going to stop him from losing ] his crown if the queen can't?" | His language was simpler and more elementary than that, but I translate it Automatically.
 Then he sat down and explained the entire situation to the maid of honor | and the young officer. Naturally Pie tro felt proud. When a man thinks a ! Tood deal of himself ideas flow quick ! ly It did not take Pietro long before ! he got the germ which was to prove the undoing of the Germanic confeder- ation.
 When he expounded it Niklas was at first aghast. Then he swore and blew his nose. and clapped the young l fellow on the shoulder and offered him the premiership of Montenegro if his | scheme succeeded. So the three sat ! down at a table. and soon three in veDtive minds were running along the | same groove.
 Niklas learned from fie;ro that the sword in aid of Austria. The idea i of the cipher. as have said. was Pie tro's. but the maid of honor gave it | the touches of verisimilitude. It was bold thing and a clever one. and Pietro said that it made his head feel l like a mill-race for days aftervard. However. the scheme was practically worked out when page tapped at the door and announced that his majesty would be pleased to see Prince Niklas in the audience room in the west wing
 Prince Niklas snatched up the pa per. which had just been completed. and bestowed a kiss upon the cheek of my friend Pietro. Pietro went down on his knee and kissed the princes hand. Tn en, after the door had closed | upon them. he kissed the maid of honor, but not on the hand. After this had been done, since the maid of honor was growing anxious to attend upoE her mistress. Pietro resumed his post outside the apartment, looking. as can be imagined, unusually well pleased with himself. Meanwhile Nix las was on his way to the audience room.
 There a stormy scene ensued. King Victor, conscious that he was being pressed on all sides against his will and conscience, stood as stin as a poker when Prince Nikias saluted him. He took the offensive, too. like a good tactician. and poured hot shot into the arguments which the old man pressed upon him, that he should de- clare his neutrality.
 My duty lies where my conscience lies." declared his majesty. T am bound by treaty to support Germany and Austria. and if fail now shall deserve to be called a poltroon, as well as faithless. Besides" he added irritably, what the devil do you come to me with arguments about the affairs of Italy for?"
 Because the balance of power Is at stake.' answered Prince Niklas. It may be doubted whether he knew what that was, or whether he did not have in his mind a scale loaded with gold pieces. However. he had not become a constitutional sovereign during the past few years for nothing.
 The old man foundered along. cum ningiy giving the impression that he was pleading a weak cause. and con scious of it, and that he had nothing else in mind. His majesty grew more and more angry Prince Niklas was clumsily fiicking him on the raw. and 1 the Marchese al San Giovanni sat gum and silent at the table. He Knew his | master-but then he did not know the driving force behind Niklas' words At