A Son of the Immortals

francs out of Dumont. Then, at five minutes past six, he ju

e route she followed advanced quickly until he found out where she lived. He would not have dared to call on her now, if it had not been for the tremendous thing that had happened in his life; for he was sure he would beco

ace de la Concorde, the setting sun gilded a smoke blackened fragment that marked the site of the Tuileries; while near at hand the statue of France, grief stricken yet defiant, gazed ever and longingly in the direction of her lost Provi

mocrat at heart, was cheered by the knowledge that so long as the world recognizes the divine right of Kings, no monarch by descent could lay better claim

rnon existed. Then he would plead that she was asking that which was not only impossible but utterly unheroic. And the minutes were flying. He would remind

tedly a King, I shall send for you. If you do not answer, I shall become my own envoy. You will

to do who had been taken from the Rue Boissière and plunged

ls that lay ahead. At any rate, the King of Navarre could have given him many instances of a woman's fickleness-and fickleness was the ugly word

where?" he a

forbidden in the Quartier for good looking and unknown young men to make such urgent

s this Monsieur. Mon Dieu! but it was a pity that the belle Américaine should have packed he

lady who lives there?" said she archly, jerking her

pretty one,

er domestic, see you-said they w

ntaine

u'-to the fores

me? Ba

e no head for those

his watch. Twenty-five minutes to seven! It was too late now to do other than write-if he succeeded. If not-ah, well! "Some of them are slain in the flower of their youth." At least, she would remember, and those glorious eyes of hers would glisten with tears, and the belief helped to co

journalists. Prince Michael had become Monseigneur again. He was holding

Delgrado. Alec was soothing his mother's grief when his father entered secretly on tiptoe with the hush

gram. They all expect that I shall leave Paris to-night or early to-morrow. Indeed, an impudent fellow representing 'Le Soir' says that if I don't bestir myself I shall be christened the Sluggard King. But I shall humbug them finely. Lea

it?" inqu

grandfather's sword. I ha

and purple velvet. In its wrapping of brown paper and twine it suspiciously resembled a child's toy, and Prince

Alec gravely. In truth, this Parisian kingship was rapidly bec

s outburst of family pride, Monseigneur be

t he knocked off fi

play my part. Remember, you will see no one except a servant a

rest in me. Of course, if I pull th

ell on the trembling form of his wife, who had remained strangely silent during this somewhat strained i

ecovered. Once re?stablished on the hearthrug, with his eyeglass properly adjusted, his hands tucked under

ly by the sacrifice of her son! But she mourned as if he was already dead, and a lump rose in Alec's throat. He had always loved his mother; his father had ever been remote, a dignified trifler, a poser. The three held nothing in common. It could hardly be doubted that every goo

paternal watchfulness that the French Government exercises over its subjects, he was obliged to pass the concièrge; b

toria. They were so deeply engaged in conversation that they did not see him. Julius was talking and the Greek listening. It flashed into Alec's mind that the presence in Paris of the Greek on the very day of the Delgratz regicide of

ge. The Greek, it was evident, heard of the murders at the earliest possible moment; Julius too was singularly well informed, though his interest in Kosnovian affairs had long seemed dormant; even the fiery Stampoff was no laggard once the news was bruited. Alec went so far as to fix the exact time at which Julius appeared in the R

his brain than to seek a means of earning a livelihood; yet here he was at the Gare de l'Est carrying a sword as a symbol of kingshi

ticket office. The man gave him an envelop. It contained a pas

r initials B. could procure. I shall co

George Delyanni; nationality, Greek; business,

appearance. "I don't look much like a Greek," he said to himself; "but the 'Alexandre'

eturned by a Viennese banker at the last moment. He went about the business of buying his ticket and passing the barrier with a careless ease that would have excited the envy of a Russian Terrorist. Sharp eyes attend

a seat voucher for the first dinner, lighted a cigarette, entered his reserved compartment, arra

the Queen's brother and the Minister of Ways and Communications when the regiment on duty in the palace burst in on them. King Theodore was shot down while endeavoring to protect the Queen. She too fell riddled with bullets, and

ster nor of Sergius Vottisch, Queen Helena's brother, who was mainly instrumental in defeating Beliani's half-forgot

t. He loathed the thought that the first step t

venth Regiment!" he mutter

conceit engendered in the brain of that elderly beau whom he had left in the Rue Boissière, a bit of stage trifling happily typified by the property sword. It had become real, grim, menacing. It reeke

ns in its coverts last October. He remembered shooting a pheasant of glorious plumage, and sayin

ado did not appreciate the mot until some one told him that passeem in Hebrew meant "patchwork," a

although the Orient Express had not quitted Paris fifteen minutes it had already crossed many frontiers. There were few French or English on board, and not one American. A couple of Turks, a Bulgarian, a sprinkling of Russians and Lev

where, if all went well with him, he alone would be the "foreigner." A longing for companionship came upon him. He wanted some one who would laugh and talk airy n

illa Turquois

join in t

l

hood, Lord Adalbert, who cheerfully answered to the obvious nickname-would accept the invitation, and by the time he reached Delgratz the succession to the throne of Kosnovia would be in a fair way toward s

"I'm showing craft already.

rentine himself; but neither he nor his latest pupil co

ct, the wizened, keen faced old man bore a striking resemblance to a certain famous actor of the Comédie Fran?aise; but he was not seate

years are not so long, and I am known on the Danube. You see, we must get through to Delgratz and the Schwarz

d at a fat Turk lumber

ns. Alec and Paul sound better, anyhow. But you were outlining a scheme. I go with you as far as Delgratz; but those bayonets in the Schwarzburg will not be behind me

straight across eyes and nose. "You forget, perhaps you do not know, that

he scene in the dining hall. One woman, three unarmed men, the King leaping up and endeavoring to shield her-and the gallant Seventh firing volleys at them. Then, when the

d have seen a young man seemingly telling an older one something of ordinary import. But the

hands on his knees. "Will you tell me why you are going to

event, I am only copying the example of t

grandfather fell. Ferdinand was shot, and escaped with his life only because

should not expect to find even the faithful few. Poor Th

ave the train at Chalo

hers of the Schwarzburg

one feared he might have lost his nerve,-but you, Alec! The devil take i

e a candidate

ed. "You would appeal to the women, and they are ever half the battle. Why are you so squeamish? You needn't embrace the men of the Se

t for the day is the foundation thereof, and I refuse

of cheap philosophers! By you

re beaten. Were it otherwise, Theodore would neve

d. He was baffled, and the weariness of life had suddenly enveloped him in its chilling fog. "V

may as well come on to Vienna," sa

ould I take that long

blige

crazy. How will

General, and there is a whole l

you be so kind as to explain what

sfy their demands, would turn and rend me just as they have rended Theodore. Be sure that their object was selfish, Stampoff. Not one of these men has ever seen Prince Michael or myself. Even their leaders must have been mere boys when Ferdinand VII. was attacked-probably by their fathers. Well, I shall have none of them.

s in my composition that detract from French ideals. A Frenchman cannot understand, Paul, why some of my excellent kith and kin across the Atlantic should condemn studies of the nude. But somehow I have a glimmering sense of the moral purpose that teaches us to avoid that which is not wholly decent. So I am a blend of French realism

know our Serbs," yet Stampoff was moved,

in my boots once I reach Delgratz. I shall say things that will not be forgotten for a day or two. Come, now, my old war-h

It seemed to me that the common folk require to be driven, not led, into the path they should tread. I am growing old, Alec; yours is a new creed

d manners of Kosnovia and its chief city, and ever the Danube drew nearer; but not a word did Alec say of his telegram t

erstands. So do I. Good luck, old chap! I

ld have been recognized the instant he alighted from the train, though P

om the Briti

assy! Then w

me that I was

he Embass

of which they profess total ignorance would fill many interesting volumes.

a woman, o

. B

though awaiting orders. Stampoff, who had been following the vanishing figure

yours, too, for that matter. You can trust

ieur!" sa