The Island Mystery

t to work to collect what information he could about the country. The library of the House of Commons was useless to him. Megalia is the only country in the world about which no Blue Book ever ha

all the inhabitants are brigands. Steinwitz, managing director of the Cyrenian Sea Steam Navigation Company, professed to be interested in Megalia. He was certai

raffic of any kind. And there cannot be. If there were anything to be done in Megalia, we s

any hope. Steinwitz was plainly anxious to discourage inquiries abou

produced, after some thought, a few notes on Megali

competition to face. Gorman felt that this was a fair deduction

copper from the mountains and nobody denied that it was there. It was th

, a vigorous and courageous race. Sluggards and d

the director of a German Shipping Company with its headquarters in London, did not want public attention turned to M

ner at Beaufort's showed him another way of saving the unfortunate Kin

te rest and quiet. Mr. Donovan was convinced that rest and quiet would be pleasant as well as beneficial. He left Chicago, where such things are certainly not to be found, and sought them in London. For a time he believed he had found them. He sat all day in his room at Beaufort's, waited on by footmen who wore gold-braided coats, crimson breeches and silk stockings, looking like very dignified am

. She tried on dresses for hours every day in front of huge gilt mirrors. She gathered in immense quantities the peculiar treasures of Bond Stree

ctions were compared with Chicago and Detroit; Miss Daisy preferred London. Her father said there were points about Detroit, but that quiet was no more obtainable in one than the other. Afterwards politics were touched on. Miss Daisy gave it as her opinion that the Irish Party was rather slow

politics. Miss Daisy's direct and simple way of attacking great problems c

ter dinner, Donovan hims

is a king, a European monarch,

rl II of Megali

d of y

n. "I've had some busin

then I made inquiries. He's not considered a first-class king, I reckon. Doesn't move in the best

aching him," said Gorman. "I don't believe yo

rad Karl would not be a desirable friend for Miss Daisy. D

lain American citizen, if that citizen cam

Megalia. A company for the development of that country could be founded without difficulty if a man of Donovan's enormous wealth took up a substantial bloc

he said, "but I am not much taken with the notion of copper mining. It seems to m

ndependence of character and mental vigour. But he did not expect that a young girl, fresh from college, enjoying the first taste of London, would tak

s that monar

ertain," said Gorman, "but I think we m

Is it consider

the population a

er. Miss Daisy's eyes gleame

d I won't fall out about the price. But if I buy, I buy the section and all f

le. She flung her arms round her father's neck and kis

ling!" s

head from her embrace

and hers-is that it's better to buy what we want right out. I don't say that Megalia is precisely the kingdom I'd have chosen for her. I'd have preferred a place with a bigger reputation, one better advertised by historians. B

th her arms round her father's n

e said. "I'd far rather have it

I guess there's no reason

s. There are emperors and other kings to consider. There is the Balance of Power in Europe. There are ambassadors, chancelleries, statesmen. He was not at all sure th

ces. I'm not out to trample on them. Genuine vested interests owned by other monarchs will be paid for. A

an. An estate, carrying with it a title like that of Grand Duchess, might be made over to Miss Daisy. All kings possess the power of conferring titles. If such honours are freely sold in a country like England,

" said Donovan, "for the man who arranges the sa