Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-03-08

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tress-and you were happyl The first
duty of a prince is to his country. His
first lesson Is to obey laws. He must
always obey certain laws. A king is
but the servant of his people. Some
day you will be the king. You are be-
ing trained for that high office now.
And yet you would set the example
of characterization, d~isobedience, and
reckless disregard of the feelings of
others."
eyes, sir" said Prince Ferdinand
William Otto, feeling very small and
ashamed.
Not only that. You slipped away.
You did not go openly. You sneaked
off, like a thief. Are you proud of
it?"
mo, sir"
81 SHALL" said the king, require no
promise from you. Promises are poor
things to hold to. 1 leave this matter
in YOU w hands, Otto. You will be
punished by Miss Braithwaite, and for
the next ten days you will not visit
me. You may go now"
Otto got off his chair. He was feel-
ing exceedingly crushed. "Good night,
sir" he said. And waited for his
grandfather to extend his hand. But
the old king lay looking straight ahead,
with his mouth set in grim lines, and
his hands folded over his breast.
AT the door the crown prince turned
and bowed. His grandfather's eyes
were fixed on the two gold eagles over
the door, but the photograph On the
table appeared to be smiling at him.
i y =
Until late that night General Nett
Itch and the king talked together. The
king had been lifted from his bed and
sat propped in a great chair. Above
his shabby dressing gown his face
showed gaunt and old. In a straight
chair facing him sat his old friend and
chancellor.
"What it has shown is not entirely
bad" said the king, after a pause.
"The boy has initiative. And he made
no attempt at evasion. He is essential
ly truthful"
'What it has also shown, sire, is
that no protection is enough. When
l, who love the lad, and would-when
l could sleep, and let him get away,
as I did"
"The truth isl said the king, 1--WE
are both of us getting old" He tapped
with his gnarled fingers on the blanket
that lay over his knees. 'The truth
is also" he observed a moment later,
that the boy has very few pleasures.
He is alone a great deal"
General Mettlich raised his shaggy
head. Many years of wearing a sol
dier's cap had not injured his heavy
gray hair. He had bristling eyebrows,
white now, and a short, fighting u
tache. When he was irritated, or dis
agreed with any one, his eyebrows
came down and the mustache went
up.
Many years of association with his
king had given him the right to talk
to him as man to man. They even
quarreled now and then. 1t was q
brave man who would quarrel with old
Ferdinand II.
So now his eyebrows came down
and his mustache went up. "How-
alone, sire?'
"You do not regard that bigoted
English woman as a companion, do
your"
"She is a thoughtful and conscien-
tious woman, SIRE" he said stiffly. 1t
happened that he had selected her.
"She does her duty. And as to the
boy being lonely, he has nc time to be
lonely. His tutors"
GLOW old is he?"
"Ten next month"
The king said nothing for a time.
Then-"It is hard" he said at last,
for seventy-four to see with the eyes
of ten. AS for this afternoon-why in
the name of a thousand devils did
they take him to see the Flying
Dutchman?' l detest it,"
"Her royal highness-"
"Annunciata is a fool" said his ma
jesty. Then, dismissing his daughter
with a gesture, "We don't know how