Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-15
IL EPISODE XIV.
THE PORTRAIT OF A KING.
rhilip'A NiniOn.


i Simon the Usurper" at rest i'll the
J great. canopicd couch of his kingship
in the royal bcdchamher OF the palace
A of Atlanta. dreamed a strange dream
~ Al approximately the same time,
4 many hundreds OF miles away, Lost
i Prince Philip OF Mania saw Il vision.
w Since the destini%s OF these twain
Eswsrs so !nextrtcably interentargled.
there 10. perhaps, nothing remarkable
y an the implied coincidence. The
& Thoughts OF both We're preoCcupied
with consideration of much the same
4 matters. II would have been more
& strange had their dream and vision not
worn much the same complexion.
as.+ 1t is true. however. that the vision
(which visited Prince Philip was very
y tenuous thing. barely more than day
4 dream bred OF adventurous incidcnts.
He sat at breakfast in the drawing
= room OF r. suite OF furnished cham
: hers at lc7 Rue du Bac. in The city OF
s Paris-a suite which for more than
4 twenty years had been rented by the
same tenant. one who failed TO occupy
4 the quarters more than two weeks III
each year--to wit. I.:outenan, Paul
y Barreto. some time OF tn. King :
3 Guards Of Aania. to-day private
q gentleman OF means with q price upon
his head.
" For upwards Of two decades this adj
& dress had served "a the means OF secret
a communica ton between Paul Barreto
Il and his brother Peter-the last that
.f same Peter Barr" whose name is still
AHshrinsd in the history or Red Wing,
3 Ariz., AS that OF neishbor who was
sat once an honest man, an cnterpris-
Y ing citizen. a good friend. shrewd
4 enemy. a devoted father-one whose
6rst object in life was the welfare OF
his only son" the putative 'Pbilip
Barr" who was no, his son AT all. bu,
\, tlte fugitive Crown FRINGE Of .>lania.
& rtshtful heir to the III one occupied
Y by that usurpne ntriGuant, King
II Simon.
.s SO 1t was only natural that when
1.-The pursuit Of the elusive Princess
Julia had led Prince Philip and his
man, Juan Lopez across a continent
y and an ocean, TO the city OF Paris. Juan
should have suggested No. l21. rue du
( BAG. rs the appropriate lodgings for
his prince and master
Here Lost FRINGE Philip" for the
first time since he had been made cos
infant OF his birthrisht was In touch
with the leaders and foreign represen-
tatives OF that element OF Albania which
supported his pretentions to the throne
and which was known as the 'royalis,''
party, as distinguished from the con
stitutionalists" who upheld the rule of
KinG Simon. and the republicans who
were simply wha, this designation
connotes TO the average Intelligence OF
our time.
by these last. however. the story OF
lost Prince Phillip was largely es-
teemed sort Of myth; they were not
SO much opposed 10 monarchial rule
as TO the rule Of the usurpcr simon:
1t was believed by Philips advisers
that only the assurarice that the lost
crown prince would be restored 10 his
lawful heritage was needed to unite
the republican AlaDians With the roy
alists in common cause against the ad-
;hcrcnts OF King Simon.
Now this assurance could he given.
together with indisputabic proofs of
Philips title TO the throne. Already
tho rumor Of the return OF Lost Prince
Philip" was being industriously circu-
lated in Ala by royal!st workers:
already republicans were nocking 10
Foyaiiets standards; tho temper OF the
people, famed by long discomfort with
the riEors OF Simor's rule was ripe
for revolution; Philip was promised
that he need only Ah,akc d, public ap-
pearanc. In the capital % his country
to start a movement which would end
inevitably in the deihronement OF
Simon and his our elevation TO his
riehtful place.
Yet ne hes,.ted. demurred tenn
poriScd. procras,inaicd day ny day
For this he had two reasons Paul
Bsrreto Che had learned was politi-
enl prisoner Of, Slmon'., Inundated IN
the fastn.sses Of that medieval for
u.ss which served as Asnas royal
palace And II was believed that The
Simon sponsored ny the royals, fac
lion would he the signal for Paul Bar
rtto's assassination
Philips other reason was more inti-
mately personal The Princess Julia
was holding for him the documents and
other papers which proved his claim,
to the crown SO At least Philip be-
Neved. And he knew that her love for
him was as great as his for her: that
size would never par, with his papers
save under the most stringent durcss
And nc was sure that she would satisfy
herself as TO the authenticity OF his
proofs at her earliest opportunity and
onee convinced that no vas in no way
an, tmposter--nct even til. dupc Of hi.
own. hcpes-woGld herself return tn,
Sproofs 10 him and rnnounc. all com
, rnunication with that aged assassin, he,
father.
But day after day passed and III.
.news from AlRnia made no reference u
1ths return Of the Princess Julia neither