The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1920-07-01

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His eye coldly met and held those
of the chancellor.
"If any, one had the right to in
vestigate the procedure by which
you and your king. between you.
botched up the affairs of Marker, I
am that man. Let's be done with
paltering. flattery, and rubbish, and
talk plainly. l happen to be Richard
Kent, who, as confidential agent for
John Rhodes, gave the unfortunate
advice by which he advanced five
million dollars in gold to start Karl
the Second, just come to the throne,
tree from other debt. Oh, had right
enough! You may rest assured"
AS if touched by an electric spark,
the king arose from his chair, stared
for an instant, and then slowly
dropped back again with a long
sigh of resignation. Won Glutz
breathed heavily through his nose,
and appeared to wilt into an equal
state Of helplessness. There was a
moments silence in which Kent
sternly eyed him, and then a voice
broke out, filled with anger and de-
%fiance, that Of the princess Eloise.
"And SO she said, scornfully, ''the
vultures gather on the borders,
waiting to fatten from u misfor.
tunes!"
Observation-Disclosures Royal High
ness! YOU"
She swept his attempted defense
aside with an eloquent gesture.
John Rhodes! The nightmare
that has been over our heads for
four years. Men might worry and
work, but John Rhodes interest
must be paid! That magnificent
userer who thrives fat from the
misfortunes of nations, of peoples,
Of private enterprises. The gigantic
spider hat crouched behind the war,
waiting, that he might plunge for
ward with money and twist his prey
harder than ever Shylock clutched
and hung to his pitiable victims.
And you have the e%ffrontery to tell
US here tonight, when we are you
reluctant guests, with everything
lost behind us, that you are the
agent Of the infamous John Rhodes!'
Kent looked at her in a strange
admixture of annoyance and admi-
ration. Here, at least, was one who
was not afraid. His eyes lowered
themselves to his papers on his
desk. And it was as if the great
John Rhodes before whom, as she
psaid, kings and f~inanceiers alike had
trembled, was for the first time be-
ing presented to Kent's mind in true
light. She waited for his defense;
indeed, demanded it as eloquently
through the silence of the room as
If she voiced long sentences asking
him what he could say to purge
from the character of John Rhodes
those charges and imputations that
she had so stormily assembled
against him.
ut is true" he said, t%houghtfully,
that I am the agent Of John Rhodes
But I have not, as your Royal High.
ness implies, been set here as a spy
in waiting for your flight
for an abdication, or to make terms
for John Rhodes protection. My
being here is an accident"
She shrugged he1 shoulders with
an air Of disdain, as if expecting a
financial agent to evade Or lie. 1t
added to his distress. Men he under.
stood, and could fight He was no
quaverer. He had, in his capacity as
agent, boldly met and boldly brow
beaten half the chancellories of
Europe. His nerve and bravery
were recognized by those OF far
more importance than any one CON
nected with this paltry, petty, be-
tinselled little kingdom that had
survived by accident, and whose dis
ruption had been delayed by his
own efforts, merely because it was
the within Of John Rhodes, for fin
ancial purposes Of his rwn, that It
should continue to exist
AN accident" she said, mock
ingly. can accident! They are
strange, such accidents as thesei
Mr.. Richard Kent admits to being
the financial emissary for the gentle
Mr.. Rhodes! Rhodes! whose crimes
of selfishness and remissness are
greater than those of any living
man. Who ever heard of John
Rhodes ever doing anything to les.
sen are and sorrov-s Of kingdoms
or Of peoples? The Rothschilds, with
less power than this hard hearted
American, found ways te save many,
but not so Rhodes. There was #