The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-01-26
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Surrenderins his throne for th,
lsve of .Ardath Richmond. Cana
&sn-born actress, Paul l. King Of
Eerthumbra, becomes private cit
izsa Paul Ferrons, and quickly ht
{ .nds he has made a bad bargain
.hIHe tires OF the Countess d
Marco. Ressie Van Twyne, 1.-THE
Americas playboy. and the res'
OF the gay crowd that follow him
at ks villa, on the Bay OF ST.
FraneH He lakes the advice OF
his OH tutor DR.. Sonders. and
travels. buys a boat, travels some
more. but always he 10 restless
always the shadow of his lost
throne hovers over him.
Finally he and Ardath quarrel
about her friends. Paul takes
more and more to seelusien in his
boat. One day he suggests to
Ardath they have a child. Paul,
she cries, ARE you insane'
e. Then one night at a villa party
Paul hears Reggie Van Twyne
asking Ardath to leave Paul for
him. She refuses, but Paul knows
the crisis has come. The next day
be packs his trim little sailing
ship, tolls Ardath he 10 going
back to his homo country. North
nmbra, to get q grip on himself;
asks her to wait for him. He has
found freedom an elusive gift.
NOW co ON WITH THE STORY
T., CHAPTER MI
All the rest of that day and eve
ming Paul wandered idly about
Gailport, unrecognized and lone
", drifting from one casual group
TO another. asking questions and
directing each conversation to the
subject of the king.
/ When he went to bed. at last,
in the cabin of his shop, he had
to admit that the thing he had
come back to Gailport to find
had eluded him. For he had come
back TO bask in the radiance of the
old days-to snugglc up against
the warm love his people had once
had for him-and he found that it
no longer existed.
The truth of the matter was
that they had simply forgotten
him. They did not look back at
his reign with the fond longing he
had imagined; they did not look
at all until someone reminded
them of il. as he had been doing;
and then their attitude was one of,
~Oh yes-king Paul. To be sure;
he was king before King Joseph,
wasn't hc?' 1
Here and there he found faint
pote of hostility; a feeling that
King Paul had deserted them, had
fled when they needed him. But
for the most part that was absent.
In the space of a brief year he
had become an obscure figure IN
history: a person one remembered
when his name was mentioned.
but not one that anybody looked
back to with any desire or yearn-
ing.
When he got up the next morn
ing he found the little city decked
out with flags and bunting in
honor Of the expected visit Of Jo-
seph. Each house. no matter how
humble, had found some means of
putting on festive aspect.
Stores sold cheap Autographs OF
the king. and these appeared in
almost every window. Small,
crudely lettered signs, "God Bless
Our King" were strung over gate
posts and alleyways. A holiday
had been declared, and innumer-
able children, joyous at their re-
lease from school, were already
rnassing in q vast group on the
common. tiny flags clutched in un-
wonted clean fists, while anxious
teachers scurried about to make
sure that their charges would give
the monarch a proper welcome.
By 10 o'clock the sidewalks were
crowded. Paul found q place by
the pedestal of O dust-grimed war
memorial, at the entrance to the
common. A pang Of memory as
sailed him as he recognized the
memorial; he had dedicated it, Is
years ago, as crown prince. He
climbed on a granite abutment so
that he could look over the throng,
and waited.
80, Far off. at last, he heard the
sound of music and cheering. The
noise came in intermittent bursts,
at first. and then swelled to
steady tide of sound, given rhyth
by the blood-stirring pulse Of
drums. II came nearer, and an
electric, current seemed to pass
through the waiting crowd. They
could make out now the tramp of
marching feet. the blare Of trum-
pets and the shrill scream of the
flies, and wave Of cheering came
sweeping in toward them as the
people hailed their king.
There ii came, at last. down the
street on the far side of the open
common. The regimental band Of
d famous regiment Of regulars
regiment that had fought the
kings wars for three centuries,
aud had the names Of great bat
ties and obscure ones Inscribed on
les banners-swung into view.
After II came the regulars them
selves, trim and grizzly elegant in
blue and white. their gathered
ankles twinkiing, their rifles
sloped with professional exacti-
tude, something elated and conf
dent shining forth from the way
they stepped out, the way they
held their heads, the way they
swung their left arms.
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