The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-03-23

| the way, the prospect of the
Princess Hedwig on the throne, few
delnagogues in the public squares-it
would be the end
The king leaned back and closed his
eyes. His thin, arched nose looked
| pinched. His face was gray.
"All this he said, means what
10 make the boy prisoner, to cut
Oft his few pleasures, and even then,
at any time"
yes, 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 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
placid-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 valet de chambre to be rung
for, and a number Of embroidered
eagles scattered about on the curtains
and things, and country surrounding
him which would one day be his, un-
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, at is said that
chancellor should have but one pas
sion. his king. l have two, my king
and my country"
The king nodded gravely. He knew
both passions, relied on both. And
found them beth bit troublesome at
times
"Once, some years ago, sire, I came
TO you with q 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
is much discomfort, and the offspring
of discomfort Is anarchy"
The king snarled. But Mettlich had
taken his courage in his hands, and
went on. Their neighbor and hered-
itary foe was karnia. Could they
any longer afford the enmity of kar-
mia? One cause of discomfort was the
expense of the army, and of the forti-
fications along the karnian border. If
Karnia were allied with them, there
would be no need of so great an army.
They had the mineral wealth, and
Karnia the SeapOrtS. The old dream
Of the empire, of railway to the sea,
would be realized.
He pleaded well. The idea was not
new. To place the little King Otto
TX on the throne and keep him there
in the face Of opposition would re-
Quire support from outside. Karnia
would furnish this support. For
price.
The price was the Princess He'd
wig.
''That Is my plea, SIRE" Mettlich
finished. "Karl of Karnia IS anxious
to marry, and looks this way. To al
lay discomfort and growing insurrec-
ton, to insure the boys safety and his
throne, to beat our swords into plough
shares"-here he caught the kings
scowl, and added-"to a certain ex-
tent, and to make US a commercial
as well as a military nation, surely,
sire, it gains much for us, and loses
us nothing"
"But our independence! said the
king sourIy.
However, he did not dismiss the
idea. The fright Of the afternoon had
weakened him, and IL Mettlich were
right the royalist party would need
outside help to maintain the throne.
"karnia!' he said. 1.-THE lion and
the lamb, with the lamb inside the
lion! And in the meantime the boy"
"He should be watched always"
"He has Lussin" Count Lussin was
the crown princes aide-de-camp.
''He needs man, sire" observed
the chancellor rather tartly.
The king cleared his throat. ''This
youngster he is so fond Of, young
Larisch, would he please you better?"
he asked, with ironic Difference.
"a good boy, sire You may recall
that his mother" He stopped.