Show PRiNCE 0 f. f ARK HE rBy t s NEW h GEORGE EORGE V q YO YORK K DODD BARR MEAD AND McCUTCHEON CO ANY Y 1011 1911 Ii CHAPTER CIL L I. Matri Matti- mony moray i lr n Call Ir Mr Blithers with I rOl cant can't t tell mo me wife quite kor 1 can cao said said laid his loon hot gr she Sho knew when Clio lIbe he could tl iD in and when hn she ho couldn t. t t to impart iu- iu rat ratto yi Ii j gaits when ho bo hn hail nd l dD to Mr lr tip of t two tiro o re luto fingers im imn im- im in n his big arr and That rather happened unfair IC to toI to I l c r u her when nn an lr ar of I 1 fore for tor him not going foin lI i bu but l e e on hie part because I 1 himself with to express f b e l id cd d than with them open Bye By Vile D be dT effectually tu lIv shut but out the gas and had the tho dis discus ul ulI OD self Of course it would I 1 i to if he had morn more oro convincing on ten Emitted c m to hear the tho sound found of his hig once i still it was wasI effective 1 tt SUTO Ka sure to go 0 on 00 talking for two and then subside lh ido in in doTA do do- TA woman tr will nill not t talk leak lk to a 1 stone Vor tor Sor will l ill she wantonly allow an tt to die cip i while h. h thoro remains cL chance lc of If it its survival n 1 t rte same t a 1 man would woul ud Jd I leavo o his hia wife there in lle her l' l ears r ani an and as EI he in ui high dudgeon om f from fon the room lId h mean l eno enough b to call atteno atten o yet rr rl pi rie In most mot mota to listen isten to a a xo an is Iii s content rather than to 1 leave c 1 the thc nit because her bu husband elects jut jt about a perfectly pertE-cU simple tion On ot of the tic truth d with Mr Ir II rs had lived Sore for S 3 or less Vid rd she bo knew him a book hook who Io would forceful person tn M T pcr uT are hn hadIs had though ho 1 Is if own way even crew y his in flu in his hig cars to get Ret it it Erie of ot their joint connubial trl L when then he had i succeeded in a pitiful hoard amount amount- but bat Ku little moro more than tho ded to live abroad for thet the theof t ot of Mu educating their daughter it Jr bit bier in the meantime to in in- in Ms his fortune to something like i O without hat havin n to worry affairs unal But sho ha had H iJ with 1 him long enough at odd to to realize t that bat 0 yn Ir o long as aa he ho heh hehe h he would never nc run ruu away from from an st st t by y fomo lomo cl dreadful rea I f ook ho should bo be e so 80 t 1 to be deprived of t the je UIO of sods She found room to gloat in irsa io it tho fact bet th that it t he bt was wasi i Ito io stop top up his hit cars ears in in order to t ho N Cover OHr when ho he called her m my m of tho the customary Lou it Ii sign dpi o of obel obstinacy on 00 his jid Dd could not bv by any an stretch b of of I be regarded as M an nn mn in in- m- m I n placid affection Ho Ito always ny my dear deu at the top of his voice oice th U Ui a treat deal of irascibility W W. Blithers was Tras a man n who bo had bad begun his career lustily at nt n team of mules mules' all ailway cons construction camp Other i h r J tried to hn improve pro o on hi his liar Jary hut but even enn the mules mutts were o appreciate the futility of such l hon and Liter Later on whon when ho hoto to if own two O or railroads to thing o of a few mines and antl a steam hi his ha ability to drive men was rat sore more noteworthy ot worthy than bi his power the t had bc been n. n But Annies and and men Dlen was one thing l 1 i. i a wife another What ine in in- e Ihu Ms a man said Mid be ho beThon whoa when after through 4 broa h bullying bullin a n creature rc tute that turns toms in and caresses es o 0 self ull respecting dill g mule mulo over oer did such t n a thing thine 3 as that and no man would think ink of it except t with horror borror There Theto is absolutely no against a creature crea ture tune who bo will till rub nib your our head hend with lovin lov- lov oio o in io jag gentle lingers fingers after sho she has worked where ou could kill kill killer yo Jou you up lip t to a point you Tier ber er with pleasure pleasure pleasure-or or or at least o so O s said Mr Ir Blithers with rueful frequency Mr Ir and tod Mrs Blithers had been discussing discussing dis- dis is iscu cu cussing sio royalty U Up t to the previous week the they bad restricted themselves to the nobil nobility t but as an n event cont of of lI c- c importance had transpired inthe in m inthe the interim they now felt that it would bo bi tho the rankest t stupidity tt to co consider cr anyone ono short of a n prince ron royal in m picking out a n suitable t husband husband or oT or moro more pro prof- prof for consort for their nn only Y erl E Ep eakin akin consort dl daughter Maud laurl Applegate Blithers 3 aged ei 1 U. O. O Mrs Blithers Ion long Ions ago 30 had convinced I her ber husband that no ordinary human buman being of tho thu male pr persuasion was as worthy of their daughters daughter's hand and had hod e set t hor her heart hearton on having meaner than a Hike duke On the 1 family ro toll roll Blithers to it for a n while as 35 the nav pay roll with ron with th the tho choice be- be twi-cn twi England Englan and nd Italy At t being an hon honest t soul son insisted insisted that a food good American gentleman was all that an anybody ol could ask for in t tb the way of If a son law and that when it tt can o came to a grandchild it would L be perfectly per per- proper to christen him Duke Duke Duke- lots of oC people did did and and that was all that a t title amounted to anyway She met this with taro tho retort that Maud might marry a n man than named Jones foncA and nud Low how would Duke Jones Toney sound f lIet lie t bu that they tho could christen chris chris- christen ten te-n him and but and but she reminded re to- minded him of hit his oft repented repeated hO boast that there was nothing in t tho no world too rood good for Maud r and instituted a pictorial pic pie orial fori I campaign against his prejudices by painting D in tb the most mot alluring color colors the picture of a 1 ducal palace in which the name of Jones Tones would never cr bo be uttered uttered uttered ut ut- except pt whet when employed in iu Iii directing directing direct direct- redin red red- in ing th the fifth footman or the third stable able boj- boj or boy or perhaps a scullery maid to to do o this thi that or the other thin thing at ut atthe tho the of her grace crace the tho daughter of William W. W Blithers This eventually ally worked on his ima imagination to such Buch Buchan an extent that he be for forgot ot his bis natural pride and admitted that perhaps she sheW W was right But now just as they tho they were on tho the point of accepting in l lieu cu of a n duke an 11 exceptionally promising count th the aforesaid event conspired to completely up upset ct all of their plans or plans or notions notion so so soto soto to speak opeal It was nothing less leas than tho the arrival nl in America of an eligible Jj prince of tho royal roal blood bood a ruling prince at j that As 5 a matter o of fact no he a had bad not only a Tn an lma h-lma America i but upon the tuo o vast estate adjoining their own in the Catskills Fortunately n nothing thing thing- to bad hl been arranged ed with tho the count Mrs Mrs- Blithers n now lw a advised hie l. l waiting a while before ID giving a n definite answer to hi hii hi somewhat en eager r proposal especially as ashe aslie 11 he lie was reputed to have o sufficient i means of his hin own t to defend tho the cha chao against any auy immediate peril of profligacy She counseled Mr r. r Blithers to notify him that ho bo deemed it wise to take tho the matter under i ad for a l couple of weeks at It le least t. I but nott notto not notto I t to commit himself to anything positively positively poi poi- I I h ne negative Mr lr Blithers fai said fad that he be hall had never ne heard anything so beautifully a adroit as nS positively nega negative ti c an and direct directed d his Ins secretary to submit to him without delay the draft of a tactful letter lotter to tho anxious nobleman They were a agreed that a n prince was more moro to be desired than n fL count and as long us tho they were actually about it it they the ml might lit ht litas as well fell aim hi high h. h Somewhat hazily Mr Ir Blithers had bad inquired if it Jt I wouldn't woul nt be le worth white to consider or aking a acing akin kin king cing but his bis wife set get him straight in in short or order er Peculiarly promising to their theu hopes was the i indisputable fact that the prine princes prince's s 's mother had married an Amen Amen- can an them thereby v establishing phin a 1 precedent behind wh which ch no constitutional obstacle ob- ob stacle could thrive c and nod bind lived li very happily gentleman g in suite spite of the he critics Moreover oreon r she had mot met hint lim while sojourning on American soil oil and that was certainly an tm excellent augury for the suc success of the thc present enter enterprise arise What could bo be more fitting fitting fit fit- tin ting than han that the son on should follow in inthe inthe inthe the footsteps of an illustrious mother 1 If tf an nn American gentleman was IS worth worthy of a princess why h not tho the other way about r Certainly Maud Iau Blithers was jogs wasas as ns full of attributes ns as any man in America It Ii appears that the J. J prince rince after niter leisurely crossing the continent on his way around tho world bad had come como to the I Truxton Tr Kings for u a long long- promised and much desired visit the duration of which depended to some somo extent on his bis own inclinations and not a little on tho outcome of oi the war talk that af tf two great reat European nations nations- Russia and aud Austria Ever since the his tone war between the Balkan allies ames and ami tho the Turks in 1912 1910 and aud 1913 there had been mutterings and find now tho situation situation situ situ- had bad come to be admittedly pre pre- carious fir Mr 11 Blithers was in a a position position tion to know that the little princ principality over o which the tho young man reign reigned cd was bound to be bc dr drawn wn into tho the cataclysm not as a belligerent or an nn all ally but in in the matter of a 1 loan that inconveniently incon incon- inconveniently expired expire 1 within th the year and which would har hardly lv bo be renewed by Russia ue a with tho prospect of vast expenditures expenditures ex ex- of war threatening her ller troas- troas ur uri The loan undoubtedly would he be hec c called lell and Graustark was not in a 3 po position to pay out of her own sl slender nt r resources two years veurs eu of famine having fallen upon n the tho people at a time when ben prosperity was most mot to be lie was Tas in touch with mth tho great t. finan finn financial cial movements mo in iu all tho worlds world's capitals capi capI- capItal tal and he be know that retrenchment was t the tho e watchword It would bo be no easy CORY ma matter ter for tho the little principality t to negotiate n a loan at nt this particular time nor was there thoro slender even tn a t chance that Russia would be bo benevolently o disposed toward her debtors no matter bow how small their obligations The Juey who owe owed would h he called upon to pa pry Pay they who petitioned would bo he turned away with scant courtesy It was the tho private opinion of Mr r Blithers that tho young oung prince and the tho trusted agents who accompanied him hint ou on his journey journe I were in the United States solely ole for the purpose of arran arranging nJ a n loan through sources that could only be bo reached b by I personal appeal But naturally Mr Blithers couldn't breathe this to fo a soul Under Tinder the circum circumstances h he couldn't even breathe it to his wife t o who ho 1 firmly firm arm rm I ly 13 believed W was s Hut But all thi this is beside de the tho q question The Tho I no young yount prince of Graustark was en en- American m ri hospitality and no matter what he owed to America owed owell to him bun it its most con con- conE E lh ration If Mr Ir Blithers was to have anything to sa ay say about bout tho time matter it would oud be for or the car ear of the prince alono alone and not for the thc bus busybodies The main mam point is was wag not DOt rusticating within what you might mig call a stones stone's throw of of the capacious and lordly country residence ence of Mr Blithers moreo cr moreover ho he was wal an In uncommonly nonh attractive c chap with a 3 I laugh u h that was M 54 char charred ed with heartiness that it didn didn't t seem seeni possible that he could have hwo a n. drop of royal 1 blood in hi hii his i vigorous Orl young oun body And the tho perfect perfect- ly lv ridiculous part of the tho whole situation was waa that Mr Ir and ana Mrs King Kinc lived Un in inu in inh u h modest st vino tino covered little house that could have hc been cn lost in 5 servants servants' quarters at Especially ag- ag ra atin too was the tb attitude o or ot the kings King They 1 h cy y were wen really nobodies so to speak and y yet t tile the blithely called then their l' l royal guest 1 Bobby and 31 allowed him to fetch and anti for their carr carry womenfolk womenfolk women women- folk qu quito quite to as aa if 1 ho hu u were WIC an nn ordinary whip whippersnapper u un up from front tho the city to spend the week end Tho The remark with which Mr Ir Blithers introduces this c chapter was wag iu in response to an oft repeated declaration made b by his hig wife in the thu shade lc of the tho red white and blue anin awning of the the- terrace overlooking overlooking over over- looking from it ito despotic heights the modest red roof of ot the Lung King vi villa a iu in the valley Iller below Mrs I Blithers Blither merely had bad a stated stated- stated but but ut over O and over again that again that money couldn't buy everything in iu the world referring directly to social eminence emi culi- nence and indirectly to their secret ambition ambition am am- to capture a 11 prince of the ro royal roval al blood for their dau daughter Maud She he had prefaced tins this opinion however or with the exceedingly h irritating insinuation insinuation tion that Mr Blithers was WIS not in lily his rI right ht min mind when hen he proposed propose iD inviting the prince o to spend a I few weeks at therwood l provi provided ed the young man could cut short his hia visit in the homo home of Mr r. r and Mrs King Jiang who bo ho had asseverated crated were not in a n position to entertain entertain enter enter- tain ro royalty alty ns as royalty was in the tuo habit hubit of being leing- entertained Lon Long experience had hall tau taught bt Mr lr Blithers to read tho the lip Jip an and eye eyo TO lan Jan language anage an- an guage age with V th some bomo dc degree of certainty nt sov so 50 bv v Wat watching hint his bis wife wife's fj indignant taco face closely lt ho was able to tell when she was succumbing to reason Ho lie was a burly dominc domineering person who reasoned ODd for every Cry one within ran range c of his bis voice oice and it was only when his wife became coMly coldly cold coM ly sarcastic that ho clo cloyed closed J his bis ears eare and boomed his bis opinions into her very or teeth so 80 to sa say sa- joyfully jo overwhelming o he her r with facts which it were futile for herto her herto herto to attempt to deny deny cn IIo lIe was aware quite as ns much ch so as ns asif if ho bo had heard hear the words that she was now saying in Well thore there ip ii IP absolutely no uso use ar- ar suing with you Will Have o it your way if Ii it pea pleases cs you Eyeing her with ith sonic some uneasiness he ho cautious cautiously inserted his thumbs in the armholes of his brocaded waistcoat and procIa proclaimed As I said before Lou there isn't a foreign u nobleman from the emperor down who h is above c |