The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-01-16

and his throne was real.
make it lightly. 1t is what comes
after the decision that worries me
now.
For my king, Paul, did not give
up his responsibility when he gave
up his throne. He could not give
that up, and he never can as long
as he may live. For when he gave
up his throne, he said, in effect,
There is a thing for me to do
which is so important that 1t
counts for more even than the
throne Of an empire. l must be
away and do it at whatever coast.
$50 he went away to do it
and what did he do? He went
to the pleasure coast and let him.
self be the magnet and the lodge
star for the frivolous, the bored
and the uselessly rich of two con-
tinents. If he were preparing for
some great task it would be diff
ferent: if he were preparing for
nothing more than quietly use
full life as a Canadian wheat
rancher, say, it would be differ
ent.
"But as it is-Paul, what are
these people worth? Are they
worth an empire? Must you give
them q king to play with?",
His eyes sought Paurs and
found them, laid them, bored re-
lentlessly into the soul Of the man
who had once been monarch.
"But the time is so short" pro-
tested Paul at length. After all,
Doctor, it has only been six weeks
since my abdication. What can l
do. at this time? If | go out any
where there are tourists and news
paper people and all sorts of idly
curious gawkers to cluster around
me. | almost fall over them;
Can't at least wait here until
that sort of thing dies down
bit?"
at will never die down." said
the archeologist. "You will car
nv around with you the king you
used to be, for the rest of your
life. He will stand at your elbow
wherever you go, and you Will sec
his reflection in peoples eyes to
the end of your life"
Paul folded his arms on the lit
tie table and stared out over the
dark bay. He had given his re-
spect and love to this odd little
scholar in his youthful, formative
years: now he could only listen
as the man talked, and feel mis-
erably guilty. There was a long
silence. At last Paul leaned for
ward an blocked earnestly at the
piercing eyes in the bronzed and
wrinkled face.
Grant that everything you sa!
is true" he said. "What am | t
do? My abdication is over an
done with. l couldn't withdraw
that even if | wanted to. What
am to do?"
"You paid a tremendous price
for your freedom" said DR.. Son
ders. "To make good bargain
out of it, you must make that
freedom worth a tremendous lot
to you. You must justify it-not
so much by what you do, for you
have given up your chance for
doing. BIT by what you are.
Freedom in itself means moth
ing. The poorest beggar on the
highway has it. What are you
going to do with ito Are you GO
ing to drift your life away here,
abored and useless idler? Or are
you going to be what you were
born to be, king among men, a
prince in the great kingdom of
| free minds?"
7 The doctor looked at him sadly.
81 will tell you something" he
said abruptly. Your brother
Joseph is on the throne of North
umbra now. You know Joseph
young, intense, serious, idealistic.
His people are learning to love
him. And already it is being said
in newspapers, magazines and
so on = that his accession has
changed the moral tone Of the
kingdom. 1t is being said that
there is revival Of the homely
old virtues because of the change
in kings.
Are you going to let that be
your epitaph-the fact that your
kingdom was made the better by
your departure?"
Again he paused. Then ne
burst out:
"Get away from this! Put your
mind to work. live with every
thing there is in you. If you can
think of nothing better to DO,
come out to Guatemala and help
me dig into the ruins of buried