The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1916-03-01
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there's no reason why this prince
shouldn't fall heels over head, Is there?
Well. there you arc! That will make
difference In the settlement. believe
me. difference Of couple of millions
nj least if
She arose abruptly. You are posi-
lively disgusting, win. Can't you think
of anything but
SAY. uin't that Maudic coming up
the drive now? Sure it is! BY gra-
ciOus. did you ever see anything TO
beat her? She's got 'em all beat a
mile when 1t comes TO looks and style
and Oh. by the way" lowering his
voice to Il hoarse. confidential whisper,
II wouldn't say anything to her about
the marriage just yet If We're you.
want to look him over first"
Prince Robin of Graustark was as
good looking Il chap as one would see
in weeks jo9rney. Little would one
suspect him Of being the descendant of
q long and distinguished line of princes
save for the unmistakable though in
defnable something in his eye that ex-
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of his fellow man. His laugh was n
free and merry one. his spirits as effer-
vescent as wine, his manner blithe and
boyish, yet beneath all this fair and
guileless exposition of carelessness lay
the sober integrity of caste.
His mother. the beautiful, gracious
and lamented Princess Yetive, set all
royal circles by the ears when she mar
ried the American, Lorry, back in the
nineties. \ special act of the ministry
had legalized this union, and the son
of the American was not deprived of
his right to succeed to the throne which
his forbears had occupied for centuries.
From his mother he had inherited the
right of kings. from his father the
spirit of freedom; from his mother the
power of majesty, from his father the
power to see beyond that majesty
When little more than a babe in arms
he was orphaned, and the affairs of
state fell upon the shoulders of three
loyal and devoted men who served as
regents until lie became of age.
He was seven when the great revolt
headed by Count MarlanX came so
near to overthrowing the government
and he behaved like the prince that he
was. 1t was during those perilous
times that he came to know the gal
liant TruXton King, in whose home he
was now a happy guest. But before
Truxton King he knew the lovely girl
who became the wife of that devoted
adventurer and who, to him. was al
ways to be AUNT Lorraine"
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 so
jealousy 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 secret journey to
London when he was seventeen. ut
appears that he was determined to see
great football match.) On each of
these occasions he was attended by
watchful members of the cabinet and
certain military units i'm the now far
from insignificant standing army. AS
q matter of fact, he witnessed the foot
ball match from the ordinary stands.
surrounded by thousands of unsuspect-
ing Britons. but carefully wedged in
between two generals of his own army
and flanked by a minister of police. a
minister of the treasury and a minis
ter of war. all of whom were excess
sively bored by the contest and more
or less appalled, by his unregal enthu-
siasm. He had insisted on going to the
match incOg. to enjoy 1t for all 1t was
worth to the real spectators-those who
sit or stand where the compression is
not unlike that applied to box of
sardines.
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
to see him crowned and glorified. He
was their prince. and they loved him
well.
Mr.. Blithers was very close to the
truth when he said ito himself. If you
remember) that the financial situation
in the far off principality was not all
that could be desired. 1t Is true that
Graustark was in Russia's debt to the
extent of some 2O,OOO,OOO gavvos-about
$3O.0O0,OOO in other words-and that
the day Of reckoning was very near at
hand. The loan was for a period Of
twelve years and had been arranged
contrary to the advice of John Tullis,
an American financier, who long had
been interested in the welfare of the
principally through friendship for the
lamented prince consort. Lorry. He
had been farsighted enough to realize
that Russia would prove hard cred
itor. even though she may have been
sincere in her protestations of friend
ship for the modest borrower.
A stubborn element in the cabinet
overcame his opposition, however, and
the debt was contracted, taxation in
creased by popular vote and period
of governmental thriftiness inaugu-