GEORGE BARR M cCUTCHEON
Copvrioht , tool, hu H erbert 8. Stone
CHAPTER 1.—Grenfall Lorry, a weal-hy American
globe trotter, stumble* into acquaintance with a charm
ing foreign girl on the train from Denver to Washington.
The pair is left behind when the flier stops for repairs in
West Virginia. It.—Lorry wires ahead to hold the train.
He and the unknown girl ride twenty miles at a tearing
pace in a mountain coach. There Is no love-making,
but a near approach to It as the rolling stage tumbles the
passengers about. III.—Lorry dines with the foreign
party, consisting of Miss Guggenslrcker, Uncle Caspar
and Aunt Yvonne. They are natives of Graustark, a
country Lorry had never heard of before. IV. Lorry
shows the foreigners the sights of Washington. They
leave for New York to sail on the Kaiser Wilhelm.
Miss Guggenslocker naively calls Lorry her ideal
American” and invites him to come and see her at Edel
weiss. V. Wildly Infatuated, Lorry hurrle« to New
York. The name Guggenslocker is not on the steamer
list. He sees the fteamrr off Miss G. waves him a kiss
from the deck. VI.—Lorry Joins his old friend, Harry
Anguish, an American artist, in Paris. Graustark and
its capital, Edelweiss, are located by a guide book. The
Americans get no trace of the Guggenslocker* there.
VII. Lorry see* his charmer driving In a carriage with
a beautiful companion of her own sex. He gets a glance
of recognition, but the carriage rolls on, leaving the
mystery unsolved. Later he receives a note at his hotel
slgnrn Sophia Guggenslocker, inviting him to visit her
next day. V III. In the evening Lorry and Anguish
ramblr about the grounds of the castle where dwells the
court of the Princess of Graustark. They overhear a
plot to abducts the princess and resolve to capture the
plotters red handed. IX .—Fo'l iwlng the conspirators,
Ixirry And* himself In a room he heard them designate
as that of the princess. X .—Lorry tells the princess of
the plot.
Mutual recognition; she is Mis* Guggen
slocker. Dannox, the guard, is In the abduction plot.
He fells lo rry with a terrible blow. Anguish to the
rescue. X L —Lorry quartered In the castle. The prin
ces* visits him, but forbids all talk of love. XII
Graustark Is bankrupt and owes the nelghborln prince
dom of Axpha n $¿0,000,00'. The credi or demands
cash or the cr»*lon of the richest districts of Graustark.
X III.—The Prince or Axphaln offers to extend the lo n
if ihe princess will marr> ni* son Lorens. Prince Ga
briel of Davsb rgen also b'ds frr the princess's hand
with offer of a loan. Yetlve tells Lorry that she belongs
to h*r heople and will marry Lorens.
Neither of Ills listeners spoke for
Rome moment*. Then Lorry broke the
■llenco.
“You mean that the money cannot
be raided?” he asked.
“It is not in our treasury. Our peo
ple have been taxed b o sorely i n re
building their homes and In recuper
ating from the effect of that dreadful
Invasion that they have been unable
to pay the levies. You must remem
ber that we are a small nation and of
limited resources. Your nation could
secure $30,000,000 In one hour for the
mere asking. To us It Is like a death
blow. 1 am not betraying a state se-
eret In telling you of the sore straits
in which we an» placed, for every man
In the nation has been made cognizant
of the true conditions. We are all fac
ing It together.”
There was something so quietly he
roic In ids manner that both men felt
pity. AngulRh, looking nt the military
figure, asked:
“You fought through the war, your
excellency?”
”1 n»slgned as minister, sir, to go to
the front. I was In the first battle
and I was in the last," he said simply.
“And the princess the present ruler,
1 mean was a mere child at that time.
When did she succeed to the throne?”
asked I^orry.
“Oh, the great world does not re
member our little history! Within n
year after the death of I’rlnee Gan-
look his wife, my sister, p a s s e d away,
dying of a broken heart Her daugh
ter, their only child, was, accenting to
our custom, crowned at once. She has
reigned for fourteen years, anil wisely
since assuming full power. For three
years she has been ruler de facto. She
has been frugal and lias done all In
her power to meet tbe shadow that la
descending.”
“And what la the alternative In case
the Indemnity la not paid?” asked
I,otry breathlessly, for be saw some
thing bright in the approaching calnm-
IMr.
ana many of our wealthy people have
advanced loans on bonds, worthless as
they may seem, and still we have not
the required amount.”
“Cunuot the loan be extended a few
years?" asked Lorry, angry with the
ruler In the north, taking tbe woes or
Graustark as much to heart as If they
were his own.
"Not oue duy! Not in London, Paris
nor Berlin.”
Lorry lay back and allowed Anguish
to lead the conversation luto other
channels. The count remained for half
an hour, saying as he left that the
princess and his wife had expressed a
desire» to be remembered to their guests.
“Her royal highness spent the even
ing with the ministers of finance and
war. and her poor head. I doubt not. is
racking from the effects of the consul
tation. These are weighty matters for
a girl to have on her hands." solemuly
stated the count, pausing for an In
I stant at the door of the apartment.
After he had closed it the Americans
looked long and thoughtfully at each
other, each feeling a respect for the
querea an additional ten years m
which to pay off the obligations lm-
i posed by the treaty. He furthermore
offered a considerable reduction in the
rate of interest for the next ten years.
But he had a condition attached to this
good and gracious proposition—tbe mnr-
rluge of Graustark’s sovereign. His
ambassador set forth the advantages
of such an alliance, and departed with
a message that the matter should have
most serious consideration.
The old prince’s proposition wns n
blow to the princess, who was placed
In a trying position. By sacrificing
herself she could save her country, but
in so doing her Bfe was to be plunged
into interminable darkness. She did
not love nor did she respect Lorenz,
who was not favorably supplied with
civilized Intelligence.
The proposition was laid before the
cabinet and the nobility by the princess
“Tho cession of all that part of Grau
stark lying north of Edelweiss, includ
ing fourteen towns, all of our mines
and our most predictive farming and
grazing lands. In that event Grau
stark will be no larger than one of the
good sized farms In your western coun-
try. There will be nothing left for her
royal highness to rule save a tract so
small that the word principality will
bo a trayesty and a Jest—this city and
»wenty-Ifve miles to the south, a strip grim old gentleman that they had nev
about 150 miles long. Think of It! er felt for man before.
Twenty-five by 150 miles, and yet call-
ed a principality! Once the proudest
CH APTER X III.
and most prosperous state in the east,
U N D E R MOON A N D M O N A S T E R Y .
considering its size, reduced to that!
OR two days Lorry lived through
Acb, gentlemen—gentlemen, 1 cannot
intermittent stages of delight
think of It without tearing out a heart
and despondency. His recovery
string and suffering such pains as mor- |
from the effects of the blow
tal man has never endured. 1 lived in administered- by Dannox was naturally
Graustark’s days of wealth, power and mold, his strong young constitution
supremacy. God has condemned me to coming to the rescue bravely. He saw
live In the days of her dependency, much of the princess, more of tbe
weakness and poverty. Let us talk no Countess Dagmar, and made the ac
more of this unpleasant subject.”
quaintance of many lords and ladies
“ Willingly, your excellency, since It for whom be cared but little except
Is distasteful to you. I hope, however, when they chose to talk of their girlish
you will permit me to ask how much ruler. The atmosphere of the castle
you are short of the amount,” said was laden with a depression that could
Lorry considerately, yet curiously.
not be overcome by an assimilated
“Our minister of finance, Gaspon, gaycty.
will be able to produce 15,000,000 gnv-
'I he princess could not hide the trou
vos at the stated time, far from enough. ble that had sprung up in her eyes. " C a n n o t th e lo a n be e x ten d e d a few
y e a rs t"
This amount hns been sucked from the Her laugh, her gay conversation, her
people from excessive levy and has rare composure aud gentle hauteur herself, who said that she would be
been hoarded for the dreaded day. were powerless to drive away the guided by any decision they might
Try as we would. It has been Impossi haunted, worried gleam In those ex -1 reach. The counselors to a man re
ble to raise tbe full amount. The peo presslve eyes of blue. Lorry had It on fused to sacrifice their girlish ruler, and
ple have been bled and have rescinded ills tongue’s end u dozen times during the people vociferously ratified the res
nobly, sacrificing everything to meet the next day or so after the count’s olution. But the princess would not al
the treaty terms honorably, but the narrative to question her about tbe low them to send nn answer to Ax
strain has been too great. Our urmy condition of affairs as they appeared phnln until she could see a way clear
to save her people in some other man
has cost us large sums. We have to her.
strengthened our defenses and could,
The Countess Dagmar, when not ner. An embassy was sent to the Prince
should we go to war, defeat Axphaln. monopolized by tbe very progressive or of Dawsbergeu. Ills domain touched
But we have our treaty to honor. We aggressive Anguish, unfolded to Lorry Graustark on the south, and he ruled
could not take up arms to save our certain pages In tbe personal history of | u wild, turbulent class of mountaineers
selves from that honest bond.
the princess, and he, of course, en and herdsmen. This embassy sought
“Our levies have barely brought the couraged her confidential humor, a l to secure nn indorsement of the loan
amount necessary to maintain an army though there was nothing encouraging from Prince Gabriel sufficient to meet
the coming crisis.
Gabriel, himself
large enough to Inspire respect among lu it for him.
•
those who are ready to leap upon us
Down by the great fountain, while smitten by the charms of the princess,
the Instant we show the least sign of the soldiers were on parade, the fair ! at once offered himself in marriage,
distress. There an» alioiit us powers but volatile countess unfolded to Lorry agreeing to advance, in case she ac
that have held aloof from war with us a story that wrenched his heart so cepted him. 20.000,000 gavvos at a rath
simply because we have awed them savagely that anger, resentment, help er high rate of interest for fifteen years.
with our show of force. It hns been lessness and love oozed forth and en His love for her was so great that he
our safeguard, and there is not n citi veloped him In a multitude of emotions would pawn the entire principality for
zen of Graustark who objects to the that would not disperse.
an nnswer thnt would make him the
“She will not mlml my telling you. happiest man on earth. Now. the trou
manner In which state affairs are con
ducted. They know that our army is beenuse she considers you the very bled princess abhorred Gabriel. Of the
an economy at any price. Uutll Inst 1 best of men, Mr. Lorry,” said the count- two, Lorenz was much to lie preferred.
spring we wen» confident that we could css. who had learned her English un Gubriel flew into n rage upon the re
raise the full amount due Axphnln. but der the Princess Yetlve’s tutor.
ceipt of this rebuff and openly avowed
It seems, according to the very truth bis Intention to make her suffer. His
the people In the rural districts were
unable to meet the levies on account of ful account given by the lady, that the Infatuation became a mania, and up tc
the panic» that came at a most unfortu princess laid It lu her power to save the very day on which the countes*
nate time. That Is why we were hur Grnustnrk from disgrace and practical told the story he persisted in his ap
rying home fn»m your country. Mr. destruction. The Prince of Axphain’s peals to the princess. In person he had
Lorry. Gaspon had cabled the princess sou. Lorens, was deeply enamored of gone to her to plead his guilt on his
that affairs were In a hopeless condi her. Infatuated by her marvelous beau knees, groveling at her feet. He wenl
tion, begging her to come home and do ty and accomplishments. He had per so far as to exclaim madly in the pres
what she could In a final appeal to the suaded his fntlier to consider a matri ence of the alarmed but relentless ob
people, knowing the love they had for monial alliance with her to be one of ject of his love that he would win hei
The old or turn tbe whole earth into everything
her. She came and hns seen these loy groat value to Axphaln.
al subjects offer their lives for her and prince, therefore, some months before unpleasant.
for Graustark. but utterly unable to the arrival of the Americans In Grau
(Continued)
give what they have not—money. She stark sent to the princess a substitute
asked them If she shoukl disband the ultimatum, couched in terms so polite
A fine complexion and a good head
nrmy, and there was a negative wall and conciliatory that there coukl be no
from one end of the land to tile other. mistaking his sincerity. He agreed to of hair are always to be desired.
Then the army agreed to serve ou half give Graustark a new lease of life, as Mademoiselle LaCourse can convince
pay uutil all was tided over. Public It were, by extending the fifteen years you that it pays to care for each in a
officers are giving their services free. or, in other words, to grant the con- sensible way.
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