Show I. I lory of TRUXTON KING l McCutcheon Copyright 1909 b by George e Barr McCutcheon b Copyright ht 1909 by hy Dodd Mead Co VII ki It it the tie Witch's Hut lint before setting settin r morning consult tit jt the minister of police ho called up nn tho the Perso ower telephone and anti asked asell for the tell her in so many f to followed from t bo ho bad had been t the tho very cry gates of tho the castle castlo 40 o Not Vot Not b by one man alone for ford d have I have excited suspicion hut dozen at l least i t each one tak- tak tIe tho sur surveillance in n tho the most as tho the watcher off if Tullis was as amazed by tho the 1 ich masked these proceedS proceed proceed- S was WS as a II wily brain behind proceed proceed-I it answered the keB kc c 8 5 secretary iii i was as completely bowled h bowled w d I curt t information that the i had left left Edelweiss 1 that morning to join her ber hus hus- wild boars bo W VoU as shooting in l' l In if does sho ho return t demanded t scarcely believing his Kd C had bad wid stid of or this tho the fore forc What co could ld it mean f fInot mot ioL know sUd sir sU 1 d y or two tOL trunks sir wasi took sixteen was i IS Die reply as if that told tho full UIl f 1 Im I'm damned d sir E i your pardon Good morn morn- C C I i meantime our excellent young ol n ruxton King was t having aI a a. tie I of it It all aU be began when r to tho cathedral in tho thc g the he charming aunt of tho the thon I Bate n c once more Not only didI did I Ed dODO jono ono service ice but all ull of thorn en n assured that the tho royal ro-al fam fam- there quito as re regularly as tho lowliest cornI corn com I gho Sho ho did not appear Shan h hn all this ho met with fresh when ho ambled down shop Tho The doors ad d a there was no si sign n of lifo shuttered place Tho cafes calos 4 ed d a on this day of rest so BO nothing left for lor or him to do dok pk k off to his room in tho the Re Re- 1 ere to read or to play soli soJU 1 to curse the tho pro progress of I Wf S ras g little bettor than Suni Sun- Sun I ls bs i positively ly refused to os os- I I I to the castle castlo grounds again azain ir p lot t of bribing or browbeating e 8 tho the confounded En Englishman lishman P and JIo He was willing to tako take hero else but never a again ain Is S 8 risk a n pcr personally conducted lo o 0 hot waters royal Mr King Kint KingI I to a purely business the shop of Mr Ho lie lol with a somewhat shifty lithe ahe cabinet of ancient rings and then departed with with- seen tho the interesting 1 Miss I IS a. a If tho the old man observed pe e CT to roam in the tho youn young mans man's not betray tho fact fact act at bt t I so that an any ono one could notice but returned me- me meI luncheon luncheon vaguely a elY inclined I lo e n two desirable lo rings I protracted period of indecision Jb Ol Olga remained stubborn stubbornly out 1 it t 1 ho bo announced that ho could ko up his big mind and would return pr r another inspection l room in the hotel ho found fould d to himself It did J much to say bu but it meant a al tal There Thero was as no signature o handwriting was that of a aI ado ado I do not como again That with a fino tone of dead de do- 1 ad went nO-went went back to tho the shop at k just to provo prove that that nothing las as a note could stop him lum This f was after ho he had tak taken m a no aiA aik nok iA k ik down Castle Castlo avenue with nth a stroll of incident nt i tho grim rim hi high h walls that ine in- in n- n he be e grounds rounds If any ono had lad that bo be was secretly hoping iJa a a crevasse through h which ho lie ide ide paradise I make mako no doubt jd a have havo resented tho the imputation On the occasion of tills IMS Just Jast i ho tho shop ho did not stay lon long t away somewhat dazed to find 1 I h he possessor of a ring rint he did it t I and out ont of pocket 30 a. a in Ha Having come to tho con can that knight errantry of that not riot not only pro profligate i ato but dis- dis noting tating to his sense of humor nfl ni Mr lr Hobbs and arran arranged cd IS y rs r's s ride in in the tho mountains Ill I'll ll ii oblige mc me Mr Hobbs by rei re- re i that band from your cap I f Ouro toure an interpreter It Itis cap 8 an 10 o 0 o. o my intelligence enco to have havo it in in my faco face all nil day long Ill I'll 4 ure r what you vou say you vou are arc so on a 9 before wo we start out tomor tomor- I W minus the tho b insignia aIr n Hobbs Hobba led lcd his h I II a into the mountain roads S e next m mornin morning both bothwell well and land provided with a luncheon lI ugh h 1 to the amiability i lUre Fre to flag n at at midday unless by anesthetic sandwiches and t 11 T was briJ and clear warm Ibey where the tho cit city lay cooler I as ono one no mounted the tho winding st at led past the tho lo lofty ty monastery 4 cis somber Cr sentinel among amons rt of ff Edelweiss is built alon along 0 e. e of ot the Mountain its narrow upward rd and past count- count q ces to t e vcr very baso base of tho the cd eminence at whose whoso fio top b above Te tho 0 last sprinkling IS stands th the tho isolated blea bleat bleak ry lj Tho vin- vin view from these up up- Its Ste x before I one enters tho the cir ci cian lan an full far hidden m monastery na road rond that II ar in hi its d climb otten is is never to by the tho spectator no noc mat often arcs he As c s traverses t far the lofty Mica h hC as tho the c eye can call a the n nd the grce aIle valley val through h nb silvery river ri with Its ta n b anks and spotless white whito t 0 tens fen and whites es that almost tints of old Ir IMd n ri Im m them v from the tho v incoming below ones one's roots compact little city with ow and green ren Chi chimney pots and v vivid vid id avenues awnings R and the tho ancient castlo castle To the tho d south the ho fortress bridges gh 1 waif o encircling the city a Po 8 1 with hero and there d U r Dirt old ates d t that flanked A. A fc AI by towers lowers v w j so a Over ver from they hey seem ready to toU A soft th the T J sheer f fatigue of I over VC the sorti I Ind au summer hazo haze lit lazy SOl oin th tho iZy lit azy-lit fc valley alley it is isdo summer do time th the city walls Walla- stretch the I 4 orchards Uio tho tho vino vine i all Snug in the tho nest hills whose lower I Vand 10 IJ and n. n Od with broken herds the e T- T moro more mobile morp flocks Au An air of f- f tranquillity mt lies lios 0 vi vista ta ono one dozes if bug olI lt into to this peaceful bowl bowlin distant asseg in tho the mona moun C Ct t and 10 toz OI of Cf f dynamite north como come the dull ti blasts proving pro tho the pr presence sence of that disturbing element clement of progress which is dr driving dring ing tho railroad rail rail- road through h the unbroken heart of the land It i is a good three hours' hours rido ride to the summit of Monastery ry mountain And SAnd 1 after tho the height h has been attained ono one does docs not care caro to linger lon long amon among the chilly whistling cra crags with their snow cro a crevasses ses and bitter winds the utter loneliness the aloofness of this frost crowned crest appals disheartens one who loves loos tho fair green things of life lifo In tho the shelter of tho the cra crags crag 3 at tho the base baso of or tho monastery monaster- walls looking out over tho sunlit valley vaHey one ono has his luncheon and hi his snack of spirits quite f r tho the monks pay no heed beer to him Tho They are aro not hospitable neither 1 are aro they thoV unfriendly Onn ANS AN'S J them Truxton King Kint and anel Mr were not long eng in disposing of their the lunch It t was too coM cold for comfort in their draughty dining ro room m and tho they were not Im invited ted to enter cater tho the inhospitable gates In half an hour hopr they were wending wending wend wend- ing mg their way down tho the noth no side of tho the peak b by gradually declining roads headed for th the much talked of homo of or the tho witch in gap some six flix miles from Edelweiss as the tho crow flies flics but twi twice o that distance over oer tho the tortuous bridle paths and post roads It was 3 0 o'clock clock whoa when they clattered down clown the stono steno road rond and up to the forbidding forbidding for for- bidding valo alo in which lurked like liko an nn anevil anevil evil guilty thing tho lo log built homo home of that ancient female who made no secret of her practices in witchcraft Tho Tim hut stood back hack from the tho mountain road rond a hundred yards s or more at tho the head hend of ofa a I. I small thicket grown recess A low thatched roof protruded from the tho hill bill against which tho hut was built As AR n n. matter of fact a thin chimney grow out ont of tho earth Carth itself for all tho the world worM liko like a n smoking tree treo stump The hovel was a squalid beggary thiD thing that might havo have been built over night some some- back in tho the dark ages Its sin single lo door was so low that ono one was obliged ed to stoop to enter the little room where the damo dame had been holding holding- forth for threescore threescore three three- score years Jem f said id This was her throne room her dining room room her bedchamber bod bed chamber chambor her all aU it would seem unless ono one had been there before and knew that her kitchen was beyond in tho the side of the tho lull hill The Tho ono one window sans glass lass looked narrowly out upon an nn odd opening open open- in ing in tho the folia foliage o below belov giving tho o oc occupant occupant oc- oc of the tho hut an nn unobstructed view of tho the winding road that led lcd up from Edelweiss Tho door faced tho the monastery monas moans tory tery road down which tho the two men bad had just ridden As for tho the door yard it was no more moro than a pebbly avalanche swept opening among amons tho the trees and rocks down which in tho the glacial ago perhaps a 1 thousand torrents had leaped but which was now so 50 dry and white and lifeless that ono one could only think of bones bleached blenched and polished by a sun that had sickened of tho the work a thousand thousand thousand thou thou- sand years ago This brief inadequate description of f the witch's hut is Driven iven in in advance of the tho actual descent of f the tho personally co con conducted ducted gentleman for tho the somewhat ambiguous ambiguous ambiguous am am- reason that ho he was to find it not at nt all as described Tho The two horsemen rode Todo into tho the glen and camo came plump upon a small detachment detachment detach detach- ment meat of tho the royal guard mounted and rather rathor resolute in jn their lack laek of amia amia- this gasped Mr Hobbs dr drawing the tho ed edge edgo o of the tho pebbly dooryard Soldiers Id I'd sa say remarked Mr King Kint scowling quito glumly from beneath beneath be be- neath tho the rim of his panama Hello Hollo His lis eyes brightened and und his cat came camo off oft with a switch sw Theres Thero s 's the prince I IMy 11 My word ejaculated Mr rr hobbs s and forthwith began to ransack his pockets for tho the band which said he was from Cooks Farther up tho the glen zent in fact at the very cry door of tho the witch's hut were gathered n n. small but rather distinguished distin distin- portion of the royal Io-al household It t was not difficult to reco recognize ize the tho little lit lit- tb tle prince Ho TIo was standing beside John Tullis and it in is not with a do- do sire to 10 speak ill of his valor that wo we add lb Ho He was clutching the tho slackest part of that gentleman's riding breaks brecks with an earnestness that betrayed extreme trepidation Facing acin them on the thc stono stone doorstep was tho the witch herself a a. figure to try the tho courage of a time timo tried hero let et alone the tho susceptibilities of a a small boy ov in knickers Behind Tullis and the tho prince were wern several ladies and gentlemen gentle- gentle men mci all in riding garments and all nil allmore more moro or less ill at nt case Truxton Kings King's heart swelled suddenly sudden sudden- ly all tho the world grew rew bri bright ht again atrain for him Next to the tall figure of Colonel of tho royal guard was the tho slim entrancing lady of his most recent recent recent re re- re- re cent dreams dreams tho tho princes prince's aunt Tho lady Jady of tho the grotto Tho lady Indy of the goldfish conspiracy The Countess taU tall and exquisite exquisite ex ex- was a little apart from tho the others others others oth oth- with Baron Daron Dan loss and ers young Count Vos En Engo whom Engo-whom o whom Truxton was ren rend ready H fo to bate hato because ho was a recognized t suitor ui or for the tho hand of the tho slim young yonn person in in gray Ho lIo thou thought ht he lie had liked her beyond increase in in the rajah silk Bilk but now he ho confessed to himself him him- self sef that he ho was mis mistaken aken lIo Ho He liked her better in a gray way riding It struck him sharply as ns ho he sat there In tho the saddIe saddle sad sad- dIe dle that she sho would bo absolutely and I adorably faultless in point laco lace or calico in in silk or gingham low neck or high i h He Ho was for riding boldly up to this little group but hut a n very objectionable lien- lien I. I Tenant barred tho the va way supported in In no small measure I by hr tho the defection of Mr I Hobbs who announced in in a n. hoarse agitated agitated i ag-i- agi agi- whisper that hed he'd be an an cd edif if hed he'd lot Tiny any man nina make mako a fool ot of him 1 twice over I The Tho way was w made easy casy by the tho intervention inter inter- of f tho the alert young woman in in sra gray She caught sight of the tho restricted adventurers or or one ono of them to bo he quite accurate nail accurate and after speeding a 1 swift smile of astonishment turned quickly to Prince Bobb Bobby A moment later the tall stranger with the tho face faco was the tho center of interest to the tho small group at the door Ho lie bowed am amiably abl to tho the smiling young o ng person in gray ray and received a quick nod nodin nodin nodIn in r response As ho he was adventuring what ho considered to bo ho a proper salute for the prince he observed that a afew afew I. I few words passed between tho the lads lad's aunt and John Jolin Tullis who was as now surveying sur sur- him with ith some sorno interest Tho rho prince broko broke tho the ice ico Hello 11 ho cried shrill shrilly his little face faeo aglow Hello responded tho the gentleman readily John Tullis found fount himself being dragged awn awa away from tho witch's door toward toward toward to to- ward tho the newcomer at tho bottom of tho glen Mr Hobbs listened with deepening awe to tho friendly conversa conversation tion which resulted in Truxton King going forward to join tho party in front of tho the hut TIe He camo came alon along i in the rear fear after having havins tethered tho the tired horses not quite quito sure suro that ho lie was wall awake Tho prince had called him Mr Cook had asked him how his sons were all of which was highly gratify gratify- in jag ing when one pauses to consider that ho had har got ot his cap band on down in his excitement Ho lIo always was wa to wonder wonder wonder won won- der how tho the little monarch succeeded in rending reading tho the title without standing on his hi head to do so Truxton was duly presented to the tho ladies Indies and gentlemen of oC tho the party part by John Tullis who gracefully announced that ho be know Kings King's parents in Now New York Baron Dan l Bs was quito an anold anold anold old friend if one wore to judge b by tho the manner in which ho greeted r eted tho the young oun man nian The lady in gray smiled so sweetly and nodded so 1 blithely that Tullis instead of presenting ling King to her a as ho had har done dono to tho the Countess and others merel merely said And you rou know one another of oC course e |