The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1920-07-22

Doubtless, In some ancient day, there
had been moat; but this had been
filled and turfed. Where In the time
Of his august predecessors had been
q considerable place d'armes for the
drilling Of fighting men, Karl II had
created garden Of distinguished
beauty In which, It was scornfully
whispered by the malcontents, he
occasionally worked, himself with
pruning shears and spade. He had
approached sacrilege by moderni-
zing the palace itself, something
criminally and undignified, mas
much as no good palace should have
either drains or sanitary contrivan-
ces. It makes them to much like
other folks houses, and, somehow,
people expect kings to be different
from everybody else. Furthermore,
as a final proof that he was not fit
to be real king, he tried to pay his
debts!
From the palace windows the
quaint old city of Marker, red or
moss rooted, glowering from win
dow Lodges, It's streets dotted here
and there with colorfully-clad In
habitants, could be scanned as it
stretched away on three sides.
From the smaller throne room, by
stepping to balcony, on this morn
ing great deal might have been
seen; but nobody in the throne room
took the trouble. There was much
other business to be done, because
when a first class usurper usurps,
there are usually several things that
require attention. At least that was
the opinion of one Baron Provarsk,
who, on this gay morning, was as
Kent might have said, con the job"
The usurper sat in a big chair at
the head of a table, the like Of which
could be seen any day, in any
directors room Of any bank in
America Neatly proportioned, mid
dle-sized, carelessly but well clothed.
and about 35 wears of age, he APP
competent. His was rather a hand
some, fearless, albeit reckless face,
fairly strong, and without trace of
any excess. He was more the rapier
type of soldier of fortune, than u.s.
urpers usually are, and would prob
ably perfer rapier to a butchers
cleaver. And as far as looks were
concerned, Kent afterward said, he
chad it on the king" \
On the side of the room opposite
from the balconied, or garden side,
were ornate inner windows looking
out upon corridor, and, proving
that the baron proposed to take no
chances, there could be seen stand
ing in this generous passageway a
file Of armed men. AS for them, the
foreign legion of Africa could not
have been more mixed, or mongrel.
Apparently the baron had been in
terested in such of the kings papers
as he had been able to find by ram
sackinJ the palace. He scanned them
hastily, grinning pleasantly now and
then. A good usurper displays no
more delicacy in nosing into another
palace, than does a cucko intent on
laying an egg in another's nest.
Provarsk showed the papers into
heap and picked up several others
as a scar-faced man with scraggly
moustache and stubby goatee swag-
gered into the room and stood o.,-
posite his new master.
81 don't see anything to prevent
my proclamation being sent to the
printing office just as it u.s." said
Provarsk, looking up at his lieuten-
ant, who had become such by recruit
ing from various foreign sources and
drilling Provarsk's army. Here,
Ubaldo, read it. Read it aloud so I
can hear how it sounds"
The new commander-in-chief of the
army took the paper and after
mumbling over flowery preamble
which Viewed with horror and
alarm" read the following: "It hav-
ing come to my knowledge, FORUM
ate!y, that the crstwhi,e sovereign
of the free and independent Monar-
chy Of Marchen, King Karl II, had
practically completed secret plans to
borrow in the name Ct the. state
second and larger loan than that
with which his suffering subjects
were already grievously burdened,
|, his cousin by direct descent from
the royal Dynasty, Ferdinand Mat