Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-23

Wig knelt at the priedieu and
I'd
,he tried to pray for her grandtather's
.Dul, but she could not Her one cry
was for otto. that he be saved and
brought back. In the study she had
found the burnt-wood frame. and she
held Il hugRed close TO her with its
hrokeu-baC,ied "F." It's totterlng w.
and waNcrirg 60" with it, fat Curids
In sashes. and the places where an over
earnest small haad had slipped
Ililda stood by the stand, and fingered
the bottles Her nose was swollen with
crying. but shr was s.ealthily removing
corks and s"iding at the contents OF
III, bottles with the automatic curiosity
" the young
The King reused again. "Mc;tlich?'
10 asked.
The cider sister tiptocd To the door
a"d opened IT, The Council turned,
dread on their faces She placed
Naud OF the Chaucpilor's shoulders.
"flis Majesty has askrd for you
When he looked UP. dazed, she bent
down and took his hand.
Courage :" she said quietly.
The Chancellor stood a second inside
the door Then he went to the side of
the he'd and knel'. his lips To the cold,
white hand On tho courterpane.
'S,r-" he Chollcd "lt Is l--Nettlich "
The King looked at him, and placed
his haud Oh the bowed gray head. Then
hts eyes turned to Annunciata and rested
there II Was as IL he saw hcr, not as
the cmbiucrrd woman OF late years.
but as the child Of the woman he had
loved.
I "a good friend, and good daughter"
he said clearly. Few men die so Tor
tunatc, aud fewer sovercigns" His
hand moved from Mettlich's head and
rested on the photograph.
The elder sister leaned forward and
touched his wrls. Doctor. she said
sharply.
Doctor Wcidcrman came first, the
others following, They grouped around
the bed Then the Oldest of them, who
Nad brought Annunciata into the world,
touched her on the shoulder.
Madame" he said Madame, L
His Majesty has passed away"
Mcttlch staggered to his feet. and
took Il long look at the face Of his old
sovereign and king
In the meantime, things had been
happening in the room where the Couu-
ell waited The Council. free of the
restraint Of the Chanccllor's presence
had fallen into low-voiced consultation
What was TO be done? They knew al
ready the rumors of the streets, and
were helpless before them. They had
done what they could. But the hoy was
gone and the city rising. Already the
garrison of the fortress had been or
dered TO the palace, but 1t could not
arrive before midnight.
Their voices. lowered at first. rose
acrmoniousiy; almost they penetrated
to the silent room beyond. On to the
discussion came Milky Larisch. covered
vita dust and spotted with froth from
his horse H. entered without ceremony
his bovish face drawn and white, his
cap gone, his eyes staring.
THE Chancellor" he said
Some one pointed to the room be.
youd
Milky hesitated Then, being young
aud dramatic. even IN tragedy, he un-
buckled his sword-bclt and took 1t off,
placing II on table,
"Gentlemen," he said, Il have come
to surrender myself"
The Council stared.
For what reason" demanded Mar
schal codly.
81 believe it is called high treason
lie closed his eyes for moment. at
is because of my negligence that this
thing has happened. lie was in my
charge. and | left him"
No one said anything. The Council
looked at loss. rather like a noch
of sheep confronting some strange ami
NAL
y would have shot myself" said
Milky Larisch. but it was too easy
Then, rather at . loss a. to the exact
etiquette of arrcsting ones self. he
bowed slightly and waited
Tho door into the Kings bedchambcr
opened. The Chancellor came through.
his face working. 1t closed behind
/ him.
Gentlemen of the Council" he said.
1T IL my duty my duty to an
nounce--" FTis voice broke his grizslcd
chin quivcred tears rolled down his
cheeiis. "E'ricnds," he said pitifuly.
/ Our good Kng-my old comrade-is
dead :"
/ The birthday supper was over. IT
/ had ended with an Amer ice cream.
| brought in carefully by Pepy because
I of its eXpensiveness. They had cut the
c Ike with BODY" on the top, and the
Crown Prince had eaten far more than
was good for him.
He sat. lingering the Lincoln penny
and feeling extremely full and very con-
tented.
! Then, suddenly. from n far-ofr church
deep-toned bell began TO toll slowly.
Prince Ferdinand William Otto
. caught II, ~. stefan s DclI' lie sat
up and listened. The sound was faint;
one felt It, rather than heard IT, but
the slow booming was unmistakeable.
| He got up and pushed his chair back.
/ Other bells had taken It up. and now
/ the whole city seemed alive with bells
bells that swung sadly from side TO
side. as II they said over and over. ALAS,
| alas !"
Something like panic seized Ferdi-
nand william Otto. Some calamity had
happened. Some one was---perhaps his
| grandfather
I lie turned an appealing face 10 Mrs.
/ Thorpe, ~ must GO" he said 81 do
not wish to appear rude, but something
/ is wrong. The bells"
Pepy had been listening, too. Her
/ broad face worked They mean but
| one thing" she said slowly. ~ have
heard IL said many times. When st.
Stefans tolls like that, the King is
| dead :"
NO! Mo-" cried Ferdinand William
! Otto and ran madly out of the door
CONTINUED MONDAY