Show 0 CONDENSED CLASSICS THE PRISONER OF ZENDA J by ANTHONY HOPR HOPE P 1 Z 04 hove hope knows known ottilde I 1 taid the world of cooka an sir anthony hope hawkins H a w k I 1 n was nan born in london fob feb ft 9 ISM 1803 the th of a clergyman el he married an american A m w woman utan it it is to t be hoped he may have many more moire many children of the brain to follow Is in tb the c footsteps of f the prisoner of f Z zenan d all and il 9 the dolly dla die log M he was educated at marl borough bor onRO and is bt baillod ColI Col leget cRO oxford where he took h honor rs le in letters letter n and d war wa president of the oxford union which means mean 1113 that at he be wax was already a man of nark rk la in haa III undergraduate days day by ray y of a pr ofelon he became but later filter of the middle temple in 1 1877 out bat if the pursuit of the law interferes interfere arith the production of a thrilling tale nay he never have a came caie to prepare ills ill ont first book wan athe the prino prisoner ner of f ze arnda n da which has ha probably r remained a bin hi belt beat known one it b had a 1 largo larce hearing when turned to the tage and the public demanded 0 leanel eq uell which come came la in rupert of Beat aau after zenda quickly followed the dolly Dialo dialogues cues which fly y their eacy and ad deboa a alre trace brace in suggest affect L lawrence sterne kerne his have been numerous Bame as B the kings mirror and tristam Trl tn of bloat blent ind b he ha bag written plays play on aa well as a the th e adventure adventure at t lady ursula A loach of sureness aaren eai and precision lend lead ata to hta his proe he haa ban an rug lital power of interesting bin road read wo ira in him bj personages and their doin doann tive was not england or R the quarrel between duke michael mtr mir and rudolf dyll could not have gone on with the remarkable incidents which marked it without more public notice being directed to it it Is perhaps as strange a thing as has ever been in the history t f a country that the kings brother ind the kings in a time of profound peace near a placid undisturbed country town under semblance it f amity should wage a desperate war tor for thu erson and life of the kina yet such was the struggle between black michael and rudolf dyll both of the royal house of Elph berg fiut ut of very differing antecedents the ne was well known to the royal palice at Str laan elsan the other was at wine nt at park lane london west rhe fhe kinship between the two was quite in accident dating from the year 1733 nhen a dashing young prince later enow cnown 1 to fame as rudolf the third thir d of ania paid a visit to london chere he was courteously entertained ind was a great favorite with the ad adles les especially amelia countess of Burls don and baroness dyll in he end the prince left england rather hastily las tily under a cloud but not before le ie had fought a somewhat sanguinary luel with countess amelias husband to in the years since there have appeared tt it intervals in the family of the ras certain sons who have been marked by the long sharp straight lose iose and the dark red hair of the royal bouse of the years pass many of them and mother rudolf of Elph berg Is about 0 to o be crowned king of Ruri tanta the tame same nose the same red hair distinguish hta him the loyal half of the atlon of could not sleep at light till the coronation was safely iver for the late king had bad left anther son by a second and morganatic marriage black michael duke of leau sau and lord of zenda though Sl michael ichael bore none of the marks of the Elph bergs he had bad been his fathers favorite and he be cast a longing eye on the throne all the cut throats and of Ruri tanin seconded his wish for michael was a man after their own hearts curious that young rudolf JAI should be moved by an idle curl sity to witness the coronation of ru dolf of still more curious hat be too should bear the familiar lose the name red hair so thought colonel sapt aide to the king and fritz yon von Tart Tarl his close friend is they came upon the young english man ban in the forest of zenda making via way afoot to sau so S too the king when he be appeared it il later but scandals of the last can no more be concealed in aurl horila than in england As young ras later told the tale first the ting ring frowned then 1 gradually radu olly the cor tem of his mouth bogan began to twitch his lose came down as mine doest when I 1 augh ills his eyes twinkled and behold lie e burst into the merriest fit of irrepressible res sible laughter which rang through me woods and proclaimed him a jovial well met cousin he cried step ang ing up to me clapping me on the nick lack and laughing still you must orglee me if I 1 was taken aback A pan expect to see double at time of lay day ell eh fritz I 1 mut mu t pray pardon sire for my presumption said 1 I 1 trust it will not forfeit your maje favor by heaven t always enjoy the me kings countenance he laughed whether I 1 like it or not all the good fellowship in the world however could not permit royal scan dais of the past to be raked up at a corin coronation atlon rudolf dyll must not show III his S face at this moment in the capital of f rudolf of but by thunder cried the kin you shant leave today pa fw you shall dine with me tonight happen what will afterward that was just the trouble happen what will afterward one bottle led to another ano ther until they were all as fall of wine as they had any right to be at last the king set down his glass and s leaned back in ills his chair 1 I have brunle enough said he be far be it from me to contradict the king said I 1 indeed his remark was most 0 at absolutely true so far as it w went e nt but still another bottle this from black michael praying that he drink for the love that he bears his brother could the king refuse ue he could not was the wine drugged the morning answered yes 11 if hes not crowned today cried sapt ill lay a crown hes never crowned by heavens why the whole nations there to meet him half the army aye and black Bl michael Ichael at the head shall we send word that the kings drunk that hes hea ill said 1 I to in correction 1111 cc echoed hoed sapt with a scornful laugh they know his illness too well lies hes been ill before I 1 As a man grows old he believes in fate fate sent you ou hero here fate sends you now to sau go yes ill go said I 1 and I 1 turned my eyes on the prostrate figure of the king tonight sapt went on in a hasty whisper we are to lodge in the palace the moment they leave us you and I 1 will mount on our r horses and ride ald here at a gollop the king will be ready and he must ride back with me m to sau and you ride as it if the devil were behind you to the frontier so began those wondrous days of adventure which saw the throne 0 01 occupied by an Elph berg with fall all the traces of the stock though not of the blood the play actor rupert of hantzou called him when he came to know the secret but as aa good an Elph berg as ever sat upon 14 it declared fec ec lared sapt at the end the wild ride to sau with sapt instructing the english rudolf most minutely in his past life his family his tastes pur pursuits weaknesses friends companions and servants as knew them the etiquette of the court what would be expected at tile the boronat coronation ion and above all of the princess flavin god save the kingwill king fill cried the people after the coronation had been safely managed god save ern cm both I 1 whispered sapt as his mouth wrinkled into a smile but it if things went well at sau with rudolf Bassen dyll now crowned as rudolf the fifth of Itania and the accepted lover over of the princess flavia fortune did not smile on the other rudolf at zenda for black michael had had word from there that cleared for him the mystery of the coronation riding as fast as horses could lay feet to the ground he seized poor rudolf of and held him prisoner but then ensued a pretty pass aye but lie he cant speak roared sapt in grim triumph weve got him how flow can he denounce you without denouncing noun cing himself this Is not the king because we have vie the king and murdered his st servant ryant 1 can he say that hang me if michael wont expose himself if he be tries to expose you but the mo most t difficult situation for a loyal gentleman and that was rudolf dyll arose from the princess flavia 1 I had to keep the princess devoted to me and yet indifferent to me I 1 hall had to show affection for her and not feel it I 1 had to make love for another and that to a girl who princess or no princess was the most beautiful I 1 had bad ever seen how I 1 succeeded in carrying out my program will appear hereafter how they fell in love he with her and she with him Is rif nr ohp attire atory and how forgetting self he be rescued the king and robbed himself of love and throne and almost life when he had fallen sorely wounded fritz he be called Is the king still till a alive aye friend dear friend said he tender as a woman thanks to the most gallant gentleman that lives the tb king Is alive I 1 alls well that ends well but of the princess flavia if I 1 can never hold sweet converse again with w ath her or look upon her face or know from her her love why then this side the grave I 1 will live its as becomes the man she loves love and for the other side aide I 1 must pray dray a dreamless sleep copyright 1919 by the th pot pad publishing co the B boston 0 ston pot post printed by peals ion of an and d arrangement with henry holt a co lit authorized publishers |