Tombstone epitaph., 1915-10-31

my oWn that nave now to record, but the cleyerest trick ever played in all the annals of international relations. and by no less parsonage than his oighness. Prince Niklas of Montene gro, or Chernagara. as the inhabitants of that barren district call their coun- try.
 Prince Niklas has always been. for me af least. one of the most fascinat- Ing personalities in Europe. It is the complex nature of the man that ap- peals to me. that Is to say the many characters that he possesses and that crop out in him at unexpected mo menss. A warrior ruler. bearing the scars of innumerable battles. a poet of high renown, chivalrous. ardent, the hero of his little people. he is also tanned for his financial necessities and his willingness to accept monetary as- distance from any quarter in which ii presents itself.
 Tine greatest coup of his reign vas. of course. the arrangement of the mar riage of his charming and accom- piished daughter Helena to the crown prince of Italy. Victor Emmanuel. now ruling as Victor Emmanuel III. By this master-stroke of policy he secured one of the great powers as a firm prop for his rather unstable throne. and bound the dynasty of Italy securely to the wheels of the chariot of his own for tunes.
 Ever since the marriage Victor Elm manuel has allowed his father-in-law a certain fixed annual stipend. There is 0othing indiscreet in mentioning this tt is a matter of common knowledge.
 When war between Germany and Austria, on the one hand. and France. and England on the other was seen to be inevitable, Niklas was in great per plexity
 Austria had also invaded Serbia and bombarded Belgrade. the capital, Montenegro, allied 10 Serbia by blood and treaty. had not yet declared her self upon her side. as she was shortly to do. Ard the cause of Niklas' hesita- ton was that Italy, as the third part ner of the triple alliance, was ex- pected to take sides with her leu tonic confederates. If she did so. the first fruits of the alliance would be the invasion of Montenegro by Italian troops.
 Of course we all know now how promptly Italy disavowed her responsi- bilities toward her allies. on the ground that the triple alliance was for defense and not aggression. We know how arsently Italy's decision to re main neutral was greeted in France and England. Still. the unprejudiced person may candidly confess that Italy's game was very shrewd one. and dictated more by fear of the Brit fish fleet than by qualms of conscience Perhaps Italy might legitimatelv have stretched a point in favor of her part uers So, at least, thought Victor Emmanuel III.
 In those first days of the war Italy's decision was awaited with the most intense anxiety by all the warning na- tions And it Is an open secret that King Victor was in favor Of carrying out. at any sacrifice. what he consid- cred to be his treaty obligations.
 Picture. then. the Quirinal. rent by djssension, the Marquis di San Clio
  olute, Victor demanding war, and his own household. in the person of his gracious consort, frantically appealing to him not to engage in a struggle which must mean the invasion Of her fathers lit.le country. Upon this scene enters old, rugged Prince Niklas of Chernagara. bent upon securing yjcfor's neutrality.
 got the story of his exploit from friend of mine at the Italian court me of the Black aristocracy, that is to say. a sponsor of the Papal claims who. with foot in either camp. Quir- fnaI and Vatican. was not averse from telling A tale for the confoundiDg of King Victor. Pietro Della Campagnas clever Italian mind was. in fact. the f,rst to penetrate the mystery Of the Montepeerin cipher. before the dis match from the Italian minister al Vienna convulsed the Quirinal-all ex- cent King vfctor-with laughter. But had better tell the story imperson- .uv-f,r the first portion. at any rase.
 You see the spectacle in the our final: Victor pressed on all sides 10 declare neutrality, and obstinately re solved to vindicate what he consid- cred to be his country's faith, by 1oin- tnx Austria and Germany; Di San Gio- yanas prophesying revolution should he comply; and the beautiful queen for inc first time in her life at odds vi,b her husband. Enter. then. old N;klas who. ~ith the suaveness or satherrn.aw and the leverage Of . ser,ov-ruler. demanded audience.
 He rot 1t two hours after his arrival in inc large audience room in the west wing os the Quirinai. looking out down the muddy Tiber. The Marchese di San Giovanni was the third of the arty. and the only witness. Yet some now the report of the meeting vas soread abroad with tolerabie accuracy sStervard. Probably the old man bao- hIed to his cronies in the one-story palace ct Ceettn5e-
 Niklas nad not been idle during ,ho~e tvo hours of waiting He vent Nrr1- ,t courss. to find his daughter