The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1918-07-18


one Of them, taking short cuts through
narrow passages that twisted and
Sormed their way between; and SO.
finally. to the door OF a tall building
where, from the concierge's room be-
side the entrance. came q reek of
stewing garlic.
Neither OF the children had noticed
the unwonted silence of the streets.
which had. almost suddenly. succeeded
the noise Of the carnival. What few
passers-by they had seen Ind been
hurrying in the direction Of the palace.
Twice they had passed soldiers, with
lanterns, and once one had stopped
and flashed light on them.
swell. old sportl" said Bobby. In
English. Anything you can do for
mef"
The soldier had passed on, mutter.
Ing at the insolence Of American chill
dren. The two youngsters laughed
consumedly at the witticism.
The concierge was out. His niece
admitted them. and went back tC 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 darning 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.
"Tm sorry. but you see"
"Whom have you there2"
"A friend Of mine," 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. ee.
"Holy Saints" she said. and went
white. Then she stared at the boy
md her color came back. "For mo-
ment," she muttered "--but no. He
is not SO tall, nor has he the manner
Yes, he is much smalleri"
Which proves that, whether Il
wears It or not, royalty II always
measured to the top Of crown.
In the next room Bobby's mothel
was arranging candles on q birthday
cake in the center Of the table. Pep,
had iced the cake herself, and had
forgotten one Of the ''b's" in Bobby
so that the cake really read: Bob!
XII"
However, Il looked delicious, an'
inside had been baked Q tiny blacl
china doll and . new American penny
with Abraham Lincoln's head on II
Tho penny was for good fortune. bu
the doll was a joke Of Pepy's, Bobb,
being aggressively masculine.
Bobby. having passed the outpost
carried the rest Of the situation BY ~
sault. Mrs. Thorpe saw Ferdinand VIII
liam Otto. and went over. somewha
puzzled. with her hand out. " en-
very glad Bobby brought you" sh'
said. HE has 10 few little friends
Then she stopped. for the prince ha'
} brought his heels together sharply. an,
bending over her hand. had kissed II
exactly as he kissed his Aunt Annun
ciata's when he went to have tea witt
her. Mrs. Thorpe was fairly startled
not at the kiss. but ut the grace witt
which the tribute was rendered.
Then she looked down. and II re
} stored her composure to find that Fer
dinand william Otto, too. had turne'
J eyes toward the cake. He was, afte
all. only a hungry small boy. Wit
quick tenderness she stopped an,
kissed him gravely on the forehead.
Caresses were strange to Ferdinan'
William Otto. His warm little hear
leaped and pounded. At that moment
he would have died for heri
Mr.. Thorpe came home little late
He kissed Bobby twelve times. and ON
to grow on. He shook hands absent,
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 nothinl
by going to the cafe ON the corner
! Then be drew his wife aside.
, Look herel" he said. "Don't tel
, Bobby-no use exciting him. and o
course It's not our funeral. anyhow
but there's q report that the crow
prince has been kidnapped. And that
not all. The old king Is dyingl"
, "How terribler
"Worse than that. The old king gon,
and no crown princeI 1t may meal
almost any sort Of trouble Tv'
closed up at the park Tor the night.
His arm around his wife. he looket
through the doorway to where Bobb!
and Ferdinand were counting tn
candles. "It's made me think prett,
hard" he said. "BObby mustn't g
around alone the way he's been doing
All Americans here are considere,
mlllionaires. II the crown primo
could go, think how easy"
His arm tightened around iijs wife
md toppther thew went into rhe birth