The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-05-26

AS ne prepared TO take MS 0epar
ture he assumed an insinuating air OF
apology and remarked to me:
~ owe you an apology. Mr.. Smart
There was time when I did you m
injustice. I suspected you of keeping
your mistress here. Pray forgive my
error"
Five days later I was snugly en-
sconced in the ducal suit at the Bris
tol, overlooking the Kartnerringstrass
bereft Of my baronial possessions, but
not at all sorry. My romance had been
short lived. 1t is one thing to write
novels about medieval castles and
quite ano$ler thing to try to write q
novel in one of them. trust l may
never again be guilty of such arrant
stupidity MS to think that an American
born citizen can become feudal baron
by virtue of his dollars and cents any
more than an American born girl can
hope to be real. dyed in the wool
countess or duchess because some one
needs the money more than she does
1t would be quite as impossible. con.
trariwise, to transform a noble duke
into plain American citizen. so there
you are. even up.
My plans were made. After fort.
night in Vienna l expected to go west
to London for the autumn and then
back to New York. Strange to relate
| was homeSick. Never before had my
thoughts turned 50 restlessly, 50 wist.
fully to the haunts of my boyhood days.
l began to long for the lights of Broad
way (Which l had scornfully despised
In other days. and the gay peacockery
of Fifth avenue at in the afternoon.
1t seemed TO me that nowhere in all
the world was life so joyous and blithe
and worth while as in ''old New York
nowhere were the theaters so attract
i've, nowhere such restaurants. Even.
in retrospect, the subway looked allur-
ing. and as for the Fifth avenue stages.
they were too beautiful for words.
All. what builder of unreal things a
spell of homesickness may become If
one gives 1t half n chance.
AS for Schloss Rothhoefen, I had it
on excellent authority tno less a person
than Conrad Schmick HIMSELF that
barely had | shaken the dust of the
place from myself before the new mas
ter put into execution n most extraor-
dinary and incomprehensible plan of
reconstruction. In the first place. he
gave all the servants two weeks notice
IN ha 10 fs.np
the bottom upward instead of the other
way round. rs a sensible person might
have been expected to do. He was
knocking out the walls in the cellars
and digging up the stone floors with
splendid disregard for that ominous
thing known as cataclysm. The
grave question in the minds of the
servants was whether the usual and
somewhat mandatory two weeks no
tice wouldn't prove trife too long aft.
er all. In fact, Hawkes.. with an inspira.
ton worthy of an office boy, managed
to produce a sick grandmother and got
away from the place at the end of one
week, although having been paid in full
for two.
The day on which left for Paris
still saw Tarnowsy at work. with his
masons, heroically battering down the
walls of the grim old stronghold, and
chuckled to myself. 1t was quite
evident that he hadn't found the hid.
ing place up to that time.
After several days in Paris I took
myself off to London. | was expecting
letters at Claridges, where l always
take rooms-not because think it is
the best hotel i'm London. but because
l am to some extent creature of hab.
1t. My mother took me to Claridge's
when | was boy. and l saw won.
derful parsonage at the door, whom
was pleased to call the king. Ever
since then ] have been going to Cla.
ridges, and while my first king Is dead
there is one in his place, who bids fair
to live long, albeit no one shouts en-.
couragement to him. He wears the
most gorgeous buttons I've ever seen,
and doubt if King Solomon himself
could have been more regal. certainly
not Nebuchadnezzar. He works from
In the morning until I at night, and
he has an imperial scorn for anyth,a.
smaller than half sovereign.
There were many letters waiting
there for me. but not one from the
Countess Aline. l had encouraged the
hope that she might write to me. 1t
was the least she could do in return
for all that I had done for her not
withstanding my wretched behavior
on the last day Of our association
While I had undoubtedly offended In
the most fragrant manner, still my act
was not unpardonabl BILE. There was
tribute, not outrage. in my behavior.
Poopendyke fidgeted a good deal
with the scanty results of my literary
labors. rattling the typed pages in
most insinuating way. He oiled his
machine with accusative frequency.
but failed to respond. I was in nc
mood for writing. He said to me one
day:
Il don see why you keep a secre.
tary, Mr.. Smart. don't begin to earn
my salt"
NCoIt -