The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1918-05-04

deep, and one thing he would not per.
init, II wus when, In the conversation
one of them attacked the king. Then
indeed he was reused to fury.
Once upon time student named
Hueckel hnd occasionally backed him
up In his defense of the royal fnmly.
But for some reason or other Haeckel
came no more. and old Adelbert missed
him. He hnd inquired for him fire.
quently.
where Is the boy Haeckclf" he had
asked one day. II have not seen him
lately" -
No one had replied. But sort OF
grim silence settled over the little
room. Old Adelbert, however, was moi
discerning.
But. that first day OF ldleness, when
he had left the cobbler's, he resolved
not 10 return. They had not been
unfrlendly, but he had seen ut once
there was n difference. lie was no
longer old Adelbert OF the opera. lie
was an old man only, and out of work,
He spent hours that first free after.
noon repairing his frayed linen and
his shabby uniform, with his wooden
leg stretched out before him and his
pipe elutched firmly IN his teeth
Then. freshly shaved and brushed, he
started on II painful search after work.
With no result. And indeed. he was
hopeless before he began. He was old
and inirm. There was little that lac
had even the courage 10 apply for.
True, he had his small pension, but
Il came only twice n year, and was
sent, intact, 10 take care of an invalid
daughter In the country. That was
not his. lie never used penny OF
II. And he had saved "A trifle, by llv.
ing on air. as the concierge declared,
But misfortunes come In threes, like
fires and other calamitles. The after
noon of that very day brought let
ter, saying that the daughter was
worse and must have nm operation.
Old Adelbert went TO church. and
burned n cnndle for her recovery, ana
from there to the bank to send by
registered mail the surgeons fee.
He was bankrupt Ia twenty-foui
hours.
That evening In his extremity he did
a reckless thing. He wrote II letter to
the king. He spent hours over II, first
composing II In pencil and then copy.
ing II with ink borrowed from the
concierge. II began "Slre" ms he had
learned was the form. and went on 10
remind his majesty. first, OF the hos.
pitai Incident, which, having been for.
ty years ago. might have slipped the
royal memory. Then came the facts
his lost position. his daughter the
handicap of his wooden leg. II ended
with plea for reinstatement or, full
Ing that, for any sort OF work.
He sent II, ymfolded In n large fiat
envelope. which also he hnd learned
was the correct thing With kings, who
for some reason or other do not like
folded communications. Then he
waited. lie considered that a few
hours should bring return.
No answer came. No answer ever
came. For the king was III. and secre-
taries carefully slfted the royal mnil.
That night. In the concierge's bu-
reau, he was treated to mnRy incl
dents, nil alike. The government took.
hut gave nothing. As well expect
blood out Of stone. Instances were
given, heartiessness piled sH heart
Iessness, one sordld story on an
other.
And MS he listened there died In oid
Adesbert's soul his flaming love for his
sovereign and his belief In him. His
eyes took ON hard and haunted look.
That night he walked past the palace
and shook his fist at II. He was
greatly ashamed OF that however. and
never repeated II. But his soul was
now an open sore, ready for infec-
lion.
Aud Black Humbert blded his time. !
On the day OF the excursion to the
fortress old Adelbert decided 10 appeal |
10 his fellow loGger. Herman Spier.
Now and then. w:ien he was affluent.
he had paid small tribute 10 Herman
by means of the camp cookery on
which he prided himself.
"A soldiers mess !" he would say,
and bring In n bowl 0f soup, or slice
Of deer meat. brOiled over hot Goals
In his tiny stove. Eat II, man. These
restaurants know nothing Of food
Herman could moi help him. But
he eyed the old soldier appraisingly.
lie guessed shrewdly the-growing un-
easlness behind Adelbe"t's brave front.
II now one could enlist such II man
for the cause/ that would be worth
doing. Among the veterans the old
man was influential, and by this new
policy Of substituting fresh blood for
stale, the government had made many
enemies among them.
The old mans bitterness had been
Increased by two things. First al
though he had been dismissed without
notice. In the middle Of the week, he
hoH haan maid nnlu nm M tha hattr af |