Evening star., 1921-07-03
rR. REGINALD EORTUNE,
M NJ A.. NJ. b.. B. q, r. r. c.
wv S., was having Q lecture from
4 u his father

his father.
You only do just enough" Dr. For
tune complained. "Never brilliant. No
zeal Now. Reginald, 1t won't do. Just
enough is always too little. Take my
word for it. And do be attentive to
the archduke. God bless you!"
Have a good time. sir" said Mr..
Teginald Fortune. and watched his
rather settle down in the car Ga long
process) beside his mother and drive
of. They were gone at last, which
Reginald had begun 10 think impossi-
bic. and the opulent practice of DR..
Fortune lay for a month in the virgin
hands of Reginald.
Beautifully patient the mater is"
Reginald communed with himself as
he ate his third muffin. "Fretful game
to spend your life waitin' for q man
to get ready. Quaint old bird, the
pater. Death-bed manner for q tum-
my-ache. Wonder the patients lap 1t
up"
But old DR.. Fortune was good at
diagnosis, and he had his reasons for
saying that Reggie lacked zeal. At
oxford. at his hospital. Reggie did
able iegrees, but no more than he
coue' help. 1t was remarked by his
dea that he did things too easily.
He .'lways had plenty of time, and
spN. il here. there and everywhere.
on musical comedy and prehistoric
bargees and psychical research. There
was nothing which he knew pro-
foundly, but hardly anything of which
he did not know enough to find his
way about in it. Nobody. except his
mother, had ever liked him too much.
for he was n self-sufficient creature,
but everybody liked him enough; he
got on comfortably with everybody
f-om barmaids to dons.
He was Of a round and cheerful coun-
fHnance and perpetual appetite.
This gave him a solidity of aspect
emphasized by his extreme neatness.
Neither his hair nor anything else OF
his was ever ruffled. He was more at
ease with the world than a man has
q right to be at thirty-five.
TT is presumed that he had never
wanted anything which he had not
.':s. Old DR.. Fortune possessed a
siHl fortune and a rich practice, and
Reggie enjoyed the proceeds and pro-
posed to inherit both. The practice
lay in that pleasant outer suburb Of
London called Westhampton. region
of commons and a large park. sacred
to the well-eo-do. and still boasting
one or two houses Inhabited by what
auctioneers call the nobility.
In Boldrewood. the best Of these places.
Fortunes existence the Archduke Maui
rice. the heir-apparent to the Emperor
of Bohtfhia. You may remember that
the archduke came to live in England
shortly sfter his marriage. 1t Is. how
ever. not true. as scandal reported, that
hi tta ant h
exile. There is reason to believe that
the archduchess, woman equally vehe-
ment and beautiful, was not liked In
several European courts. On her return
from the honeymoon she made BOBBY
trap for that drill sergeant Of king.
Ma ximilian Of Swabia, and for some
weeks the central powers were
threatening to mobilize. But she was q
serene highness of the house Of Erbach-
Wittelsbach, which traces its descent to
nearly two square miles, with parlia-
ment and army complete. and even the
Emperor of Bohemia could not pretend
that Maurice had married beneath him.
History will affirm the simple truth that
sought seclusion in England because
they were bored to death by the Bo-
hemian court which was perpetually oc-
cupied in demonstrating that you can
be very dull without being in the least
II man of geniality and extraordinarily
natural tastes. His garden-a long
walk-a pint of beer in one Of the old
Westhampton inns made him happy
day. The archduchess was not SO SIM
pie, for she loved to drive her own car,
ferocious vehicle. But aPchduchesses
may not do that in Bohemia.
Reggie. having eaten all the muffns,
lit his pipe and meditated on the cases
left him by his father Old Mrs;
,x,xh xh4 bod hA~ 1,stt Sv1At ND
old Talbot Browne had his autumn
gout. and the little Robinsons were
putting in their whooping cough. A
kindly word! He was doing in
the dark when the telephone bell rang:
Was that DR.. Fortune? Would he
come to Boldrewood at once-at once.
The archduke had been knocked down
by motor car and picked up uncon-
scious.
Poor old pater" Reggie grinned. as
would never forgive himself for being
out OF this. He loved a lord. did the
pater, and since he had been called IN
toremove a fishbone from the archducal
throat he could not keep the archduke
out of his conversation. The royal gem
iality of the archduke. the royal disdain
of the archduchess-Dr. Fortune had
been much gratified thereby, and Reggie
was prepared to loathe their royal high
nesses Thank hsI Heaven Heaven the pater pa. was was
swelled so over an archducal fishbone,
he would have burst over an archduke
knocked down.
Reggie was practical, if without SYM
and the sedate chauffeur Of Dr. Fortune
was Mortified by instructions to let the
car rip. The streets OF Westhampton
are not adapted to this. The district
has tried hard to keep itself rural still.
and it's original narrow winding lanes
in fol hv
trees. Boldrewood stands high. and its
grounds border upon Westhampton
Heath. across which there Is one lamp
per furlong. Just as Reggie's car
swung round to the heath it was stopped
whats the trouble. Gorton?" Reggie
said to the chauffeur.
Gorton was leaning sideways and
peering into the gloom Of the gutter. A
Snay wSeh 'ns sy ss Gi1e me a'
turn" Gorton muttered. His face
showed white. Reggie jumped out, but
Gorton was quicker. hummer, it's the
archduke!" he said. and his voice went
Don't be futile. Gorton" Reggie bent
over the body. Get the lamps on him."
Gorton backed the car and the. body
came into the light. Its face was
crushed. Gorton gasped and swallowed.
But it's not him. neither" he NUT
tered.
After a minute Reggie stood up. He
was a fine chap about an hour ago." he
said gently.
"Aii over. sir?" Reggie nodded. Some
hog done him in?"
"As you say, Gorton. Running down
case. Big car. Took him in the back.
Went over his head. But don't see
how he got into the gutter" He walked
round the body. moved it a little. and
picked up two matches-unusual matches
hi ato0 MI do RtR