The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1918-03-27


The riding school had been built for
officers of the army, but was now used
by the court only. Here the king had
ridden as n lad with young Mettlich,
his close friend even then. The favor
lite mare Of his later years, now old
and almost blind. still had stall In
the adjacent royal stables. One of the
kings last excursions abroad had been
to visit her.
Overhead, up n great runway, were
the state chariots, gilt coaches % in
conceivable weight, travelling carriages
Of the post-chaise periods. sleighs in
which four horses drove abreast, their
panels painted by the great artists of
the time; and one plain little vehicle,
very shabby, in which the royal chill
dren of long ago had fled from Kar-
MAN invasion.
In one corner, black and gold and
forbidding. was the imposing hearse In
try were taken to their long sleep In
the vaults under the cathedral. Good
bad, and Indifferent, one after the
other. as their hour came, they. had
taken their last journey In the old
catafalque and had Joined their for
bears. Many they had been: men Of
iron, men of blood. men of flesh, men
of water And now they lay in stone
crypts, and of all the line only two
remained.
One and ALL the royal vehicles were
shrouded in sheets, except on one day
of each month when the sheets were
removed and the public admitted. But
on that morning the great hearse was
uncovered. and two men were working,
one at the upholstery, which he was
brushing. The other was carefully OIL
ing the wood of the body. Save for
! them, the wide and duslSy loft was
empty.
The archduchess was having tea.
Her boudOir was crowded little
room. The archduchess liked it be-
cause 1t was warm. The palace rooms
were mostly large and chilly. She had
a fire there on the warmest days in
spring. and liked to put the Goals on,
herself. She had them wrapped in
pieces of paper so she would not soil
her hands.
This afternoon she was not alone.
Lounging at window was the lady
who was waiting at the time, the
Countess Loschek. Just now she was
getting rather a wigging, but she was
remarkably calm.
''The. last three times" the arch
duchess said, stirring her tea, you
have had a sore throat. In my opinion,
you smoke too many cigarettes"
The Countess LOschek was thirty,
and very handsome, in an insolent
way. She was supposed to be the best
dressed woman at the court, and to
rule Annunciata with an iron hand,
although it was known that they
things, especially over the coal fire.
Some said that the real thing that
held them together was resentment
that the little crown prince stood be-
tween the Princess Hedwig and the
throne. Annunciata was not young,
but she was younger than her dead
brother Hubert.
The countess yawned.
"Where is Hedwig?" demanded the
archduchess.
"Her royal highness is in the nurs-
cry, probably"
"Why probably?"
"She goes there great DEAL"
The archduchess eyed her. "Well,
out with it," she said. 'There Is
something seething in that wicked
brain Of yours"
The countess shrugged her shoulders.
Not that she resented having a
wicked brain. She rather fancied the
idea. "She and young Lieutenant Lar
isch have tea quite frequently with
his royal highness."
Little fool :" said Annunciata. But
she. frowned, and sat tapping her tea
cup with her spoon. She was just a
trifle afraid of Hedwig. and she was
more anxious than she would have
cared to acknowledge. "HOw far do
you think the thing has gomez"
"He is quite mad about her."
"And Hedwig-but she is silly
enough for anything. Do they meet
anywhere else"
AT the riding school, believe. At
least, +"
Here a maid entered and stood
waiting at the end of the screen.
Ellis excellency, General Mettlich."
said the maid.
The archduchess nodded her august
head, and the maid retired. go
away, Olga" said the archduchess.
"And you might" she suggested GRIM
ly, "gaygle your throat"
The chancellor had passed a trou-
bled night. Being old, like the king,
he required little sleep. And for most
Of the time between one o'clock and
his rising hour of five he had lain In
his narrow camp bed and thought. He
had not nnpA1ad al bic xvnrriao IN tho