The Ely miner., 1915-10-22

Copyright. 1915, by w. g. Chapman.)

Montenegro, and proof positive of gen.
tie manners.
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
married him do not know; perhaps
the affair Is still dragging its 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 II the queen can't?"
His language was simpler and more
elementary than that, but translate
it diplomatically.
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
good 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 Germanlc confeder-
alton.
When he expounded 1t Niklas was
| at first aghast Then he swore and
blew his nose, and clapped the young
| fellow on the shoulder and offered him
the premiership of Montenegro If his
| scheme succeeded. So the three sat
down at table, and soon three in
| ventive minds were running along the
same groove
Niklas learned from Pietro that
| King Victor was determined to draw
the sword in aid of Austria. The idea
of the cipher, as have said, was Pie
tro's, but the maid of honor gave 1t
| the touches of verisimilitude. 1t was
a bold thing and a clever one, and
| Pietro said that It made his head feel
| like a mill-race for days afterward.
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 kiss upon the cheek
of my friend Pietro. Pietro went down
on his knee and kissed the princes
hand Then, 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
upon her mistress, Pietro resumed his
post outside the apartment, looking, as
can be imagined, unusually well
pleased with himself Meanwhile Mix
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 stiff as a
poker when Prince Niklas saluted him.
He took the offensive, too, like 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. II am
bound by treaty to support Germany
and Austria. and II | fail now I 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 bad not become
a constitutional sovereign during the
past few years for nothing.
| The old man floundered along, cum
ningly giving the impression that ne
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
clGmsily flicking him on the raw, and
the Marchese di San Giovanni sat glum
and silent at the table. He knew his
master-but then he did not know the
driving force behind Niklas' words. At
least. it Is necessary to assume that
he did not.
1T seems to me-" said the king at
last, with frank brutality, that a ruler
who does not scruple to accept sub
sidy from Italy, and whose every visit
to my court of recent years has had
for its one object the borrowing of
fresh funds, should not press me on
matters of policy. In fact" he said
concluding, 1T is impertinent, and |
resent it in the strongest possible
manner"
The rough old man controlled his In
dignation. Prince Niklas has the saw
ing grace of humor. which lends q
finishing touch to rough character.
my dear son-in-law," he answered
in the Calabrian peasant dialect of
Italy. which he had mastered during a
long sojourn in the south at an early
and unchronicled period of his life, "it
is the privilege of father-in-law to
| demonstrate with a young man who Is