Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1916-02-24
SIS he-er-in love with herr"


one she meets in love with herr"
IL suppose So" he admitted sheep
lshly His face frightened. "And
there's no reason why this prince
shouldn't fall heels over head, is there
Well, there you are! That will make 4
difference in the settlement, believe
me, difference of couple of millions
at least if
She arose abruptly. You are posi-.
lively Disgusting, win. Can't you think
of anything but
Say amt that Maudie 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 it comes to looks and style
and Oh by the way" lowering his
voice to a hoarse, confidential whisper,
Il wouldn't say anything to her about
the marriage just yet if We're you. l
want to look him over first"
Prince Robin of Graustark was as
good looking chap as one would see
in weeks journey. Little would one
suspect him Of being the descendant of
a long and distinguished line Of princes
save for the unmistakable though in
definable something in his eye that eX-
acted rather than invited the homage
of his fellow man. His laugh was a
free and merry one. his spirits as effer
yescent 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. A special act of the ministry
had egalized 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 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 he 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 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 a secret journey to
London when he was seventeen. ct
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
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 exces
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 it 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
he half million subjects who had wait
ID patiently for the great day that was
% see him crowned and glorifled lie
vas their prince, and they loved him
veil
Mr. Blithers was very close to the
ruth when he said Ito himself If you
that the financial situation
II the far off principally was not all
hat could be desired 1t is true that
was in Russia's debt TO the
Xtent of some 100000 gavvos-about
30QQ0090, in other words-and that
he day Of reckoning was very near at
and The loan was for a period Of
welve years and had been arranged
ontrary to the advice of John Tullis.
n American fnancier. who long had
cen interested In the welfare Of the
through friendship for the
lmented prince consort, Lorry. lie
ad been farsighted enough to realize
nat Russia would prove a hard cred
or, even though she may have been
ncere in her protestations Of friend
zip for the modest borrower. =
A stubborn element In the cabinet a.
roroguoa HE 0uuocitian bomet+ar aud