The Dermott news., 1918-05-02

were watching ahead, searching the crowd for symptoms of unrest.
 Anger he saw in plenty, and suspicion. Scowling faces and frown- ing brows. But as yet there was no disorder. He sat with folded arms, magnificent in his uniform beside Karl. who wore civilian dress and looked less royal than perhaps he felt.
 And Karl, too, watched the crowd, feeling it's temper and feigning an in- difference he did not feel. Olga Los chek had been right. He did not want trouble. More than that, he was of an age now to crave popularity. Many of the measures which had made him beloved in his own land had no higher purpose than this, the smiles of the crowd. So he watched and talked of indifferent things.
 Tt is ten years since I have been here," he observed, but there are few changes"
 'We have built no great buildings" said Mettlich bluntly. Wars have left us no money, majesty for buildlng,"
 That being closed road. so to speak. Karl tried another 'The crown prince must be quite n lad" he cxpcrimented He was babe in arms, then. but frail. thought"
 ''lIe is sturdy now" The chancellor relapsed into watehfuness.
 Before I see the Princess Hedwig." Karl made another attempt, "it might be we'll to tell me how she feels about things. l would like to feel that the prospect is at least not disagreeable to her"
 The chancellor was not listening. There was trouble ahead Ii had come, then, after all. He muttered some thing behind his gray mustache. The horses stopped. as the crowd suddenly closed in front of them.
 "Drive on" he said angrily, and the coachman touched his whip to the horses. But they only reared to be grnsped at the brides by hostile hands ahead.
 Karl half rose from his seat
 "Sit still. majesty" said the chancel- Tor. Tt Is the students. They will talk, that is all.'
 But IL came perilously near to be- ing n riot. Led by some students. pushed by others, the crowd sur rounded the two carriages, first nut tering. then yelling. A stone was hurled. and struck one of the horses. Another dented the body of the car riage itself. A man with a handker- chief tied over the lower half of his face mounted the shoulders of two companions, and harangued the crowd. They wanted no friendship with kar- nia. Were they to lose their national existence? He exhorted them madly through the handkerchief. A babel of noise, of swinging back and forth. of mounted police pushing through to surround the carriage, of cries and the dominating voices of the student demagogues. Then at last semblance of order, low muttering. an escort of police with drawn revolvers around the carriage, and 1t moved ahead
 Through it all the chancellor had sat with folded arms. Only his livid face told of his fury. Karl. too. had sat i'm passive, picking at his small mustache. But, as the carriage moved on. he Said: "A few moments ago observed that there had been few changes. But there has been, l perceive. after all. great change"
 One cannot judge the many by the few. majesty"
 But Karl only raised his eyebrows
 In his rooms, removing the dust of his journey. broken by the automobile trip across the mountains where the TWO railroads would some day meet. Karl reelected on the situation. A dual monarchy, one portion of il restless and revolutionary, was less desirable than the present peace and prosperity uf karnia. And unrest was contagious. He might find himself in difficult position.
 He glanced about his rooms. In one of them Prince Hubert had met his death. IL was well enough for Nett iich to say the few could not speak for the many. IL took but one man to do u murder, Karl reflected grmly.
 But when he arrived for tea in the archduChess' white drawing room he was urhane and smiling. He kissed the hand of the archduchess and bent over Hedwig's with Hash of white teeth.
 Then he saw Olga Loschek. and his smile stiffened. The countess came forward, curtsied. and as he extended his hand to her. touched 1t lightly with her lips. They were quite cold For just an instant their eyes met.
 IL was. on the surface. an amahle and quiet tea party. Hedwig had taken up her position by window. and was eonsPieuously silent. Behind her were the soft ring of silver against china. the countess gay tones. karl's sunve ones. assuming gravity. as he inquired as to his majestys health, the Archduchess Annunciata pretend ing solicitude she did not feel. And all forced. all artificial.
 "Grandmother," Hedwig whispered