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


consumedly at the witticism.
The concierge was out. His niece
admitted them and went back to her
Interrupted cooking. The children hur-
ried up the winding stone staircase,
with its iron rail and Its gas lantern,
to the second floor.
In the sitting room, the sour-faced
governess was darnlng a hole in a
small stocking. She looked at the
clock.
"You are fifteen minutes late" she
snapped, and bit the darning thread
not with rage, but because she had
forgotten her scissors.
I'm sorry, but you see"
"Whom have you there2"
"a friend of NINE" said Bobby, not
a whit daunted.
The governess put down the stock
Ing and rose. In so doing, she caught
her first real glimpse of Ferdinand
William Otto, and she staggered
back
"Holy Saints!" she said, and went
and her color came back. "For a mo-
ment." she muttered but no. He
is not so tall, nor has he the manner.
Yes, he is much smallerl"
Which proves that, whether 1t
wears It or not, royalty is always
measured to the top Of crown.
In the next room Bobby's mother
was arranging candles on a birthday
cake in the center of the table. Pepy
had iced the cake herself, and had
forgotten one Of the IBIS" in Bobby"
so that the cake really read: "BOby
XII"
However, 1t looked delicious, and
inside had been baked a tiny black
china doll and a new American penny,
with Abraham Lincoln's head on 1t.
The penny was for good fortune, but
the doll was a Joke Of Pepy's, Bobby
being aggressively masculine.
Bobby, having passed the outpost,
carried the rest of the situation by as
sault. Mrs. Thorpe saw Ferdinand VIII
liam Otto, and went over, somewhat
very glad Bobby brought you" she
said. "He has so few little friends"
Then she stopped, for the prince had
brought his heels together sharply, and
bending over her hand, had kissed it,
exactly as he kissed his Aunt Annun-
ciata's when he went to have tea with
her. Mrs. Thorpe was fairly startled
not at the kiss, but at the grace with
which the tribute was rendered.
Then she looked down, and ii re-
stored her composure to find that Fer
dinand William Otto, too, had turned
eyes toward the cake. He was, after
all, only hungry small boy. With
quick tenderness she stopped and
kissed him gravely on the forehead.
Caresses We're strange to Ferdinand
leaped and pounded. At that moment,
he would have died for her!
Mr.. Thorpe came home little late.
He kissed Bobby twelve times, and one
to grow on. He shook hands absently
with the visitor, and gave the Frau
lein the evening paper-an extra
vagance on which he insisted, although
one could read the news for nothing
by going to the cafe on the corner.
Then he drew his wife aside.
Look herew he said. Don't tell
Bobby-no use exciting him, and of
course It's not our funeral, anyhow
but there's Il report that the crown
prince has been kidnapped. And that's
not all. The old king is dylng!"
How terrible!"
"WOrse than that. The old king gone
and no crown prince! 1t may mean
almost any sort of troubled I've
closed up at the park for the night"
His arm around his wife, he looked
through the doorway to where Bobby
and Ferdinand were counting the
candles. Its made me think pretty
hard" he said. Bobby mustn't go
around alone the way he's been doing.
All Americans here are considered
millionaires. II the crown prince
could go, think how easy"
His arm frightened around his wife,
and together they went into the birth
day feast. Ferdinand William Otto
was hungry. He ate eagerly-chicken
fruit compete, potato salad-again
shades Of the court physicians, who
fed him at night balanced ration of
milk, egg, and zwiebackl Bobby also
ate busiiy, and conversation Ian
guished.
Then the moment came when, the
first cravings appeased, they sat back
In their chairs while Pepy cleared the
table and brought in knife TO cut the
cake. Mr.. Thorpe had excused him
self for moment. Now he came back,
with a bottle wrapped In newspaper,
and sat down again.
II thought" he said, 'as this is a
real occasion, not exactly Roberts
coming of age, but marking his arrival
NJ years of discretion, the period when
he ceases TO be a small boy and be-
comes big one, we might drink a
toast TO It,"
ID L. L..