Show tHE PRINCE PRICE OF GRAUSTARK ly GEORGE BARR McCUTCHEON rv NEW YORK DODD GOOD MEAD AND COMPANY 1914 r r T CHAPTER The Prodigal Daughter Daughter- 1 Ir r r. r Blithers received a fram p- p from the Jupiter when the ship p I was as I three days out from New ew York It was terse but sufficient Have 1 Tave Just had a glimpse of ot Prince I f Charming Ho Is ver very good looking Love Lovo to mother Maud H He h had d barely settled Into a state ethic of complete satisfaction with him him- himself himself f self lt I over er the successful 8 Inauguration tion of at a shrewd campaign to go got get td t the better of at the recalcitrant Maud Mau d and the tha Incomprehensible Robin when ho was thrown Into a 0 panic b by y th the thA discovery that young Chandler r Scoville had sailed for Europe tw two o days day ahead of ot Maud and her elderly companion The gratification o of f knowing that the two young youn people e had bad sailed awa away on the tho gams verse 1 was was was' not In the least minimized by J Maud's Mauds ud's declaration that she Intended Intend ed Sd to remain In Sn her cabin all the way Ray across In order to o 0 avoid recognition for ho hn knew her too well t to 0 believe lIev It possible that she could coul d stay out of ot sight foi tOl any length th o of or f time tl fair r weather or foul Ho ITo eve even n fn toad na definite wager wacer with his wire wife e th that at th two would become ac acquaint acquaint- d. d before d they were half halt way acro across ss S Se he the e Atlantic Atlanta and he made a bet be t with himself that nature would d do o th res rest i And now here caine evne th the e ering suspicion that Scoville's ea a ty de departure was the result o oa of ot f a pre ed err re-err need d plan plon between him himma ma and n Maud and that after all the sill silly y pi girl dri might spoil everything b by y the 1 confounded rascal be be- tore lore he ne do anything to prevent t the he he H He even tried to engineer a scheme schem e young Scoville might be ar arrested ar- ar Tented rested l on landing and detained o oo on n o se pretext or another until ho ha could coal d I each aeh and put an end to th the e feU cafe w vainglorious conniving But ut after attu consulting with his lawyers law W res pa he bo abandoned the plan o they succeeded ded In proving to him tint Maud certainly would Quid marrye marry the e 0 fellow Mow if st sho she had the least leas t d for tor behaving that he was waa being oppressed on her account account- Th Tho The cables cable li Wore kept very busy however how hov- ever er tho next twenty four hours and End It Is IB certain that vs s a marked man from the moment h he e landed Newspaper reporters reporter camped o on ont n t trail tran of Mr Blithers Ho He ver vere very y e admitted that there wn was s in tho the report that his daughter was to marry tho prince ef of of Ora Graustark GraU although gh he coul couldn't nt Itay 1 y anything definite at ot the time I It t Wouldn't bo be fair to the parties concerned con con- I d he h. explained Ho He gave gae awn away awaya a great many boxes of at cigars an and d not nets a few feor of at the more mora s sagacious reporters re reporters re- re porters orl succeeded ucc eded In In- getting at least leas t thre boxes by Interviewing him o on onu onea n u ea ur r many 1 ly separate s occasions without t being detected ted in tho the act of repeat repeat- ing lag Then came camo the disgusting denials denials de do nials vials In to Paris by his daughter and the ungrateful prince This w was as too m much mch ch Ho He couldn't understand d such euch behavior on the part par t of at one one n 1 and ho be certainly couldn't forIn forche forgive for- for give che In the ingratitude or tho the other Instead of or waiting until Saturday to sail ho he changed ships and left New York Y rk on oti Frida Friday thereby gaining gaining gain gain- ing ng nothing by the move Moye except re relief re- re lief lIet from the newspapers peTS for it ap appears appears ap- ap p pears ars that ho he I gave ve up Ii a a five day ive-da ive boat oat for forone one that cout could not do o 1 it t under six Still he was was In active pursuit which was wa a n great d deal al better better better bet bet- ter than sitting In in New ew York twiddling twid dUng his hie thumbs or looking at his watch and berating me pernicious hours that stood between him an and d Saturday noon There will be something doing 1 In n Europe the day I land there Lou he said to his wife as they the stood o odeck on n deck eck and watched the statue of Liberty Libert Lib Lib- ert erty glide swiftly back toward Manhattan Manhattan Manhattan Man Man- hattan Island Ive e got all the o strings working smoothly Weve We've got whore it t cant can't p peG p pany any louder than a fr freshly hatched hatche d chicken and well we'll soon bring brins Maud Mau d to totter her w senses censes I t tell ll you you Lou they there c 1 IB nothing that makes a a. girl forget forge ct l t her ber lofty id ideals deals als eo eo quickly as th the e chance chanco to go shopping for princess princes s 9 6 a She's seen the prince an anI and d sd I she wont won't be so stubborn a ashe as ashe s she he was was f before And if It he has ha had hada I a t. good square look at her her if if hes he's e had bad a ft chance to gaze pare Into those eyes eye s of hers why her why I well I-well well I 1 leave It t t to 0 I I you Ou He cant can't help getting off ort his high horse can h he Mrs rs Blithers favored him with a smile It was acknowledged th that t tI Maud faud was as the tho living Imago Image of or what wha t her mother had been at the tho ag age e of 20 0 I hope the tho child hasn't made mide any silly promise to Scoville sho she sighed v lVA Ive been heen thinking o of at that Lou and Ive I've said he wiping his brow come comp to one ono conclusion Scoville ca cabe can n nb be bought otto oft Hes He's as ns poor as Jo Job b and md half haIr a million will look look like the bank hank of En England to him Ill I'll J You Vou ou are arc not to attempt anything of ot the tho kind Will VIll she sho cried em em- Ho would laugh In your our face poor as he Is He comes from o m one airs of oC the best families in New York YOlk and and- and and- And r I dont don't know where h ro the best bes t tam families es' es need mono money an any more than the they do o oIn in Now dew ow York Yolk ho Interrupted Interrupt Interrupt- ed irritably Gad if the worst t families need It as ns badly as they the therlo y do what must be the tho needs needa of the best beat You leave It ft to mo me It may maybe maybo bo ho possible to insult him with a t half million so if It he feels that Wa way about it Ill I'll apologize to him again with t another half hair million You You'll 11 see that he ho wont won't be capable of ot resenting tw two o Insults In Holl Ho UHe isn't tant a a. fool said she sig sll- Hed be a a. fool If It h he refused t to o take take take- Are you yoa losing your senses Will she sho cried Impatiently Why should 1 ho he acc accept pt a million to give giro up Maud when he can be sure mire of fifty times time s that much If he mar mottles marries her But Ill I'll cut Maud off orr with a dollar dollar dollar dol dol- dol- dol lar If it sho Bho marries him so help ra me Moses s exclaimed Mr Blithers but butha buthe he ha went wont a n. little palo polo Just the sam same e That will fix him I You are talk talking In nonsense said ld she sho sharply Ho lie pue his fingers t to o on his care eara somewhat earlier than the n usual and she sho turn turned d awe away with a n. tantalising lau laugh h. h Im going in inside in- in side al and acid d Inside te insl le she went When he followed a n few en minutes later he ho was uncommonly meek At an any rate ho he sal said st settin seating aling g himself on the edge edgo of at a chair f In her parlor I guess those cablegrams cablegram Tams s this morning will make moke em thin think k twice before they po go on denying g things In the newspapers Maud will pay no nd attention t to o y your our cablegram and if I nm am any Y oY judge of ot human nature the prince will laugh himself f sick over the tho on one you ou sent to Count I tot tol told toldon you rO on not to send scud them You arc are no not t d dealing with Wall Vall street You are ared d dealing with a n. girl Irl and a a. boy wh who appear to have minas minds of at their own o Ho ventured a superior sniff I Iguess I guess you dont don't know as much about abou t Wall street as you OU think you do I r only Imo know that t it puts its Us tail tai l between Its legs and howls eve overt every time Ume someone points a finger r at It she observed scornfully Now lets let's be he sensible Lou heald he ho said ald sitting back a little further f Inthe in inthe n the chair relieved relle to rind find that she sho was at least willing to tolerate hi his presence presence-a presence presence-a a matter on which he ho wa wain was s In some doubt when he entered th the tho e room loom Thero There were times when he ho was not quite certain whether ho or she was the brains of ot tho the tam family I Well probably have a wireless s from Maud Baud before long Then well we'll have something to discuss B By the tho wa way did I tell you OU that iv Ive I've e or ordered cred some somo Dutch architects from Berlin to goThe go go- go The Dutch are aro from Holland she said wearily to to go over to and and- an d give sive me lue a n. complete estimate on repairing re repairing re- re pairing and remodeling tho the royal castle I dare SIl say well hell have to do doa d da o a good deal to the place Its several hundred years ars old and must require a lot of conveniences Such as bathrooms bathrooms bathrooms bath bath- rooms electric lights steam heating Better make hasto haste slowly Will she sho said and slid he ought to have been beer warned b by the light in to her eye ec You are taking a n great deal for granted arent aren't OU 1 Its got to be fixed filed up some time so wo we might just as well do clo it f In Inthe inthe n the beginning said he ice falling failing utterly utterly utter utter- ly to gro grasp p her meaning Probably y needs refurnishing from top to bottom bottom bot hot tom too and a a. new neww roof root L 1 never newer saw LW a n ruin yet ct that didn't I lc lie leak th Remember Rc- Rc Re Remember member tho those e castles on the Rhino Rhine Will m you ever forget how wet w wo o got tho the da day we wont went through th thone the theono theono e ono one at at Tho They were ab abandoned tumble tumbledown tumbledown J dO down n castles she ahe reminded him lunt a 0 castle In fn Europe Europ e that's any good in a n. rainstorm heI ho he proclaimed A A mortgage can t I keep out tho the rain and that's what every ono of or cm om la 10 s covered with Vh Why old man himself tot told d me that their castlo castle had boon shoto shot sho t to pieces in one of or the revolutions and and and- It Is time you ou informed yourself f about tho the country you ou aro trying to annex anne to tho the Blithers estate she sho said Mid sarcastically I Z can assist you OU u to some somo extent If Ir you oU will ho bo goo good goodenough d enough nou h to J listen In the tho first place tho the royal castle cUllie at nt Edelweiss Is 18 on ono o of tho the most substantial In n tho the world It has hafl not nol boon been allowed to fall int into o decay In fact tact it is la Inhabited from m top to bottom by members of ot tho the thoro ro royal al household and the tho court an and andI d 1 I fan fancy C they are not tho the sort o of at f people who take kindly to a a. wetting It Is not a n. ruin Will such as yo you youhao u have o boen been permitted t to visit but a magnificent ml building with all of ot th the e modern Improvements The Tho only y wettings that the fire inmates sustain aro are of ot a n dally character and duo due en entirely en- en t to voluntary association with wit h t porcelain bath tubs and pickle nickle plated plate d showers and they never get t any thing wot wet but their sales As for fox tho the furnishings I 1 can assure you OU that the tho entire ji rs s fortune could cool not replace them thOm If Ii they were to b be destroyed by fire or pillage e. e The Theare They Theyo y are aro o priceless and they are aro unique I 1 havo have read d that the hangings In th the e bed l chamber of or tho the late Princess s 8 are arc tho the most wonderful 1 in inthe Inthe n the whole world The throne chair in tho the great au audience lence chamber is o of or f solid soUd gold old an and l weighs n nearly 0 pounds It Is studded with dia diamonds lamonds la- la monds moods rubles rubles- Great Scott Lou where did you OU u learn all this this he gasped his eyes eye s bulging emeralds and other precious stones There Is ono one Hugo JURO carpet In n the royal drawing room that th the ne e czar of at Russia Is said to have of ot- ot bred one hundred th thousand us pounds pound s for tor and ana the offer was scorned Th The Tho park paste surrounding the tits castlo castle Is s said sal d to bo be beautiful beyond the pow power r o of f description The The The- I as asked ked you where you got al all 1 this Information Cant Can't you answer r me 7 I I obtained all this and a great deal data from lad more moio rom a lady who spent a year ear or twe the castlo walls I 1 refer to Mrs tits Truxton Kin wh who o might havo haco ha told you al as much If It t you OU u had possessed the intelligence to in inquire In- In quire I Gee Geo whiz exclaimed Mr tits Blithers ers going hack back to his buoyant boy boy- hood days for an ll adequate sion slow What a won W you aro Lou Lot t. t But that's that tho woman of ot It e getting at the inside of ot a a. thin thing t while a 3 man is 18 st standing around looking at the outside out Say but bu t wont won't It make mako a wonderful home homo fo for tor r you Oll eu and me to spend spond a p peaceful of old d ago nGo In n when we get rad ready to to la lay Y aside the the the- Ho stopped short for tor she ha had d arisen ansen and was standing over hi him rn with a a. quivering forefinger leveled at nt his nose and nose and not more than six sl e Inches awa away from It her it-her her handsome some eyes flashing with tUr fury You ma may walk In where angels angel fear tear to tread but you oU will wal walk k alono Will vm Blithers I 1 shall not b bo be 0 with you and you m may as wen well un un- un it now note Ive I've told you jOU a n hundred times thaw tha money isn't t everything e and It le Ie as lS ch cheap lp n as aR dirt when you OU put It alongside 0 of ot f tradition honor pride and loyalty Those would tako you 1 U b by the nape of ot tho the neck and march you OU out of ot their castlo so quick that tha t your head he would swim You may b bable be ablo able to buy their for e to exhibit around the country bu but et t you cant can't bu buy tho the intelligence of th the tho e people The Th They wont won't have havo you a at t any price and tho they wont have meso me so there thero is tho the situation in a nut nut- shell The They will hato hate Maudie o of at t course but the they will endure her for fo r obvious ob reasons They mo may eve even n L come to love and respect r her in la th the e end for tor she sho is worthy But as for tor fo r you ou nn and me William with William with all an ou our rr r money we money we will find ever every ban hand d dr n against us oven its oven trio hand of at ou our r daughter I prophesy I 1 am not saIn sayIng say say- In Ing that I would woul i regret egret seeing Mauthe Maud Mau nud the princess of at Graustark far Graustark-far far fro from m It It But I 1 do 51 say that you OU and I willbe will willbe be expected to know ur Ul places pl If It I t you OU attempt to spend your our declining g years in the castle castlo at nt Edelweiss yo you OU u will find them to days flays and 1 short ones |