Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-01-31
CHAPTER I.

not quite reach the floor from the high
erimson-velvet seat Of his chair.
{, Prince Ferdinand William Otto was
bored. His royal robes. consisting OF
pair Of blue serge trousers. q short
gton Jacket, and a stiff, rolling collar
ut white linen. irked him.
He had been brought to the opera
house under a Misrepresentation. His
hunt, the A%rchduchess A%nnunciata, had
strongly advocated 1.-THE Flying Dutch
man." and his English g%overness, Miss
Bralthwaite. had read him some In
Spring literature about 1t. So here he
was. and the Flying Dutchman was not
ghostly at all. o did 1t fly. And in
stead of flying. after dreary cons OF
singing, II was moved of on creaky
rollers by men whose shadows were
thrown g%rotesquely on the sea back
ing.
The orchestra. assisted by a bass
solo and intermittent thunder in the
wings, was making a deafening din.
One of the shadows on the sea back
ing took out It's handkerchief and
wiped Its hose.
Prince Ferdinand William Otto look.
I'd across Mt the other royal box. and
caught his Cousin Hedwig's eye. She
also had seen the handkerchief: she
took out her own scrap of linen. and
mimlcked the shadow. Then, Her
Royal Highness the Archduchess An
nunciata being occupied with the
storm, she winked across ut Prince
Ferdinand William Otto.
In the opposite box were his two
cousins, the Processes Hedwlg and
Hilda, attended by Hcdwfg's lady In
waiting. Hedwig was eighteen. The
crown prince liked Hedwig better than
Hllda. Although she had been intro
duced formally to the court at the
Ch%ristnas-eve ball, and had been duly
presented by her grandfather. the
king, with the usual string Of pearls
and her W carriage. she still ran off
now and then to have tea with the
crown prince and Miss Bralthwaltc In
the school room at the palace; and she
could eat a great deal Of bread and but
ter.
The crow prince yawned, although
It was but the middle of the after.
noon. Catching Hcdwig's eye. he rnn
his fingers up through his thick vel
low hair and crinncd. Hedwig blushed,
She had contidcd to him once, while
they were walking in the garden at
the summer palace, that she was
thinking of being in love with a young
lieutenant who was attached to the
kings suite. The prince-who was
called Otto, for short. by the family,
because he actually had eleven names
the prince had been much Interested.
For time afterward he had both.
cred MISS Braithwaite to define being
In love, but he had had NO really salts
factory answer.
In pursuance of his quest for In.
formation, he had grown quite friendly
with the young officer, whose name
was Larisch. and had finally asked to
have him ride with him at the royal
riding school. The grim old king had
granted the request, but 1t had been
quite fruitlcss 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
hear Hedwig's lame.
So now Ferdinand William Otto ran
his fingers through his fair hair, which
was a favorite gesture Of the lieuten.
ants, and Hedwig blushed. The nrch.
duchess. sitting well back, was nod.
ding. Just outside the royal box, on
the red velvet sofa, General Mettlich,
who was the chancellor, and had come
because he had been invited and stayed
outside because he said he liked ia
hear music, not see 1t. was sound
asleep. His martial bosom. with its
gold braid, was rising and falling
peacefully. Beside him lay the princes
crown. a small black derby hat.
Prince Ferdinand William Otto con.
sidered It oil very wearlsome. II one
could only wander around the corridor
or buy a sandwich from the stand ut
the font Of the great staircase-or, bet
ter still, II y could only get to the
street, alone, and purchase one Of the
rs women that Miss Braithwaite 80
despiscd! The crown prince felt In
his pocket, where his weeks allow.
ance Of pocket money lay comfortably
untouched.
He medltated. He could 80 oul
quickly. ind be back before they knew
It. Even II he only wandered about
the corridor, II would stretch his shor,
legs. And outside It was a fine day
II looked already like spring.
With the trcpldation Of d canary
who fnds his cage door open, and
hopping to the threshold. surveys thu
world before vcnturing to explore It
Prince Ferdinand William Otto ros,
to his feet. tiptocd past the Arch
duchess Aununclata, who did not move
and looked around him from the door
way.
He picked up his hat aud ~concealc,
h BY bis side. Then nonchalantIy, o.
u to stretch his legs by walking tci
fset up the corridor and back. h,
oasssd the dressing room door. An
sthsr moment. ana he was ont Of slgh
.L VI .L LN u ANA. VIZ.