The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1918-08-14

discussion came N1kky bhTisCn, CON-
cred with dust and spotted with froth
from his horse. He entered without
ceremony, his boyish face drawn and
white, his cap gone, his eyes star
ing.
"The CHANCELLOR he said.
Some one pointed to the room be-
yond.
Milky hesltated. Then, being young
and dramatic, even In tragedy, he I'M
buckled his sword belt and took Il on,
placing IL on a table.
"Gentlemen," he said, II have come
to surrender myself"
The council stared.
"For what reasonT demanded Mar
schall coldly.
81 believe 1t is called high treason"
He closed his eyes for moment. 1T
is because of my negligence that this
thing has happened. He was In my
charge, and left him."
No one said anything. The council
looked at a loss, rather like flock Of
sheep confronting some strange AMI
NAL.
II would have shot myself" said
Milky Larisch, but it was too easy"
Then, rather at a loss as to the
exact etiquette of arresting ones self,
he bowed slightly and waited.
The door into the kings bedchdmber
opened. The chancellor came through,
his face working. 1t closed behind
him.
Gentlemen of the council" he said.
ut is my duty-my duty-to an
nounce-" His voice broke; his
grizzled chin quivered; tears rolled
down his cheeks. "Friends," he said
pitifully, "our good king-my old COM
rade-is dead"
The birthday supper was over. 1t
had ended with an American ice cream,
brought in carefully by Pepy, because
of its expensiveness. They had cut
the cake with "Boby" on the top, and
the crown prince had eaten far more
than was good for him.
He sat, lingering the Lincoln penny
and feeling extremely full and very
contented.
Then, suddenly, from far of church
a deep-toned bell began to toll slow
ly.
Prince Ferdinand william Otto
caught it. st. Stefan's bell! He sat
up and listened. The sound was faint;
one felt It rather than heard 1t, but
the slow booming was unmistakable.
He got up and pushed his chair back.
Other bells had taken 1t up, and
bells-bells that swung sadly from side
to side as If they said over and over:
"Alas, alas"
Something like panic seized Ferdi-
nand William Otto. Some calamity
had happened. Some one was-per-
haps his grandfather.
He turned an appealing face to Mrs.
Thorpe. II must CO." he said. ~ do
not wish to appear rude, but some
thing is wrong. The bells"
Pepy had been listening too. Her
broad face worked "They mean one
thing" she said slowly. 81 have heard
it said many times. When st. Stefan's
tolls like that, the king is dead"
mo! MOI" cried Ferdinand Will
liam Otto and ran madly out of the
door.
While the birthday supper was at
! its height, in the bureau of the con-
cierge sat old Adelbert, heavy and
despairing. That very day had he
learned to what use the committee
would put the information he had
given them, and his old heart was
dead within him. One may not be
loyal for seventy years, and then easily
become traitor.
Then. at seven o'clock, something
happened.
The conclerge's niece had gone,
leaving the supper ready cooked on
: the back of the stove. Old Adelbert
sat alone, and watched the red bars
of the stove fade to black. By that
time 1t was done, and he was of the
damned. The crown prince, who was
of an age with the American lad up
stairs, the crown prince was In the
hands of his enemies. He, old Adel-
bert, had done 1t.
| And now II was forever too late.
Terrible thoughts filed his mind. He
could not live thus, yet he could not
die. The daughter must have the pen
sion. He must live, a traitor, he on
whose breast the king himself had
pinned a decoration.
He wore his new uniform, In honor
of the day. Suddenly he felt that he
could not wear 1t any longer. He had
no right to any uniform. He who had
sold his country was Of no country.
He went slowly out and up the stair
case. dragging his wooden leg pain
fully from step to step. He heard the
concierge come In below, his heavy
footsteps re-echoed through the build
ing. Inside the door he called furi-
| l. IL n