Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-06-18

of st. Stefan's bell would rise the cry
for the new king.
And there was no king.
In the little room where the sisters!
kept their medicines, so useless now,
Hedwig knelt ut the prie-dieu and
prayed.
The king reused again. "Mettlich2"!
he asked.
The elder sister tlptoed to the door
and opened it. The council turned,
dread on their faces. She placed a
hand on the chancellor's shoulder.
"His majesty has asked for you"
When he looked up, dazed, she bent
down and took his hand.
Courage" she said quietly.
The chancellor stood a second in
side the door. Then he went to the,
side of the bed, and knelt, his lips
to the cold, white hand on the counter;
pane.
"sire!" he choked. ut is I-Mett-
Itch"
The king looked at him, end placed
his hand on the bowed gray head.l
Then his eyes turned to Annunciata'
and rested there. 1t was as If he saw
her, not as the embittered woman of
late years, but as the child OF tine
woman he had loved.
"A good friend, and good daugh-I
ter" he said clearly. Few men die
so fortunate, and fewer sovereigns." y.
His hand moved from Mettlich's head,
and rested on the photograph.
The elder sister leaned forward and
touched his wrist. "Doctor!", she said.
sharply.
Doctor Weiderman came first, the,
others following, They grouped
around the bed. Then the oldest of
them, who had brought Annunciata,
into the world, touched her on the
shoulder.
madame he said. Madame. II
his majesty has passed away"
Mettlich staggered to his feet. and
took long look at the face Of his old
sovereign and king.
In the meantime, things had been
happening in the room where the
council waited. The council free OF;
the restraint of the chancellor's pres
ence, had fallen into low-voiced con-
sultation. What was to be done y
They knew already the rumors Of the,
streets, and were helpless before Them.
They had done what they could. But
the boy was gone, and the city rising,
Already the garrison Of the fortress:
had been ordered to the palace, but,
it could not arrive before midnight!
Friese had questioned the wisdom Of It,.
at that, and was for flight as soon as!
the king died. Bayerl, on the other!
hand, urged stand, in the hope that;
the crown prince would be found.
Their voices, lowered at first, rose;
acrimoniously; almost they penetrated
to the silent room beyond. On to the
discussion came Milky Larisch, COW
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.
s.The chancellor?" he said.
Some one pointed to the room be-
yond.
Milky hesitated. Then, being young
and dramatic, even IN tragedy, he un-
buckled his sword belt and took it on,
placing it on table.
"Gentlemen," he said, II have come
to surrender myself"
The council stared.
"For what reasonw demanded Mar
schall coldly.
II believe it is called high treason Y
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 loss, rather like flock Of
sheep confronting some strange ani-
NAL.
II would have shot myself" said
ilNikky Larisch, ''but 1t was too easy,
Then, rather at loss as to the
exact etiquette Of arresting ones self,
he bowed slightly and waited.
The door into the kings bedchamber,
opened. The chancellor came through,
his face working. It closed behind
him.
/: "Gentlemen of the council" he said.
lit is my duty-my duty-to an
!nounce-" His voice broke; his
lgrizzled chin quivered; tears rolled
down his cheeks. "Friends," he said
ipitifully, tour good king-my old COM
lirade-istdead!"
i The birthday supper was\oyer. It
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 TAR more
than was good for him.
| He sat, lingering the Lincoln penny
ana feeling extremely full and very
,contented.
Then, suddenly, from far off church
deep-toned bell began to toll slow
II.
! Prince Ferdinand William Otto
caught It. st. Stefan's belli He sat