The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-03-22

the way, the prospect of tn
Princess Hedwig on the throne, few
demagogues in the public squares
would be the end"
The king leaned back and closed hi.
eyes. His thin, arehed nose looked
pinched. His face was gray.
"All this" he said, means what
To make the boy a prisoner, to cut
off his few pleasures, and even then
at any time"
Eyes, SIRE" said Mettlich doggedly
AT any time"
All through the palace people were
sleeping. Prince Ferdinand William
Otto was asleep, and riding again the
little car in the land of delight. So
that, turning a corner sharply, he al
most fell out of bed.
On the other side of the city the
little American boy was asleep also.
AT that exact time he was being
tucked up by an entirely efficient and
piacid-eyed American mother, who felt
under his head to see that his ear was
not turned forward. She liked close
fitting ears.
Nobody. naturally, was tucking up
Prince Ferdinand William Otto. Or
attending to his ears. But, of course,
there. were sentries outside his door,
and a valet de chambre to be rung
for, and a number of embroidered
eagles scattered about on the curtains
and things, and a country surrounding
him which would one day be his, I'M
less
'At any time" said General Nett
Itch, and was grimly silent.
''Well?" inquired the king, after
time. 'You have something to sug-
gest. take it,"
The old soldier cleared his throat.
Sire" he began, sit is said that a
chancellor should have but one pas
sion, his king. 1 have two, my king
and my country"
The king nodded gravely. He knew
both passions, relied on both. And
found them both bit troublesome at |
timesi
"Once, some years ago, sire, came |
to you with a plan. The Princess
Hedwig was a child then, and his late
royal highness was-still with us.
For that, and for other reasons: your
majesty refused to listen. But things
have changed. Between US and revo-
luton there stand only the frail life
Of boy and an army none too large,
and already, perhaps, affected. There
S much discomfort, and the offspring
Of discomfort is anarchy"
The king snarled. But Mettlich had
taken his courage in his hands, and
vent on. Their neighbor and hered-
tary foe was Karnia. Could they
my longer afford the enmity of Kar-
lia? One cause of discomfort was the ,
expense of the army, and of the forti-
ications along the Karnian border. If ,
zarnia were allied with them, there
would be no need of so great an army.
They had the mineral wealth, and t
<arnia the seaports. The old dream
# the empire, of railway to the sea, I
would be realized.
He pleaded well. The idea was not 7
lew. To place the little King Otto 4
X on the throne and keep him there Y
n the face of opposition would re- q
uire support from outside. Karnia h
would furnish this support. For a Il
rice. r
The price was the Princess He'd In
zig. r
''That is my plea, SIRE" Mettlich
nichn6 orf IF TO-
marry, and looks this way. To al g
ly discomfort and growing insurrec- h
on, ito insure the boys safety and his
lrone, to beat our swords into plough II
1ares"-here he caught the kings
,owl, and added-"to a certain ex- p
mt, and to make us a commercial h
well as a military nation, surely, r.
re, it gains much for us, and loses r
J nothing" n
But our independence I" said the N
ng sourly.
However, he did not dismiss the OF
ca. The fright of the afternoon had al
eakened him, and if Mettlich were al
sht the royalist party would need to
tside help to maintain the throne. Ell
"Karnia!' he said. 1.-THE lion and
e lamb, with the lamb inside the
N And in the meantime the boy" nj
HE should be watched always" ne
HE has Lussin." Count Lussin was
2 crown princes aide-de-camp. nj
He needs a man, SIRE" observed
: chancellor rather tartly. an
The king cleared his throat. 'sThis
ungster he is SO fond of, young ~
risch, would he please you better7"
asked. with ironic Difference. ws
"A good boy, sire. You may recall VIZ
It his mother He stopped. La