Show I A Story of 01 TRUXTON KING BYG Geo Barr i Gr a McCutcheon l Copyright Copyright 1109 by hv Geor George Georgo II by Dodd o Barr Mead eil fo Go 0 I 0 CHAPTER CHAITER Lv L Li 1 i v Truxton Ring King King He Ho was 8 a a. tall tal i raw w boned rn rangy y young Joun follow with a faco faeo so 80 o tanned b bv bc wind and sun you Oll hud had tho s won aion on that Ins his would feel like e eleather leather leather 5 ii if you yo could affect the he impertinence impert nence to MSt tast it h by tho h o of touch Not ot that you o li like liko to this bit tat of impudence after Rier a i look ook Into Ilia devil n may caro care eye evea hut but you you yon Ji might ht ea easily ly imagine much stronger than tha brown wrapping Tapping paper ami ami riot not quito qute so 80 passive 0 as s burnt hurn cY clay lIs I clothes fit ft him hint loo loosely cly and ant vet wore devoid of or t the be bagginess t I which characterizes tho the appearance of or 1 I extremely YO young YOg g men Wll whose C frames am Hm ir tot fully frilly set and ho whoso o joints aro arc still tr parading through h th the thc last kist It stages of ur urI I cole college o development dc This Thi fellow you JOU j could tell ten by looking lookin at him hini had been heen i I out ont of college collego from two tw to five o f years rears you OU could also alro al tell tel beyond doubt or eon con contradiction that tIt hi he b. b had been in gc collige O for fur his lull full allotted limo timo and ha had not Dot escaped tho the m usual l number of condi conti conditions tiona tionA that disma dismay but bitt do rio not discourage dis dis- courage our the happy go o lu lucky k undergraduate undergrad nate who makes two to or t three teams teams with ease hut but who Tho has a wih 1 great reat deal deB of difficulty with wilh ih physics or orI I whatever else elRo lie ho actually i is is supposed S i to to acquire acquire- between the tho close cloo of or the football sea season on and the coso opening of I IRP ha 1 practice This Title tall tal young man in tho tire panama I hat and ond gray flannels lauDI was fru Truxton ton Int King Icing embryo globe loLo trotter and searcher after the trea treasures of romance Somewhere nier up near Central park parl in in one of the tho cross streets W was th the home of his father and his lathers fathers father before lefore him hint a i home homo which Truxton lint had tint not lot seen in in tv two two o oI It i is worthy of passing I years or more I that flint is all nl that that his father futher i i was a n manufacturer more mor than that ho was as something of a 1 power in in the I I financial world His mother was not aoL strictly a social queen in the great reat I metropolis but site she llo was WS what what wo might might safely nf l enl call ano of tho frt lathes ladies in in I. I waiting Which is quito quite quie good cl enough for or tho the Ho of or a manufacturer when hen ono one records that her bus bus- nd was a n manufacturer of or steel It I tl t. t 3 also albo a matter mater of no rio 10 little conso- conso i that Truxton's mother was more mora or 01 il le less s averso averse tn to tho tito steel business as asLI asu S SI u LI heritage for her hor son Bo Bc it understood understood under under- I stood hero or and now that she sito intended intend intend- ed Truxton for tho the diplomatic service sonia i ins us far removed from sordid steel steal as S f the tire New York is from tho the court of St St. St James But Bitt neither nether Truxton's father wh wanted him to be a a manufacturing or Truxton's ton 5 mother who ex ox expected peeLed him to become a a. social Solomon appears to havo taken time tho tho young mans man's I private inclinations into consideration ruxton preferred a life l o of adventure ud distinctly separated from steel and velvet eel vel vl- vl vet ct nor was ho he slow low to set his cs cs- parents Tas straight in this thiR respect Mo Ho had made Im up his mind to travel to tobee see bee teo tho the world Tord u to ho be a part of or the tho bi big round globe globo on which we e as ordinary individuals with ith no personality naly beyond tho tim next block are aro content to sit si and encourage o tho the single ambition to go o to Europe at least once so that wo we may not bo be left out of the general conversa conversa- tion S. S Young Mr King KinA believed in ro roo ro- ro matinee mance Ho lie had bad believed in Santa Claus Glaus and ane the tho fares fairies and ho bo grew up with rih ith an a over ever increasing bump of imagination nation naton conti contiguous ous t to which o to relate there thero was a properly developed hump of industry and application it is is not surprising that he lie was willing to go far afoul afield in search of tho the things thing that w seem seemed cd more moro or less les worth worthwhile worthwhile while to a young gentleman who Tho had suffered Buffered tho time ill i fortune to bo be born bor in inthe the nineteenth century c instead of the seventeenth Romance and adventure p politely amorous but vi vigorously atra attractive thc tive camo came up to him from front tho the seventeenth seven century perhaps through h the blood of some somo swashbuckling s ancestor and ho was hold enthralled b by the tho possibilities pos pos- that I lay J hidden in some sma far off of or or even cen nearby corner of this this hopelessly hopelessly hope hope- lessI lessly unromantic world of tho the twentieth eth century To be sure there thereas was as war nr hut but but war ar isn't roman romance e. e Besides ho was too eun young to t fight fb a against Spain and later on ho he happened to be more moro interested interested in in- in football than ho was in th the I laps or the Russians The fhe only thing thil left for him to do was as to set orth forth in inquest il quest of adventure ad adventure was not likely 1 to apply to him bim in in Fifth avenue or 01 at the tho fa factory tor or still or-still sti or-sti still thero was wasa a a certain kind of adventure analogous to to Broadway Broad after all al He thou thought ht it over and after trying it for a year ear or two decided that that Broadway and the two tenderloin did not produce the sort of romance ho he could cherish for lon long asa as asa asa a self respecting hero so he lie put certain certin eer- eer tin tain small temptations aside chastened christened himself as well wen an as ho lie could an and set setout setout setout out for less ices ami amiable but bitt but more inure productive tive tivo t o byways in in other sections of the globe We como come upon him liim at last lucki luckily last luckily for us 15 wo wo were ot not actually following followingS I S him after liin-after after two years vears df f wonderful but hut rather lather disillusioning adventure in iii mi misia mid mid- Asia tsia and arid all al Africa lie le hall had seen the theon Congo on o and the Euphrates lime Iho Ganges and the Nile Nil the no YOI-le YOI kiang tte kian and nd nc the ho bad climbed mountains mountain in rby Abyssinia in in Siam in rm n biLet and Afghanistan ho Il lint had shot big bir game gam in inS S moro more than one jungle and aud LI lad been shot shot at by bv small smal brown men nien n it mote than ono one forest to Ia say sav of the tIa S litlo encounters rs' rs he had baa bai had i oot o t un- un 11 occidental towns and ci iel Le hud had been wom women n in mu Morocco anti ant aD Jt and Persia L and and UDd- But nut it is it a wal wai of tune timo to enumerate Strange Stran o to say 81 he wm wis back toward th the civilization now drifting chiza tion ton which wo we arc are pleased to call cl our own with iU a sen sense e- e of genuine dim disappointment in his heart lie He had bad found SI no fi sign eign n of romance Adventure Ad in in iD plenty but blit romance n ah ab h. h tho fairy fair princesses were in t the Ilic be tory story ty books after all al Hero he was 20 G 6 vars years ol old strong and ami full ful of the fire firo fro of life con convincing himself him self that there them was nothing for fOI him to do but but to drift back to dear old oM New NewYork NewYork York Yok and talk to his father about R out go in into tim the offices to let his mother teU over O anti and mt over O I a gain again jain of the time mc ic r t b bhe he e knew who did diLl not nut have havo to bi be 0 re rescued from ogres anil all al that ROrt of of thing thins In n order to settle seBe down downto to domestic dom obsolescence to tell tel his aster and ant all 1 of their muTual friends tho the whole t truth and nothing hin but bitt ut the time concerning his adventures in the wilds id o and to feel that thal the tho fri friends ul si mit l least were predestined to look upon him as a fearless liar lar nothing more S For twenty he hc haul hall b liy 1 caravan Cara across the Pm Persian il uplands S through Bmat and Me and uniL nl Bol ol barn oft JO with wih st Ii his guile guide I lo alone alono toward the sea of Aral Arril rt I ami ld I ho eat eastern crl shores of or the tho 3 fian Ilpo through I the ho Ural Ur foothills foot hiI to tho old uhl S highway that led 1111 10 1 n lo-ii mute into Ito I the he sweet green JJ M of a n land lie lic had thought though ht of f as 38 not nothing h n morn I time the the of a lct 01 out omit in in tho h east cast be ho had learned lo to his Jima honest amazement that thero was u such mch mm a i lane us as Gr Graustark At At first be lie 10 would no not believe c. But Bitt tine tho English h bank i in in- lt I- I t 1 I ES E- E S S i J Y- Y i 1 i iS i S S evS ev- ev lL r Vt Vt'S ff S- S i w c S 'S 1 S t i 5 Meshed assured b him im that flint t. t ho lie would como come to it i if ho 11 traveled long long enough h nod and nd far enough into the tho north and rind we west t and ind und if he lie were not afraid of the tho hardships hard- hard ships hips that that- that most men abhor The Tho dying spirit pint spirit of or romance flamed famed up in il in his heart henrt cart lii his his' hil blood lood grow ro quick and eager ager Ho lie would riot not lot c go home until ho lie hoad had bad ad sou sought ht out this thi land Jand of fair fail v WOo WO o- o men inca and ami sweet tradition n. n And so 50 he lie traversed tho the wild wid and ud dangerous lar Tar Tar- tar ar roads for lays days nn and d days dava YM like tho the knights of in th tho times or ci C old and came canto at last to tho the gates of ot Ed Edelweiss Not until he ho sat at down aon to a rare diner dinner din din- ncr ner er in rn the the historic Hotel was ho able ablo to real realize that he was truly in that fabled mythical land of quaint grim grm little principality palt in tho the most most secret pocket of the earths earth's great mantle This was aR the theand theland theland I land and of of- his dreams mante the land of his hiM fancy fanc- ancy lie he had mr not oven l' l dared to hOI hope O that hat it actually existed himself him him- And now DOW here ho he was pinching self elf to prove pro that ha ho was awake aWk stretching his llis worM world worn wom bones under undera a ft dainty table tabo to which i real Teat food was b being Cing in brought by well by-well hy cl well ho lie was obliged ll to o pinch himself again ain Prom Front tho time broad terrace after dinner ho looked out omit into ho tho streets of or the tho quaint picture book booktown booktown town own with wih its is medieval simplicity rind and ru ruggedness combined his oyes tr tried ec to keep pace paco with the tho things that his felte fer- fer tile ilc te brain hrin was seeing beyond ond tho glimmering gum glim mering lights and da dancing e i window panes for anes for the ftc whole holo s scene cne danced bo- bo e e I foro ore ore- hint him with a persistent unreality that hat made mado him feel his own PUM in inho inthe ho the fear feal that some sonic sudden insidious fever fe er ever had seized upon him If I an any ono one had told him six months before eforo that thero was uch such a land as Graustark and amid that if ho could but keep on 01 traveling in a certain lion ion he would come cOle to it in in time he would havo hare lau laughed hed that person to scorn corn no DO matter mater how ho- precise a geog geog- geographer raphier ho ho might have ha-c been Youn Young Mr King n notwithstanding his lis naturally to tp first impression was a n much mitch mich wiser person titan han when he left his New York home two wo years before Roughing it i. i in the wild wid wildest st parts of tho worM world had taught him that cage eagerness is tho the enemy enemy of common sense Therefore ho Ito curbed the he thrilling impulse to fare fre forth in search of diversion 11 on this first night he ic conquered himself himsel and aud went eilt t to be bed early early earl and to sleep at once once if that 1 nay a servo sero r o to 10 a assist gist you OU in getting an andea U I idea dea of what time timmie lile and anc circumstance lad had hat done for his diameter character A certain hard bard c. c earned philosophy had bad convinced him hint long a ago o that adventure adventures is s quito quite cont content nt to wait wait over from day mla dayto dayto to day but that when a titan man Iian is tr tire tired d anti and worn wor j it isa isn't isn't t quite sensible to expect ex cx- pert 51 sleep op to bo put off regardless s With Witha Wih a pec fine of sacrifice therefore hewelt he ho went welt to bed hed forsaking tine the desire to tread the dim dini lm treet of a city I by night nihl in ln a survey by hy daylight lie le had conic to know that thai I it t Is is best bc t to make mako of your I 11 in In n a in mr at nt least before taking too ton much mich for to tn to look before ou le p to to speak penk And nl so FO his mind Singling wih with visions of fair ladies and nind goodly opportunities he tic went to sleep aud and did dd not get et up UI to t until un mm til t P noon Ol tho next day dare And now no it it becomes my un duty ditty to time the frt fact i that tt Ki King after two tTO full lays days arid and nights night in inI I 1 lie be city cit of Edelweiss was quite quie ready to pass on to other fields com coin completely COI ly fn in in his his- his own mind min and anti not c a little disgusted with wih himself for or having gone to th the trouble truble to tu visit isit the place To ro his o cha chagrin rin he hall hail found the quaint old ole city verti very ti tiresome True Trite Tre it was yas a wonderful old oh ole town to n rich in tradition picturesque n in character hoary with wilh age e bulging l wi with I the tho secrets of an pt but at at present al cor to the time well traveled tray trav I Jl Truxton it was a poky ok old oM place about abolt which historians either had hall lied hem ur or had hae been taken in iu shamelessly shame 1 lessly lu lit either r camme C. C Edelweiss was not what lm h he had hac como comae to believe o belc it ii would lie hc I IIo ho hud had tra traveled overland for 0 nearly a month out mit Olt of th the heart nt of Asia sia s a to find himself after all aU in in a of great IIo lb 10 Imd explored Edelweiss time the Ile capi capi- tal lie IIo lint had 1111 ridden ridden- about the thc ramparts ramparts ram parts arts he hail had 11 taken snapshots of the time fortress down the ri river r and aud Il had not beon boon molested be lie had guile gone OIO up UI tho timo mountain to limo llio snow capped of or St. St monastery Valentine mae overtopping o and ant overlooking o time the UI n c valleys 1 be lie below low lov he lie he hail bad 1111 s seen cn the he toner in iii il which illustrious prisoners were weT to 10 have h-C been Ir belli 1111 ho hiti 10 hid had OVI t I ho Io i I road rend rOll to k and hat bait on Oti American bridges nt at ft midnight all al all tine tho while wondering why h ho he was UI there re Moreover ho had traversed t the be narrow vinding streets of the city by i day daj ar and night never in all 1 his trav |