Long Live the King! | Page 6

a bite of sausage, a bite of
bread. His mind was in Bosnia, with his leg. And because old
Adelbert's mind was in Bosnia, and because one hears with the mind,
and not with the ear, he did not hear the sharp question of the sentry
who ran down the stairs and paused for a second at the cloak-room.
Well for Olga, too, that old Adelbert did not hear her reply.
"He has not passed here," she said, with wide and honest eyes; but with
an ear toward old Adelbert. "An old gentleman came a moment ago and
got a sandwich, which he had left in his overcoat. Perhaps this is whom
you are seeking?"
The sentry cursed, and ran down the staircase, the nails in his shoes
striking sharply on the marble.
At the window, old Adelbert cut off another slice of sausage with his
pocket-knife and sauntered back to his table of opera glasses at the
angle of the balustrade. The hurrying figure of the sentry below caught
his eye. "Another fool!" he grumbled, looking down. "One would think
new legs grew in place of old ones, like the claws of the sea-creatures!"
But Olga of the cloak-room leaned over her checks, with her lips
curved up in a smile. "The little one!" she thought. "And such courage!
He will make a great king! Let him have his prank like the other
children, and - God bless him and keep him!"
CHAPTER II
AND SEES THE WORLD
The Crown Prince was just a trifle dazzled by the brilliance of his
success. He paused for one breathless moment under the porte-cochere
of the opera house; then he took a long breath and turned to the left. For
he knew that at the right, just around the corner; were the royal
carriages, with his own drawn up before the door, and Beppo and Hans
erect on the box, their haughty noses red in the wind, for the early

spring air was biting.
So he turned to the left, and was at once swallowed up in the street
crowd. It seemed very strange to him. Not that he was unaccustomed to
crowds. Had he not, that very Christmas, gone shopping in the city,
accompanied only by one of his tutors and Miss Braithwaite, and
bought for his grandfather, the King, a burnt-wood box, which might
hold either neckties or gloves, and for his cousins silver photograph
frames?
But this was different, and for a rather peculiar reason. Prince
Ferdinand William Otto had never seen the back of a crowd! The
public was always lined up, facing him, smiling and bowing and
God-blessing him. Small wonder he thought of most of his future
subjects as being much like the ship in the opera, meant only to be
viewed from the front. Also, it was surprising to see how stiff and
straight their backs were. Prince Ferdinand William Otto had never
known that backs could be so rigid. Those with which he was familiar
had a way of drooping forward from the middle of the spine up. It was
most interesting.
The next hour was full of remarkable things. For one, he dodged behind
a street-car and was almost run over by a taxicab. The policeman on the
corner came out, and taking Ferdinand William Otto by the shoulder,
gave him a talking-to and a shaking. Ferdinand William Otto was
furious, but policy kept him silent; which proves conclusively that the
Crown Prince had not only initiative - witness his flight - but
self-control and diplomacy. Lucky country, to have in prospect such a
king!
But even royalty has its weaknesses. At the next corner Ferdinand
William Otto stopped and invested part of his allowance in the
forbidden fig lady, with arms and legs of dates, and eyes of cloves. He
had wanted one of these ever since he could remember, but Miss
Braithwaite had sternly refused to authorize the purchase. In fact, she
had had one of the dates placed under a microscope, and had shown His
Royal Highness a number of interesting and highly active creatures
who made their homes therein.

His Royal Highness recalled all this with great distinctness, and,
immediately dismissing it from his mind, ate the legs and arms of the
fig woman with enjoyment. Which - not the eating of the legs and arms,
of course, but to be able to dismiss what is unpleasant - is another
highly desirable royal trait.
So far his movements had been swift and entirely objective. But
success rather went to his head. He had never been out alone before.
Even at the summer palace there were always tutors, or Miss
Braithwaite, or an aide-de-camp, or something. He hesitated, took out
his small handkerchief, dusted his shoes with it, and then wiped his