The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-02-19
(Continue,d.J

As a very small boy he had paid two visits to the home land of his father but after the death of his parents his valuable little person was guarded 50 5ealously by his subjects that not once had he set foot beyond the borders of GrauStark, except on two widely sep arated occasions of great pomp and ceremony at the courts of Vienna and St Petersburg, and a secret journey to London when he was seventeen. Qt appears that he was determined to see a great football match.) On each of these, occasions he was attended by watchful members of the cabinet and certain military units in the now far from insignificant standing army As a matter of fact, he witnessed the foot bah match from the ordinary stands, surrounded by thousands of unsuspect- ing BTitons. but carefully wedged in between two generals of his own army and danked by minister of police, q minister of the treasury and a minis ter of war. all of whom were exces- sGtvely bored by the contest and more or less appalled, by his unrega1 enthu- ,siasm. He hhd insisted on going to the match 1ncog, to enjoy it for all it was worth to the real spectators-those who egit or stand where the compression is mot unlike that applied to a box <of bsardines.
 The regency expired when he was twenty years of age, and he became ruler in fact of himself as well as of the half million subjects who had wait ed patiently for the great day that was Do see him crowned and glorifed. He was their prince, ahd they loved him sTel
 rm r,TsG1. 4~ truth when he said (to himself, if you in the far off principality was not all that could be desired It is true that Graustark was in Russia's debt to the extent of some 20,OO0,OOO gavvos-about $3O 100000, in other words-and that the day Of reckoning was very near at Ihand- The loan was for period of twelve years and had been arranged contrary to the advice of John Tullis. an American fnancier, who long had been interested in the welfare of the pf1ncfpality through friendship for the 1amented prince consort, Lorry. He had been farsighted enough to realize that Russia would prove hard cred flor, even though she may have been sincere in her protestations of friend ship for the modest borrower.
 a STuDDOfD element In the cabinet 0vercame his opposition, however, and the debt was contracted, taxation in creased by popular vote and a period of governmental thriftiness inaugu- rated Railroads, highways, bridges and aqueducts were built, owned and controlled by the state, and the city of Ede1wefss rebuilt after the devastation created during the revolt of Count Marlanx and his mfnions. There seem ed to be some prospect of Vindication for the ministry, and Tullis, who lived in EdeIweiss, was fair minded enough to admit that their action appeared to have been for the best. The people had prospered, and taxes were paid in GuHaand without complaint The re serve fund grew steadily and surely. and there wRs every prospect that when the huge debt came due it would be paid in cash. But on the very crest of their prosperity came diversity. For two years the crops failed, and pesti- Hence swept through the herds. There was not so mnch as a penny left over Tor the so called sinking fund.