New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-10-25
CHAPTER l.
The Crown Prince Runs Away.

The Crown Prince sat in the rOyaI
box and swung his legs. This was
hardly princely, but the royal legs did
not quite reach the floor from the high
crimson-velvet seat of his chair.
Prince Ferdinand William otto was
bored. His royal robes. consisting Of
n pair of blue serge trousers, n short
Eton jacket. and a stiff, rolling collar
Of white linen, irked him.
He had been brought TO the opera
house under a misapprehension. His
AUNT, the A%rchduchess Annunciata, had
strongly advocated THE Flying Dutch
man." and his English governess, Miss
Rraithwaite, had read him some in
spring literature about it. SO here he
was, and the Flying Dutehman was not
Ghostly at all, nor did it fly. And in
stead OF flying, after dreary cons of
singing. ii was moved off on Crraky
rollers by men whose shadows wer"
thrown grotesqn"ly on tn" sea hnck-
ing.
The orchestra. assisted by II bass
solo and Intermittent thunder In the
wings, was making n deafenlng din.
one Of the shadows on the sea back
ing took out It's handkerchief ind
wiped It's nose.
Prince Ferdinand William otto look
Cd across at the other royal box, and
caught his Cousin IIedWig's eye. She
also had seen the handkerchief she
took out her scrap of linen. and
Inlmicked the shadow. Then, Her
Royal IIighness the Archduchess An
nunciata being occupied with the
storm, she winked across at Prince
Ferdinand William otto.
In the oppoSit" box were his we
Hilda, attended by IIcdwig's lady in
waiting. Hedwig vas eighteen. The
crown prince liked Hedwig better than
Illlda, Although sh" had been intro
duced formally To the court at the
'hristmas-eve ball. and had been duly
presented by her grandfather, the
king, with the usual string Of pearls
and her own carriage, she still ran off
now and then to have tea with the
prince and Miss Braithwaite in
the school room at the palace; and she
could eat n great deal of bread and but
ter.
The crOwn prince yawned. although
II was but the middle of the after
noon. Catching Iiedwig's eye, he ran
his fingers up through his thick vel
hair and grinned. IIcdwig hlushed.
She had COnfided to him once. while
they were walking in the garden at
the summer palace, that she was
thinking Of being in love with n young
lieutenant who was attached to the
kings suite. The princc-who WIS
he actually had eleven names
the prince had been much Interested.
For some time afterward ne had both
Fred Miss Braithwaitc to define being
In love, but he had had no really salts
nswer
In pursuance of his quest for in
he had grow quite friendly
with the young officer, whose lame
was L.arisch, and had finally asked to
have him ride with him at the royal
riding school. The grim old king had
the request, but it had been
lnite fruitless so far after all. Lieu
tenant Larlsch only grew quite red as
to the ears when love was mentioned,
although he appeared not unwilling to
Hedwig's name.
SO now Ferdinand William Otto ran
his fingers through his fair hair, which
vas n favorlte gesture of the lieuten-
and Hedwig blushed. The arch
duchess, sitting well back. was nod
ling. Just outside the royal box, on
he red velvet sofa, General Mettlich.
because he had been invited and stayed
because he said he liked to
music, not see It.. vas sound
asleep. His martial bosom. with its
gold braid, was rising and falling
peacefully. Beside him lay the princes
'rown, a small black derby hat.
Prince Ferdinand William Otto con
'idered II all very wearisome. If one
'ould only wander around the corridor
" buy n sandwich from the stand at
he foot of the great staircase-or, bet
or still, If n could only get to the
alone, and purchase one Of the
IL women that Miss B~raithwalte so
The crow prince felt In
Ms pocket, where his weeks allow
nee of pocket money lay comfortably
He meditated. lie could go out
quickly, and be back before they knew
Even If he only wandered about
he corridor, it would stretch his short
egs. And outside 1t was a fine day.
I looked already like spring. I
With the trepidation of a canary
Tho finds his cage door open, and,
to the threshold, surveys the
before %venturing to explore 1t,
'rince Ferdinand William Otto rose
o his feet. tiptoed past the Arch
uchess Annunciata. who did not move,
nd looked around him from the door
way. {
He picked up his hat and concealed
BY his side. Then nonchalantly, as {
[ to stretch his legs by walking ten
Get up the corridor and back, he $
'assed the dressing room door. An I
Their moment, and he was out of sight
round a bend of the p~assageway, and Z
efore him lay liberty.
Not quite! At the top of the pri- I
ate staircase reserved for the royal /;
amily a guard commonly stood. He
ad moved a few feet from his post. {
owever and was watching the stage [
the half-open door of a private {
,ge. '