The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1918-03-21

iEI'CesS I1euWlS Oh tNe tnTOTe, u IeW
demagogues In the public squares-it
would be the end"
The king leaned back and closed his
eyes. His thin, arched nose looked
pinched. His face was gray.
"All this" he said, "means what2
To make the boy prisoner, to cut
Off his few pleasures, nnd even then,
at any time"
"Yes, SIRE" said Msttllch doggedly.
"At any time"
All through the palace people were
sleeping. Prince Ferdinand william
Otto was asleep, and riding again the
little car In the land of delight. So
that. turning a corner sharply, he al
most fell out of bed.
On the other side. OF the city the
little American boy was asleep also.
At Iiat exact time he was being
tucked up by an entirely efficient and
placid-eyed American mother, who felt
under his head to see that his ear was
not turned forward. She liked close
fitting ears.
Nobody, naturally, was tucking up
Prince Ferdinand William Otto. Or
attending to his ears. But, of course,
there were sentries outside his door,
and valet de chambre to be rung
for, and a number of embroidered
eagles scattered about on the curtains
and things, and a country surrounding
him which would one day be his, un-
less
"At any time" said General Nett
Itch, and was grimly silent.
"Well?" inquired the king, after a
time. "You have something to sug.
gest. I take It."
The old soldier cleared his throat.
"Sire," he began, at is said that a
chancellor should have but one pas
sion, his king. 1 have two. my king
and my country"
The king nodded gravely. He knew
both passions, relied on both. And
found them both bit troublesome at
| times!
"Once, some years ago, sire, I came
to you with a plan. The Princess
Hedwig was child then. and his late
royal highness was-still with us
For that, and for other reasons, your
majesty refused to listen. But things
have changed. Between us and revo
luton there stand only the frall life
of boy and an army none too large
and already, perhaps, affected. There
Is much discomfort, and the offspring
Of discomfort is anarchy"
The king snarled. But Mettlich hat
taken his courage in his hands. ant
went on. Their neighbor and hered
itary foe was Karnia. Could the,
any longer afford the enmity Of Kar
MIA? One cause of discomfort was tn,
expense Of the army. and Of the forti
fications along the Karnian border. l
Karnia were allied with them, ther,
would be no need of SO great an army
They had the mineral wealth, an,
Karnia the seaports. The old dream
of the empire, of railway to the sea
would be realized.
He pleaded well. The idea was no
new. To place the little King Ott
IX on the throne and keep him ther
in the face of opposition would re
quire support from outside. Karni
would furnish this support For
price.
The price was the Princess He'd
wig.
"That is my plea, SIRE" Mettlicl
finished. "Karl of Karnla Is anxiou
to marry, and looks this way. To al
lay discomfort and growing Insured
tion, to insure the boys safety and hi
throne. to beat our swords into plough
shares"-here he caught the king
scowl, and added-"to a certain e1
tent, and to make us commercil
as well as a military nation, surel.
sire, It gains much for us, and lose
us nothing"
"But our independence" said tn
king souriy.
However, he did not dismiss tn
idea. The fright of the afternoon ha
weakened him, and II Mettlich wer
right the royalist party would nee
t outside help to maintain the throne.
: "Karnia!" he said. "The lion an
the lamb. with the lamb inside tn
] lion And In the meantime the boy
3 HE should be watched always"
: HE has Lussin." Count Lussin wa
> the crown princes aide-de-camp.
|, "He needs man, SIRE" observe
|, the chancellor rather tartly.
: The king cleared his throat. "Th
, youngster he Is SO fond Of, youn
Larisch, would he please you better
!. he asked. with ironic Difference.
!. "A good boy. sire. You may reca
n fhak bla snofhor-O EYo okonuaA