Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 May 1916 — SYNOPSIS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SYNOPSIS

Mr. Blithers, multimillionaire, dlscuoßea with his wife the possibilities of rnarrylnff •ft his daughter, Maud Applegate, to the Prince of Graustark, who is visiting Mr. end Mrs. Truxton King In America in anticipation of getting some one to take up the loan Russia holda A Mr. Scoville is attentive to Maud. Prince Robin is accompanied by Count Quinnox, minister of war; Lieutenant Dank and Hobbs, the valet. The prince had balked at a matrimonial alliance with the Princess of Dawsbergen, both of them ■wishing to choose for themselves. Mr. Blithers visits the Kings uninvited. Mr. Blithers discusses the Russian loan and gently hints at $20,000,000 his daughter will get when ahe marries the right man. Banners suddenly refuse to handle tne loan. Count Quinnox and King arrange a meeting with Blithers. King suspects him of blocking the deal. The prince as Mr. Schmidt sails on the Jupiter. Blithers buys $-0,000,000 of Grau■tark bonds. A young lady disputes Robin's right to a table and deck chair. He learns she is Miss Guile of New York, and her aged companion Mrs. Gaston. He soon becomes better acquainted with Miss Guile, Her given name is Bedelia, she tells him. She tells Mrs. Gaston that she suspects he is the Prince of Graustark. Mrs. Gaston changes her manner toward him. Hobb3 discovers Miss Guile’s baggage is marked with a B. In Paris she is met by a young man. Blithers promises to consider the loan. " His wife prepares a ball for the Prince ’ and Maud, who suddenly balks at the affair and doesn't attend. Meeting the prince out for a stroll. Blithers chats on matrimony. Robiri says he is not for sale, but agrees to meet Maud when he learns she is opposed to her parents', wishes. Maud again evades the prince, who reports he must leave for Graustark at Once. Maud writes she is off for Europe on the Jupiter with an aged companion, •tier father schemes to get them both on the same ship. , CHAPTER XII. The Red Letter “B." AT the Gare St. Lazare R»bin had a brief glimpse of Miss Guile as she hurried with the crowd down to the cab inclosure, where her escort, the alert young stranger, put her into a waiting limousine, bundled Mrs. Gaston and Marie after her and then dashed away, obviously to see their luggage through the douane. She espied the tall figure of her fellow voyager near the steps and leaned forward to wave a perfunctory farewell to him. The car was creep- | ing out toward the packed thoroughfare. He remained perfectly still, ; with uplifted hat, a faint smile on i his lips and not the slightest sign of annoyance in his face. She' smiled securely to herself as she leaned back in the seat and was satisfied! Count Quinnox found him standing there a few minutes later, twirling his stick and smiling with his eyes. Accompanying the old soldier was a slight, sharp featured man with keen black eyes and a thin, pointed mustache of gray! This man was Gourou, chief of police and commander of the tower In Edelweiss, successor to the celebrated Baron Dangloss. After he had greeted his prince the quiet little man announced that he had reserved for him an apartment at the Bristol. “I am instructed by the prime minister, your highness, to urge your immediate return to Edelweiss,” he went on, lowering his voice. “The

people are disturbed by the reports that have reached us during the past week or two, and Baron Romano is convinced that nothing will serve to subdue the feeling of uneasiness that prevails except your own declaration —in person—that these reports are untrue.” “I shall telegraph at once to Baron Romano that it Is all poppycock.” Robin easily. “1 refer, of course, to the reported engagement I am not going to malry Miss Blithers, and that’s all there is to be said. You may see to it, baron, that a statement is issued to all of the Paris newspapers today and to the correspondents of all the great papers In Europe and America. I have prepared this statement, under my own signature, and it is to be the last word in the matter. You shall have it when we reach the hotel—and that reminds me of another thing. I'm ■ sorry that I shall have to ask you to countermand the reservation for rooms at the hotel you mention. 1 have already reserved rooms at the Ritz—by wireless. We shall stop there. Where is Dank?” “The Ritz is hardly the place for”— But Robin clapped him on the back and favored him with the good natured. boyish smile that mastered even the fiercest of his counselors, and the minister of police, being an astute man, heaved a deep sigh of resignation. Count Quinnox was gnawing his mustache. “See here, Robin.” he said, laying his hand on the young man’s shoulder, “you are in Paris now, and not on board a ship at sea. Miss i Guile is a beautiful, charming, highly estimable young woman, and, l.j might as well say it straight out to your face, you ought not to subject her to the notoriety that is bound to follow if the newspapers learn that ! she is playing around Paris, no matter how innocently, with a prince \ whom”— “Just a moment, count.” interrupt- I ed Robin, a cold light in his now un- ! smiling eyes. “You are getting a lit- | tie ahead of the game. Miss Guile is ! not going to the Ritz, nor do I expect j her to play around Paris with me. ! As a matter of fact, she refused to tell me where she is to stop while j here, and I am uncomfortably cer- j tain that I shall not see her unless by chance. You may be sure that I shall ! not annoy Miss Guile, and you may [ be equally sure that she”— “I beg your pardon, Robin, but 1 did not employ the word annoy,** protest- j ed the count. " j—“that she takes me for a gentle- I man- if not for a prince,” went on Robin, deliberately completing the j sentence before he smiled his forgive- i ness upon the old man. “1 selected ! the Ritz because all rich Americans! go there. I'm told. I'm taking a chance.” "

“Robin, my lad. I beg of you to consider the consequences that"’— “There’s no use discussing it, old friend. Trust to luck. There is a bully good chance that she will send me about my business when the time comes, and then the salvation of Graustark w ill be assured.” He said it lightly, but there was a dark look in his eyes "that belied the jaunty words. “Am I to understand that you intend to—to' ask her to marry you?” demanded the count, profoundly troubled. “Remember, boy, that you are the Prince of Graustark. that you"— ■ “But I am not going to ask her to marry the Prince of Graustark. I'm going to ask her to marry R. gchmidt,” .said Robin composedly. In the baron's room at the Ritz that night there was held a secret conference. The three conspirators were of the same mind. It was clear that something must be done. But what? That was the question. Gourou declared that the people were very much disturbed over the trick the great capitalist had played upon the cabinet; there were sullen threats of a revolt if the government insisted on the deposit of bonds as required by the agreement. More than that, there were open declarations that the daughter of Mr. Blithers would never be permitted to occupy the throne of Graustark. Deeply as his subjects bved the young prince, tbev would

force him to abdicate rather than submit to the desecration of a throne that had never been dishonored. They would accept William W. Blithers’ money, but they would have none of William W. Blithers’daughter. The afternoon papers had published the brief statement prepared by Robin in the seclusion of his stateroom on board the Jupiter immediately after a most enjoyable hour with Miss Guile: It was a curt and extremely positive denial of the rumored engagement, with the additional information that he never had seen Miss Blithers and was more or less certain that she had never set eye 3 on him. A rather staggering coincidence appeared with the published report that Miss Blithers herself was supposed to be somewhere in Europe, word having been received that day from sources in London that she had sailed from New York under an assumed name. The imaginative French jour-

nals put two and two together and dwelt upon the possibility that the two young people who had never seen each other might have crossed the Atlantic on the same Bteamer, seeing each other frequently and yet remaining entirely in the dark, so to speak. Inspired writers began to weave a romance around them. The newspapers also printed a definite bit of news in the shape of a dispatch from New York to the effect

that Mr. and Mrs. William W. Blithers were sailing for Europe ott- the ensuing day, bound for Graustark. However, the chief and present conern of the three loyal gentlemen in midnight conclave was not centered in the trouble that Mr. Blithers had started, but in the more desperate situation created by Miss Guile. She was the peril that now confronted them, and she was indeed a peril. “By jove!’’ exclaimed Dank, so loudly that his companions actually jumped in their seats. “What ails you, Dank?” demanded the baron, removing his eyes from the young man’s face long enough to glance fearfully at the transom. "I've—l've got it!” cried the soldier. Count, you remember the big red letter B on all of her trunks, dont you? Hobbs is positive lie”— Count Quinnox sprang to his feet aid banged the tabl • with his fist. “Hy jove!” he shouted, suddenly comprehending. “The letter B?” queried Gourou, perplexed. “The newspapers say that she sailed from New York tinder an assumed name,” went on Dank, thrilled by his own amazing cleverness. ‘‘There you are! Plain as day. Tlie letter B explains everything. Now we know who Miss Guile really is. She’s”— "Maud!” exclaimed Quinnox, sinking back into his chair. “Miss Blithers!” cried Gourou, divining at last. “By jove!” And thus was the jovian circle completed. Robin was informed bright and early the next morning. In fact, he was still in his pajamas when the news was carried to him by the exhausted Dank, who had spent five hours ’in bed, but none in slumber. Never in all his ardent career had the smart lieutenant been so bitterly afflicted with lovesickness as now, “I don’t believe a word of it,” said the prince promptly. “You’ve been dreaming, old chap.” “That letter B isn't a dream, is it?” “No, it isn’t,” said Robin, and instantly sat up in bed, his face very serious. “If she should turn out to be Miss Blithers, I’ve cooked my goose to a crisp. Good Lord, when I think of some of the things I said to her about the Blithers family! But wait! If she is Miss Blithers do you suppose she'd sit calmly by and hear the family ridiculed? No, sir! She would have taken mv head off like a flash.” “I suppose you’ll see nothing more of her, your highness,” remarked Dank, a sly hope struggling in his breast.

‘A o’i d better put it the other way. She’ll see nothing more of me,” lugubriously. I mean to say, sir, you can’t go on with it, can you?” “If there is really anything to go on with, Dank, I’ll go on with it, believe me.” The lieutenant stared. "But if she should be Miss Blithers, wliat then?” “It might eimpiify matters tremendously,” said Robin, but not at all confidently. Later on, while they were breakfasting in Robin’s sitting room, Hobbs brought in the morning newspapers. He laid one of them before the prince and jabbed his forefinger upon a glaring headline. “ ‘Miss Blithers Denies Report. Signed Statement Mysteriously Received. American Heiress Not to Wed Prince of Graustark.’ Shall I read the harticle, sir?” Robin snatched up the paper and read aloud for himself. The following card appeared at the head of the column and was supplemented by a complete resume of the Blithers Graustark muddle: “Miss Blithers desire to correct an erroneous report that has appeared in the newspapers. She is not engaged to be married to the Prinoe of Graustark, nor is there even the remotest probability that such will ever be the case. Miss Blithers regrets that she has not the honor of Prince Robin’s acquaintance, and the prince has specifically stated in the public prints that he does not know her by sight. The statements of the two , persons most vitally affected by this disturbing rumor should be taken as final, Sufficient pain and annoyance already have been caused by the malicious and utterly groundless report.’’ The name

of "KaiiiT Sppiegate BTltliers was appended to the statement, and it was dated Paris, Aug. 29. It appears that the signed statement was left in the counting room of the various newspapers by a heavily veiled lady at an hour agreed upon as “about 10 o'clock.” There was absolutely no clue to the identity of this woman. “Well, she appears to be here,” said Robin as he laid down the last of the three journals and stared at Dank as if expecting hope from that most unreliable source. “I suppose you will how admit that I am right about the letter D,” said Dank sullenly. “When I see Miss Guile I shall ask point blank if she is Maud Applegate, Dank, and if she says she isn't I'll take her word for it,” said Robin. “And if she says she is?” “Well.” said the prince ruefully, “I’ll still take her word for it.” “And then?” “Then I shall be equally frank and tell her that l am Robin of Graustark. That, will put us all square again, and we’ll see what comes of it in the end.” The day was warm and clear, and Paris was gleaming. Robin stretched his long legs in a brisk walk across the Place Vendome and up the Rue de la Paix to the boulevard. Hero he hesitated and then retraced his steps slowly down the street of diamonds, for he suspected Miss Guile of . being interested in things that were costly. Suddenly inspired, lie made lixs way to the Place do la Concorde and settled himself on one of the seats near the entrance to the Champs Elysees. A man came up and took a seat beside him. “Good morning, Mr. Schmidt." said the newcomer, and Robin somewhat gruffly demanded what the deuce he meant by following him. “1 have some interesting news,” said Baron Gourou quietly. “From home?” asked Robin carelessly. '■/ \ “Indirectly. It comes through Bor lin. Our special agent there wires me that the offices of Mr. Blithers in that city have received instructions from him to send engineers to Edelweiss for the purpose of estimating the cost of remodeling and rebuilding the Castle—in other words, to restore it to its condition prior to the Marianx rebellion fifteen years ago ” There was a tantalizing smile on (lie baron’s face as lie watched the changing expressions in that of his prince. “Are you in earnest?" demanded. Robin, a bright red spot appearing in eacli cheek. The baron nodded his head. “Well, he’s got a lot of nerve!” “I shudder when I think of what is likely to happen to those architects when they begin snooping around the castle,” said Gourou dryly, “By the way, have you seen Miss Guile this morning?” Robin’s cheeks were now completely suffused. “Certainly not," “She was in the Itue de la Paix half an hour ago. I thought you might’’— “You saw her, baron?” es, highness, and it may interest you to know that she saw you.” “The deuce you say! But how do you know that it was Miss Guile. You’ve no means of knowing.” “It is a part of my profession to recognize people from given descriptions. In this case, however, the identification was rendered.quite simple by the actions of the young lady herself. She happened to emerge from a shop just as you wore passing, and I’ve never seen any one, criminal or otherwise, seek cover as quickly as she did. Bhe darted back into the shop like one pursued by the devil. “Where did she go from the Rue de la Paix?” asked Robin impatiently. “To the Ritz. I was there almost as soon Bhe handed an envelope —containing a letter, I fancy—to the carriage man and drove away in the direction of the Place de l’Opera. I have a sly notion, my prince, that you will find a note awaiting you on your return to the hotel. Ah, you appear to be in haste, my young hunter.” “I am in haste. If you expect to keep alongside, baron, you’ll have to run,” cried the prince, and was instantly in his seven league boots. “Won’t you sit down, baron? I’ll be at liberty in a minute or two,” he said, on reaching his room at the hotel, and coolly proceeded to scan the brief message from Miss Guile (To be continued.)

They Would Have None of William W. Blithers’ Daughter.