The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1918-08-17
CHAPTER Xxx.
The Lincoln Penny.

And so, at last, King Otto the Ninth
reached his palace, and was hurried
up the stairs to the room where the
council waited. Not at all royal fig
ure, but tired little boy In gray trou-
sers, short black Eton coat, and a
rolling collar which had once been
white.
He gave one glance around the ROOM
MY grandfather he said. And fell
TO crying into his dirty pocket-hand-
kerchief.
The chancellor eyed grimly from un-
der his shaggy brows the disreputable
figure of his sovereign. Then he went
toward him, and put his hand on his
head.
"He was very eager for this rest,
OttO.' he said.
Then he knelt and very solemnly
and with infinite tenderness. he kissed
the small, not overclean. hand.
One by one the council did the same
thing.
King Otto Strengthened his shoulders
and put away the handkerchief. II
had occurred TO him that he was
man now and must act q mans part
in the world.
MAY l see hlmf" he asked. II
didn't see him before"
Your people are waiting. SIRE" the
chancellor said gravely. "To ruler,
his people must come first"
And so, in the clear light from the
room behind him, Otto the Ninth first
stood before his people. They looked
up, End hard eyes grew soft, tense
muscles relaxed. They saw the erect
ness OF the small figure, the steadi-
ness of the blue eyes that had fought
back their tears, the honesty and fire
and courage Of this small boy who
was the king.
Let such Of the revoiutionists as re-
mained scream before the parliament
house. Let the flames burn and the
drums beat. The solid citizens, the
great mass of the people, looked up
at the king and cheered nightly. Rev
olution had that night received its
death blow at the hands of a child.
The mob prepared to go home to bed.
While King Otto stood on the bal
cony, down below in the crowd an
American woman looked up, and sud-
denly caught her husband by the arm.
Robert" she said. Robert, It is
Bobby's little friendl"
Nonsense he retorted. 'Tt's
rather dramatic, isn't it7 Nothing
like this at homei See, they've
crowned him already"
But Bobby's mother looked with the
clear eyes Of most women, and all
mothers.
"They have not crowned him." she
said, smiling, with tears In her eyes.
"The absurd little king! They have
forgotten to take OF his paper crownw
The dead king lay in state in the
royal chapel. Tall candles burned at
his head and feet, set In long black
standards. His uniform lay at his
feet, his cap, his sword. The flag Of
his country was draped across him. He
looked very rested.
In small private chapel nearby
lay old Adelbert. They could not do
him too much honor. He, to0, looked
rested, and he, too, was covered by !
the flag. and no one would have |
guessed that part of him had died !
long before, and lay buried on a bat
II was, unfortunately his old |
that he wore. They had add
cd his reglmental dng TO the national
one, and on 1t they had set his shabby
cap. He, too, might have been king. |
There were candles at his head and
feet, also; but alas, he had now no
HwGrd.
Thus 1t happened that old Adelbert
the traitor lay In state In the palace
and that monks, In long brown robes
knelt and prayed by him. Perhaps he
needed their prayers. But perhaps, In
ihe great accounting, things are bal
lnced up, the good against the bad. In
that case, who knows?
The palace mourned and the palace
rejOiced. Haeckel had told what he
knew and the leaders OF the terrorists
we're In prison. Some, In high places,
would be hanged with sllken cord,
rs was their due. And others would
De esthetically disposed of. The way
was not yet clear ahead. but the crisis
was passed and safely.
Early In the evening, soon after he