Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 95, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 February 1916 — PRINCE of GRAUSTARK [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PRINCE of GRAUSTARK

BY GEORGE BARR McCUTCHEON

CHAPTER I. Matrimony Is Discussed. •* M M Y dear,” said Mr. Blithers, /■/■ with decision, ‘‘you can’t tell 1T 1 me ” “I know I can’t,” said his wife, quite as positively. She knew when she could tell him a thing and when she couldn’t

It was quite impossible to impart information to Mr. Blithers when he had the tips of two resolute fingers embedded in his ears. Mrs. Blithers had lived with her husband, more or less, for years, and she knew him like a book. He was a forceful person who would have his own way, even though he had to put his fingers in his ears to get it. Moreover, when he called her “my dear" instead of the customary Lou it was a sign of supreme obstinacy on his part and could not by any stretch of the imagination be regarded as an indication of placid affection. He always said “my dear" at the top of his voice and with a great deal of irascibility. Mr. William W. Blithers was a self made man who had begun his career by shouting lustily at a team of tnules in a railway construction camp. Other drivers had tried to improve on his vocabulary, but even the mules were able to appreciate the futility of such an ambition, apd later on, when he came to own two or three railroads, to say nothing of a few mines and a steam yacht, his ability to drive men was even more noteworthy than his power over the jackasses had been.

Mr. and airs’ Blithers had been discussing royalty. Up to the previous week they had restricted themselves to the npbility. but as an event of unexampled importance had transpired in the interim they now felt that it would be the rankest stupidity to consider any one short of a prince royal in picking out a suitable husband—or. more properly speaking, consort—for their only daughter. Maud Applegate Blithers. aged twenty. Mrs. Blithers long ago had convinced her husband that no ordinary human being of the male persuasion was wor- i thy of their daughter’s hand and had ' set her heart on having nothing mean-i er than a duke on the family roll — Blithers alluded to it for awhile as the payroll—with the choice lying between England and Jtaly.. But now, just as they were on the point of accepting in lieu of a duke an; exceptionally promising count, the aforesaid event conspired to completely upset all of their plans—or notions,' so to speak. It was nothing less than the arrival In America of an eligible prince of the royal blood, a ruling prince at that. As a matter of fact, he had not only arrived in America, but upon the vast estate adjoining their own in the Catskills..

Peculiarly promising to their hopes was the indisputable fact that the prince's mother had married an American. thereby establishing a precedent behind which no constitutional could thrive, and had lived very hap-j pfly with the gentleman in spite of the. critics. It appears that the prince after leisurely crossing the continent on his way around the world had come to the Truxton Kings for a long promised and much desired visit, the duration of j which depended to some extent on his own inclinations and not a little on the j outcome of the war talk that affected two great European nations—Russia

and Austria. Mr. Blithers was in a position to know that the little principality over which the young man reigned was bound to be drawn into the cataclysm not as a belligerent or an ally, but in the matter of a loan that inconveniently expired within the year and which would hardly be renewed by Russia with the prospect of vast expenditures of war threatening her treasury. The loan Undoubtedly would be called, and Graustark was not in a position to pay out of her own slender resources, two years of famine having fallen upon the people at a time when prosperity was most to be desired. It was the private opinion of Mr. Blithers that the young prince and the trusted agents who accompanied him on his journey were in the United States solely for the purpose of arranging a loan through sources that could only be reached by persona! appeal. But all this is beside the question. The young Prince of Graustark was enjoying American hospitality, and no matter what he owed to Russia, America owed to him its most punctilious consideration.

The main point is that the prince was now rusticating within what you might call a stone’s throw of the capacious and lordly country residence of Mr. Blithers; moreover, he was an uncommonly attractive chap, with a laugh that was so charged with heartiness that it didn’t seem possible that he could have a drop of royal blood in his vigorous young body. And the perfectly ridiculous part of the whole situation was that Mr. and Mrs. King lived in a modest, vine covered little house that could have been lost in the servants’ quarters at Blitherwood. Especially aggravating, too, was the Kings attitude. They were really nobodies, so to speak, and yet they blithely called their royal guest ‘‘Bobby’’ and allowed him to fetch and carry for their women folk quite as if he were an ordinary whippersnapper up from the city to spend the week end. The remark with which Mr. Blithers introduces this chapter was in response to an oft repeated declaration made by his wife. Mrs. Blithers merely had stated—but over and over again—that money couldn’t buy everything in the world, referring directly to social eminence and indirectly to their secret

ambition to capture a prince of the royal blood for their daughter Maud. She had prefaced this opinion, however, with the exceedingly irritating insinuation that Mr. Blithers was not in his right mind when he proposed inviting the prinpe to spend a few weeks at Biitherwood. provided the young man could cut short his visit in the home of Mr. and Mrs. King, who, he bad asseverated, were in no position to entertain royalty as royalty wds in the habit of being entertained. Long experience had taught Mr. Blithers to read the lip and eye language with some degree of certainty, so by watching his wife’s indignant face closely he was able to tell when she was succumbing to .reason. He was a burly, domineering person who reasoned for every one within range of his voice, and it was only when his wife became coldly sarcastic that he closed his ears and boomed his opinions into her very teeth, so to say, joyfully overwhelming her with facts which it were futile for her to attempt so deny. He was aware quite as much so as if he had heard the words that she was now saying: “Well, there Is absolutely no use

arguing with you, WHI. Have it your way if it pleases you.” Eying her with some uneasiness, he cautiously inserted his thumbs in the armholes of his brocaded waistcoat and proclaimed: “As I said before, Lou, there isn’t a foreign nobleman, from the emperor down, who is above grabbing a few million dollars. They’re all hard up.” “We were speaking of Prince Robin," remarked bls wife, with a slight shudder. Mrs. Blithers came of better stock than her husband. His gaucheries frequently set her teeth on edge. She was born in Providence and sometimes mentioned the occurrence when particularly desirous of squelching him, not unkindly perhaps, but by way of making him realize that their daughter had good blood in her veins. Mr. Blithers had heard in a roundabout way that he first saw the light of day in Jersey City, although after he became famous Newark claimed him. He dldmot bother about the matter. “Well, he’s like all the rest of them,” said he after a moment of indecision. Something told him that he really ought to refrain from talking about the cost of things, even in the bosom of his family. He had heard that only vulgarians speak of their possessions. “Now, there’s no reason in the world why we shouldn't consider his offer He”— “Offer?" she cried, aghast “He has made no offer, Will. He doesn’t even know that Maud is in existence How can you say such a thing?” “I was merely looking ahead, that’s alt My motto is ‘Look ahead.’ You know it as well as I do. Where would I be today if I hadn’t looked ahead and seen what was going to happen before the other fellow had his eyes open? Will you tell me that? Where. 1 say? What’s more, where would I be now if I hadn’t looked ahead and seen what a marriage with the daughter of Judge Morton would mean to me in the long run?” He felt that he bad uttered a very pretty and convincing compliment. “I never made a bad bargain in my life, Lou, and it wasn’t guesswork when I married you. You, my dear old girl, you were the solid foundation on which I”-

“I know,” she said wearily. "You’ve said it a thousand times —‘the foundation on which I built my temple of posterity’—yes. I know. Will. But I am still unalterably opposed to making ourselves ridiculous in the eyes of Mr and Mrs. King.’’ “Ridiculous*? I don’t understand you?” “Well, you will after you think it over,” she said quietly, and he scowled in positive perplexity. “Don't you think he’d be a good match for Maud?” he asked, after many minutes. He felt that he bad thought it over. “Are you thinking of kidnaping him. Will?” she demanded. ’ “Certainly not! But all you’ve got to do is to say that he’s the man for Maud and I’ll—l’ll do the rest. That’s the kind of a man r am, Lou. You say you don't want Count What’s-His-Name—-that is, you don’t want him as much as you did—and you do say that it would bd the grandest thing in the world if Maud could be the Princess of Gross tick”— “Graustark. Will.” “That’s what I said. Well, if you want her to be the Princess of THAT I’ll see that she is, provided this fel low is a gentleman and worthy of her. The only prince I ever knew was a rascal, and I'm going to be careful about this one. You remember that measly”— “There is no question about Prince Robin,” said she sharply. “I suppose the only question is. How much will be want?” 1 “You mean- settlement?” “Sure.” “Have you no romance in your soul. William Blithers ?”

“I never believed in fairy stories,” said be grimly. “And, what’s more, I don’t take any stock in cheap novels In which American heroes go about marrying into royal families and all that sort of rot It isn’t done, Lou. If you want to marry into a royal family you’ve got to put up the coin.” “Prince ‘ Robin’s mother, the poor Princess Yetive, married an American for love, let me remind you.” “Umph! Where is this Groostock. anyway.” “ ‘Somewhere east of the setting sun,’ she quoted. “You must learn how to pronounce it.” “I never was good at foreign languages. By the way, where is Maud this afternoon?” “Motoring.” He waited for additional Information. It was not vouchsafed, so he demanded somewhat fearfully: “Who with?” ; ... “Young Scoville.” He scowled. “He’s a loafer, Lou. No good in the world. I don’t like the way you let”— “He Is of a very good family, my dear. I”

**& be—er—ln lore with her?" “Certainly. Why not? Isn’t every one she meets in love with her?" so," he admitted sheepishly. His face brightened. “And there's no reason why this prince shouldn’t fall heels over head, is there? Well, there you are! That will make a difference in the settlement, believe me, a difference of a couple of at least if”— She arose abruptly. “You are positively disgusting, Will. Can’t you think of anything but”— “Say. ain’t that Maudie coming up the drive now? Sure it is! By gracious. did you ever see anything to beat her? She’s got ’em all beat a mile when it comes to looks and style and— Oh. by the way,” lowering his voice to a hoarse, confidential whisper, “I wouldn't say anything to her about the marriage just yet if I were you. I want to look him over first.” Prince Robin of Graustark was as good looking a chap as one would see in a week's journey. Little would one suspect him of being the descendant of a long and distinguished line of princes save for the unmistakable though indefinable something in his eye that exacted rather than invited the homage of his fellow man. His laugh was a free and merry one. his spirits as effervescent as wine, liis manner blithe and boyish, yet beneath all this fair and guileless expos of carelessness lay the sober integrity of caste. His mother, the beautiful, gracious and lamented Princess Yetlve, set all royal circles by the ears when she married the American, Lorry, back in the nineties. A special act of the ministry bad legalized this union, and the son of the American was not deprived of his right to succeed to the throne which his forbears had occupied for centuries. From his mother he had inherited the right of kings, from his father the spirit of freedom; from his mother the power of majesty, from his father the power to see beyond that majesty. When little more than a babe in arms he was orphaned, and the affairs of state fell upon the shoulders of three loyal and devoted men who served as regents until he became of age. He was seven when the great revolt headed by Count Marlanx came sb near to overthrowing the government, and he behaved like the prince that he was. It was during those perilous times that he came to know the gallant Truxton King, in whose home he was now a happy guest But before Truxton King he knew the lovely girl who became the wife of that devoted adventurer and who, to him, was always to be “Aunt Loraine.” .

As a very small boy he had paid two visits to the home land of his father, but after the death of his parents his valuable little person was guarded so jealously by his subjects that not once had he set foot beyond the borders of Graustark, except on two widely separat eb occasions of great pomp and ceremony at the courts of Vienna and St Petersburg, and a secret journey to London when he was seventeen. (It appears that he was determined to see a great football match.) On each of these occasions he was attended by watchful members of the cabinet and certain military units in the now far from insignificant standing army. As a matter of fact, he witnessed the football match from the ordinary stands, surrounded by thousands of unsuspecting Britons, but carefully wedged in between two generals of his own army and flanked by a minister of police, a minister of the treasury and a minister of war. all of whom were excessively bored by the contest and more or less appalled by his unregal enthusiasm. He had insisted on going to the match incog, to enjoy it for all it was worth to the real spectators—those who sit or stand where the compression is not unlike that applied to a box of sardines. The regency expired when be was twentj- years of age, and he became ruler in fact of himself as well as of the half million subjects who had waited patiently for the great day that was to see him crowned and glorified. He was their prince, and they loved him well.

Mr. Blithers was very close to the truth when lie said (to himself, if you remember) that the financial situation in the far off principality was not all that could be desired. It is true that Graustark was in Russia’s debt to the extent of some 20,000,000 gavvos—about $30,000,000. in other words—and that the day of reckoning was very near at band. The loan was for a period of twelve years and had been arranged contrary to the advice of John Tullis, an American financier, who long had been interested in the welfare of the principality through friendship for the lamented prince consort. Lorry. He had been farsighted enough to realize that Russia would prove a hard cred itor. even though she may have been sincere in her protestations of friendship for the modest borrower. A stubborn element in the cabinet overcame his opposition, however, and the debt was contracted, taxation increased by popular vote and a period of governmental tbriftiness inaugurated. Railroads, highways, bridges and aqueducts were built, owned and controlled by the state, and the city of Edelweiss rebuilt after the devastation created during the revolt of Count Marlanx and his minions. There seemed to be some prospect of vindication for the mipistry. and Tullis, who lived in Edelweiss, was fair minded enough to admit that their action appeared to have been for the best. The people had prospered, and taxes were paid in full' and without complaint. The reserve fund grew steadily anu surely, and there was every prospect that when the huge debt came due it would be paid tn cash. But On the very crest of their prosperity came adversity. For two years the crops failed, and a pestilence swept through the herds. There was not so much as a penny left over for the so called sinking fund.

“You say you don’t want Count What’s-His-Name.”