Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-06-14
tweidernan had answered "No."

In the antechamber the council
waited, standing and without speech.
But in an armchair beside the door
to the kings room the chancellor sat,
his face buried In his hands. In spite
of precautions, In spite of everything,
the blow had fallen. The crown prince,
to him at once son and sovereign, the
little crown prince, was gone. And
his old friend, his comrade Of many
years, lay at his last hour.
Now he waited for the kings death.
Waited numbly. For, with the tolling
of st. Stefan's bell would rise the cry
for the new king.
And there was no king.
In the little room where the sisters
kept their medicines, so useless now,
Hedwig knelt at the prie-dieu and
prayed.
The king reused again. "Mettlich?"
he asked.
The elder sister tiptoed to the door
and opened it. The council turned,
dread on their faces. She placed a
hand on the chancellor's shoulder.
"His majesty has asked for you"
When he looked up, dazed, she bent
down and took his hand.
"Courage!" she said quietly.
The chancellor stood a second In
side the door. Then he went to the
side of the bed, and knelt, his lips
to the cold, white hand on the counter
pane.
"sirei" he choked. SIT is NETT
lich."
The king looked at him, and placed
his hand on the bowed gray head.
Then his eyes turned to Annunciata
and rested there. 1t was as if he saw
her, not as the embittered woman of
late years, but as the child Of the
woman he had loved.
"a good friend, and a good daugh-
ter" Ne said clearly. "Few men die
so fortunate, and fewer sovereigns."
His hand moved from Mettlich's head,
and rested on the photograph.
The elder sister leaned forward and
touched his wrist. doctor !" she said
sharply.
Doctor Weiderman came first, the
others following. They grouped
around the bed. Then the oldest of
them, who a brought Annunciata
into the world, touched her on the
shoulder.
MADAME !" he said. MADAME, l.
his majesty has passed away"
Mettlich staggered to his feet, and
lN-I- - H.. I~~I- - Al a@4@ - HsN ILL
sovereign and king.
In the meantime, things had been
happening in the room where the
council waited. The council free of
the restraint of the chancellor's pres
ence, had fallen into low-voiced con-
They knew already the rumors of the
streets, and were helpless before them.
They had done what they could. But
the boy was gone, and the city rising.
Already the garrison of the fortress
had been ordered to the palace, but
it could not arrive before midnight.
Friese had questioned the wisdom of 1t,
at that, and vas for flight as SOC as
the king died. Bayerl, on the other
hand, urged a stand, in the hope that
the crown prince would be found.
Their voices, lowered at first, rose
a%crimoniously almost they penetrated
to the silent room beyond. On to the
discussion came Milky Larisch, COW
cred with dust and spotted with froth
from his horse. He entered without
ceremony, his boyish face drawn and
white, his cap gone, his eyes star
ing.
1.-THE CHANCELLOR" he said.
Some one pointed to the room be-
yond.
Milky hesitated. Then, being young
and dramatic, even in tragedy, he un-
buckled his sword belt and took it off,
placing it OF a table.
"Gentlemen," he said, 81 have come
to surrender myself"
The council stared.
'For what reason?" demanded Mar
schall coldly.
81 believe it is called high treason"
He closed his eyes for a moment. ut
is because of my negligence that this
thing has happened. He was in my
scharge, and l left him."
No one said anything. The council
looked at a loss, rather like a flock of
sheep confronting some strange ami
NAL.
81 would have shot myself" said
Milky Larisch, "but it was too easy"
Then, rather at a loss as to the
exact etiquette of arresting ones self,
he bowed slightly and waited.
The door into the kings bedchamber
opened. The chancellor came through,
his face working. 1t closed behind
him.
Gentlemen of the council" he said.
at is my duty-my duty-to an
nounce-" His voice broke; his
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