The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-06-14
CHAPTER xv-continued.

said the king, at the end of the shor
Interview. II should like to feel thai
his interests will be looked after, moi
only here, but by you and yours. VIZ
have a certain element here that is
Troublesome
And Karl, with Hedwig in his mind
had promised.
His interests shall be mine, sir, >
be had said.
He had bent over the bed then, and
raised the thin hand to his lips. The
Interview was over. In the anteroom
the kings master of the horse, the
chamberlain, and a few other gentle
men stood waiting, talking together in
low tones. But the chancellor, who
had gone in with Karl and then re-
tired, stood by window, with his
arms folded over his chest, and waited.
He put reSolutely out of his mind the
face of the dying man on his pillows,
and thought only of this thing which
he-Mettlich-ha brought about.
There was no yielding in his face or
in his heart, no doubt of his course.
He saw, instead of the lovers lettering
In the place, new and greater king
dom, anarchy held down by an iron
shod heel, peace and the fruits there
of, until out of very prosperity the
people grew fat and content.
He saw boy king, carefully taught,
growing into his responsibilities until,
big with the vision of the country's
welfare, he should finally ascend the
throne. He saw the river filled with
ships, carrying merchandise over the
world and returning with the wealth
of the world. Great buildings, too,
lifted their heads on his horizon, a
dream city, with order for disorder,
and citizens instead of inhabitants.
When at last he stirred and sighed,
1t was because his old friend, in his
bed in the next room, would see moth
Ing of all this, and that he himself
could not hope for more than the be-
ginning, before his time came also.
The first large dinner for months
was given that night at the palace, to
do King Karl all possible honor. The
gold service which had been presented
to the king by the czar of Russia was
used. The anticipatory gloom of the
court was laid aside, and jewels
brought from vaults were worn for the
nrst time in months. Uniforms of
various sorts, but all gorgeous, touched
nne shoulders, and came away, bear
Ing white, powdery traces of the meet |
Ing. The greenhouses at the summer |
palace had been sacked for flowers and |
plants. The corridor from the great |
salon to the dining hall, always a
dreary passage, had suddenly become
fairy path of early spring bloom.
Even Annunciata, hung now with
ropes of pearls, her hair dressed high
for tiara of diamonds, her canoes
exchanged for pearls, looked royal.
Proving cOnclusively that clutter, as to
dress, Is entirely matter of value.
Miss Braithwaite, who had begun
recently to think palace the dreariest
place in the world, and the most COM
monplace, found the preparations
rather exciting. Being British she
dearly loved the aristocracy, and
shrugged her shoulders at any family
which took up less than page in the
peerage. She resented deeply the In
trusion of the commoner into British
politics, and considered Lloyd George
an upstart and an interloper.
That evening she took the crown
prince TO see the preparations for the
festivities. The flowers appealed to
him, and he asked for and secured
rose, which he held carefully. But the |
of the table only family {
impressed him, and when he heard I
that Milky would not be present, he
lost interest entirely. "Will they
wheel my grandfather in in a chair7" ,
he inquired.
HE is too ILL.," Miss Braithwaite ,
said.
Hell be rather lonely, when they're I
all at the party. You don't suppose {
could go and sit with him, do your" {
1T will be long after your bed
time" II
Bedtime being the one rule which was 6
never under and circumstances broken, t
he did not persist. To have insisted '
might have meant five marks on in
Miss Braithwaites book, and his rec 8
ord was very good that week. To- t
Eether the elderly English woman and q
the boy went back to the school room
The Countess Loschek, who had t
dressed with a heavy heart, was easily
The most beautiful Of the women that h
night. A little court paid tribute to c
her beauty, and bowed the deeper and
aattered the more as she openly
ycorned and fouted them. She caught
,nce a flicker of admiration in Karl's q
lace, and although her head went
high, her heart beat stormily under r
1.
Hedwix was like a flower that re- q
Iuired the sun. Only her sun was q
lappiness. She was In soft white a
.hiffons. her hair and frock alike girl r
u and unpretentous. Her mother. a
.oning into her dressing room. had E
wed her with disfav0r. c
AYou look like schoolgirl" she b
aid. and had sent for rouge, and with y
~ own royal hands applied It He'd b
~ eteod SILENT and allowed her -
I'VE ~ way without protest Hea
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