Tombstone epitaph., 1915-11-28

My nephew John tells me that ne has
been away q long time. and ! cannot
remember having seen HIM for some
weeks"
His majesty forgets at times" re-
sumed the archduke. He will readily
accept my cousin In my place. ! hope
that his advisers will fall in with the
scheme, for any man except myself
must be q relief to them In their de-
signs. Well, I have talked with her
highness, and II Is our unshakable re-
solve to resign all our honors and
withdraw into obscurity. have ar
ranged with my few friends to do
their best for my successor. We do
not expect to be heard OF again"
Now here is or plan,' the arch
duke continued huiriedly. Tomorrow
or today, rather. we leave for Sara
jevo, where l shall deliver an address
which will appease the Croatian peo-
pie and crown my policy OF concilia-
ton. That will be my last official act
and will checkmate our enemies. You
viii render me your aid as far as pos
| sibie?"
pledged myself.
Then you will travel to Sarajevo
on the same train. but not in my COM
pany.' continued the archduke. "it
leaves at an early hour. Only my per-
| sonal aide knows that. tor necessarily
these things have to be arranged with
secrecy. 1t is q special consisting Of
two coaches. My stan and l will oc-
cupy the first, and you will follow In
the second with some Of my friends
! c.e 90 .hec, will call st yn',r hotel for
you an hour before the train departs.
At Sarajevo you will 60 to the house
Of NJ. Pasich in Bosnai street, and will
remain there until We return from the
town nall. NJ. Pasich is my friend and
will be my host: by the time you ar.
rive he will be in possession of all
the facts. My cousin and his wife will
Join you there. We shall then ex
change roles. They will return to
Vienna at night, and you will accom-
pany me in an automobile as far as
the Servian frontier. where your duty
will be ended. ! can rely implicitly
on you?"
Fully, so far as lies in my power.
l answered. But though you two gen
tlemen resemble each other closely
enough to enable the substitution &c
be effected at the moment, have you
considered that"
Il have" he answered, clapping hi:
hand on my shoulder. Fortunately
that detail settles itself. for a heavy
veil is the ceremonial dress in Bosnia
That dates from the time Of the Turk
ish regime. So her highness the
duchess OF Hohenberg can very wei
pass muster for Madame Won Behring
Now" he added, rising, time is pass
ing, and there is much to do. Oul
friends all understand their duties
and so bid you good night, my friend
Expect my aide early in the morning.
He shook hands with me and rose
The officer came out of the emperori
apartments and conducted me back {,
the palace entrance, where he tool
leave OF me with a ceremonious salute
Declining the offers OF the hacl
drivers, l made my way home afoot
Truly we were playing into our enc
mics hands that night. ! was not
hundred yards from the palace en-
trance when felt that was being foI
lowed. / swung round to see the fac
of the spy Macchio peering at m
through the fog Of the night
well, sir?" / demanded.
Il beg your pardon, he mumbled. -
thought you were friend OF mine
And now that you are satisfied
am not, perhaps you will kindly tax
yourself on ! answered
The fellow skunk away. He did nc
follow me to my hotel. to the best G
my belief But when ! was at last i
my room a cold reaction came owe
. me.
must have slept more soundly 4
ward morning, for l started up &
length to find that 1t was halfpa!
eight I dressed with haste and wer
down. Nobody had called for me.
ate hasty breakfast and waited. tn
Z aide did not appear Ten O'Clock cam
then eleven. Twelve struck. ! wa
now thoroughly alarmed. Had the ait
l Souc " int WIOh6
r round to Won Behring's lodgings. {
l. learn that he and his wife had drive
to the railroad station at half-pa
p eight
J. Ny fears deepened. Surely the ait
Z must have blundered. When 1 disco
L. cred at the station that there were I
. signs Of the royal party and that the
u was no train for Sarajevo until s
&c o'clock that night 1 fell into a pani
From a friendly porter gathered Il
information that a special had left
III ten. Clearly / had been left benin
But was this Macchio's doing?
:. That day was a slow agony to m
II was not so much the thought of q
- failure which oppressed me as Il
!. gathering sense of some impendil
- tragedy which I could not fathol
:, When at last I found myself on Il
"A night train for Bosnia could not st;
;. in my compartment, but paced q
a corridor distractedly. A thousand que
tons intruded themselves upon q
"A consciousness. Had the two cousi
gone en- the same train? Would the