The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-01-15

ster, not particularly depraved or
vicious but cursed from childhood
by the fact that he had always
had unlimited freedom and unlim-
tied money. He was now In his
third marriage, to an ex-queen OF
the Follies: she was standing by
the bar, glass In hand, talking
with a swarthy r1obleman from
some forgotten duchy In SOUTH
eastern Europe.
Reggie Van ToWne, 1t seemed,
fancied himself as an entertainer.
Presently he would sing for them.
And, indeed, after half an hour
OF 8trolling In and out among the
groups, shaking hands and ,ex-
changing pleasantries, Paul found
himself sitting with Ardath and
the countess at a little table while
Reggie mounted TO the dais, sat
at the plano and burst into song.
Song" was not quite the word,
perhaps. What Reggie did was to
repeat verses In a manner half
way between singing and ordinary
reciting, playing an apparently i'm
provised accompaniment and un-
derlining the significant parts OF
his ditties with no end Of eyebrow
arching and head-wagging. The
verses themselves were mildly
riSque--the sort OF thing Paul had
heard In a dozen night clubs In
his native capital. Reggie's insist
ent smirkins gave them an Of
fensiveness they did not intrinsi-
cally possess.
Reggie got down, at last, to be
surrounded by gushing folk who
cried, Reggie, how simply mar
velous!" When the countess an
nounced that Mademoiselle de Lys
Of the Deauville Casino would now
favor them with her sensational
fan dance, Paul excused himself
and wandered to the balcony that
overlooked the water. He stood
there, leaning idly against a pillar
and smoking In silence, when a
bulky shape appeared In the door,
"Oh-its you, Ferrone?" said a
gruff voice. The shape came
nearer and resolved itself into the
person of Baron Lanzia, one of the
wealthiest industrialists In all
Northumbra. He swaggered over
to the railing, looking-as he al
ways did 49, as powerful and az
ruthless as a grizzly. Lighting q
cigar, he stood surveying Paul
with an expression on his face
which Paul could not quite make
out.
you know" said the baron
suddenly, good Job. your quitting
when you did. Good Job for me, I
mean. Those tours Of yours. They
didn't do me any good?"
"Tours?" said Paul. He had
never liked Baron Lanzia; nor did
he like the half cotitemptuous
way In which the man said Fer
rome"
"Uh,' said the baron. Down
into the coal fields around Lazare
Represscd areas you know
Stirred UP too much talk. Made
my stockholders ask a lot Of silly
questions. No good"
He puffed cloud OF smoke de-
risiyely.
Glad you got out" he said
Maybe the Stockholders'l &c
back TO sleep now" He turned and
glanced In through the open door
Say, that fan dancers thrown
away her fan. Better come on In.
He stepped inside. Paul remem-
bered his last tour TO the Labart
coal fields, along the north coast
Of Northumbra. He had gone into
that hopelessly depressed region
some sE months ago. and had
seen there poverty and degrade
ton such as ne had never before
dreamed OF. Hardest Of all to ell
dure had been the heartbreaking
look OF hope and trust with which
the jobless miners and their fam
lies had greeted him. Their king
they had been sure, could dc
something for them what, they
did not know, but surely some
thing.
There had been 80 little that
he could do. He could, and
did, give money TO q relief fund;
he could. and did, focus national
attention ON the problem by the
mere fact that he went there; be-
yond that, he had been powerleAs
It was that visit which hac
clinched his feeling that the king.
ship was q sham and @ pretef1st
what good was king who
could do nothing to help the mos
desperately needy OF his subjects
~ was that which had helped hin
TO choose ~ he had chosen. wl1er
his hawk : no6ed prime minister
had at last told him that he musi
give up either his throne or hi
desire 70 marry Ardath Rich
inorid.
And now Baron Lanzia, head 81
the vast combine which exploited
the Lazare coal fields, tauntet
him with the reminder that tina