The Ely miner., 1915-11-19

Copyright. 1915. by W. G. chapman0

tions of the Greek dramatists, in
which the hero, pursed by an aveng-
ing fate, struggles in vain against a
tragic destiny that leaves him, in the
end, utterly bereft of all that life has
held dear for him.
Never has a monarch suffered so
many blows from fortune. Called to
the throne at eighteen, it was his fate
Co lose his Italian provinces, to suffer
defeat from France and then from
Prussia, to see Hungary become quasi
Independent His son, Prince Rudolf,
died by his own hand under circum-
stances of the utmost pathos; his
queen, Empress Elisabeth, fell the VIC
finn of an assassin's dagger; his heir
and nephew, Archduke John, resigned
his inheritance and disappeared; yet
2ate had still in store for him the MUIR
der of Sarajevo, war, and its ensuing
miseries.
In my capacity as private and conf
Dental emissary for the British gov
ernment, with a commission to deter
mine what forces were making for
Ear in Europe, had fixed my head
quarters in Vienna, the pivot-capital
Of European politics. Although my
mission was not generally suspected,
or, rather because of this, | was in
close touch with political affairs and
men
/ was returning to Vienna after
short trip home to England when my
orrio In oh fap in tho
evening, somewhere beyond the Swiss
frontier, by man whom / knew very
well indeed, escorting a woman whom
: had never seen before.
1t was evident that they had taken
the adjoining sleeping section, and
had inadvertently entered mine at the
little station. A few words of explain
ation, and had stepped into the cor
ridor and shown item to their quar-
ters. The man hGd not recognized
me, but the sight o. his face, which |
could not possibly have mistaken, for
reasons connected with bygone eX-
perience when / was an attache at vi
emma, aroused in me the utmost aston
tshment and keenest curiosity For
I knew him perfectly well as being the
missing archduke and heir to the
throne, who, when he resigned his
rank and inheritance, had sailed on
tramp ship as Johann Orth, able sea-
man, to find his grave, as everybody
believed, in the depths of the Sargasso
sea-
The story of Johann Orth is common
IL hot
sons have asseverated, from time to
time, that they had met the archduke
in distant parts of the world; but no
body of responsibility had ever be-
lieved the tale had not.
The man was so like his cousin,
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and heir
apparent, that, but for the experience
to which l have referred, | should
have mistaken him for the heir appar-
ent himself What was he doing here?
Who was his companion?
AS | stood at the door of my Sec
ton the man open ed the door of his
and stepped into the corridor. He
saw me, stared me, and suddenly
grasped me by TIE shoulders and
dragged me into mr. compartment and
shut the door behind him. Then he
thrust out a huge, sunburned, toll
calloused hand, and gripped mine with
the clasp of a steel wise.
"Well met" he shouted, calling me
by name 81 coulG not have had
more fortunate encounter. You know
me, eh? You are Ambassador at vi
emma now? Never mind! You will
youch for me in case my uncle has
grown near-sightedf You will stand
by me, as an old friend ought to-"
did not know what answer to re-
turn to this outburst. The mans ap-
pearance was that of one who had
been on a protracted debauch, and yet
there was no smell Of alcohol upon his
breath. And soon began to realize
that it was excitement and apprehen-
sion that gave him his wild appear
ance not liquor.
He poured out story in a flood of
words that left ne gasping. And
had not the least doubt of him at any
time.
He had escaped from the wrecked
ship in one of the boats and landed
on the shore of Brazil. In that coun-
try he had become a successful coffee
planter. and none of his neighbors had
guessed his identity. But to one who
had lived so full life the monotony
became uncomfortable. Under various
names he had travelled with his wife
In many countries of the world, occa-
sionally recognized and challenged,
but always managing to conceal his
identity until the year 1912 found him
ranching in California. There the
woman for whose sake he had sacri-
feed his rank had died.
He had married again, an ambitious
woman who somehow discovered the
secret of his birth. She had urged
him to return to Austria and regain
his rank and inheritance Her pleas
had fired him until his resolution be-
came as great as hers. And so they
had started together on the maddest
and most impracticable quest that was
ever undertaken.
AS he ended his story his eyes were
blazing, and he smote his clenched
fist into the palm of his hand.
And now I am going back" he
cried, ''and l shall force my uncle to
acknowledge me as his heir If he
refuses shall rally to myself party
in the state and seize the govern
ment / have abandoned my rights
too long. l know the world now.
know the fallacy of such sacrifice