THE UNKNOWN
MR. KENT
GEORGE H. DORAN CO.. 1»16 COPYRIGT.
""I’m going to be perfectly frank
with yon,” he said, at last. “It does
n't matter much to me who Is the
ruler of Markon; but I like you for
the ideals you have had, and admire
jrtmr sister for wishing to stay to
Che ultimate end. And most of all.
Two got considerable at stako in
this tnyself, because John Rhodes
hasn't much uso for a man who
souses him to lose a million pounds,
and what’s more, he's a good fighter.
He does pretty much as I suggest.
(Besides, this strikes me as a pretty
(interesting proposition, and at pre
aent l haven’t much to do. Provarsk
ts promising. I admire him, too. It
iroquires courage to do what he has
done."
Ho suddenly threw the book hack
into the drawer and shoved the later
shut, with an emphatic bang, He
■arose from his chair, frowned
'thoughtfully at the lampshade, then
looked across it at the king, who
was watching him, as if fascinated
toy his heavy, square-cut (American
face. He seemod to have arrived at
an audacious resolution.
“I'll make a bargain with you,”
be said, chopping hjs sentences.
“You assist me and I’ll assist you—
under—let us say—very peculiar
conditions. If you will agree to do
exactly as 1 say. I’ll either make a
real king of you, or give you a chance
to die like a man instead of a run
away. And if we fail, we’ll fail to
gether. Rut l shall at least make an
effort to Have John Rhode's money,
anil you your throne! Re certain of
that!" »
The king looked at him hopefully,
and the chancellor with grudging
res pec!..
"I can’t, see what else I can do
but. listen," said the king. "I am
—as you see. What do you propose?”
“This,” said Kent, deliberately;
that you are to go back to your
country and fight it out; but that
you are to fight it out just as dir
ect; Umt from now onward, until
I h»re recovered the money John
Rhodes lent you, which would nat
urally mean the clearing qf Marken’s
finances arid a' restoration of peace
and industry, I am to be the absolute
untrammelled dictator of your king
dom. Not only that, but that you and
this chancellor, or any other that
1 name, are to do exactly as 1 order.
I’m to he temporarily the tyrant, the
ruler. Also that not a soul on earth
besides ourselves is to know that I
am such. I can be anything we wish,
'a visitor at court, or anything that
doesn’t matter, so long as you and
the baron here obey me impllcity,
no matter how difficult my com
mand.”
ine King gas pea ana starea at nun
«a if fascinated. while the chancel
lor went red and white by turns.
Uoth were speechless at the bold
ness of his proposition.
“Come," he said, in a friendly
bone, "you’ve everything to gain and
■othlng to lose. You've lost all you
bad, both of you. And I believe, If
you agree to give me a free hand,
that we can succeed. Administration
is, after all, largely a matter of
finance. Furthermore, if you do not
agree to this, I am compelled to take
eteps immediately to ally myself
with Provarsk, the insurgent, for
the protection of that loan which I
caused to be made, and which I re
present. Hence, after to-night, I shall
be either your friend or your enemy!
No half-way measures with me. I
must be one or the other, squarely,
uncompromisingly. You must de
cide."
The king settled back into his
chair, and appeared to hesitate and
-consider, while the chancellor fixed
bis stare on the floor, greatly per
turbed, and quite helpless. The old
dock in-the comer ticked heavily,
snd the rain lashed the windows
Audibly, as if waiting outside the
zoom wore enemies, defiant and
challeugin onslaught. The Ameri
can slowly opened his strong box a
■econd time, selected some papers
jfUit due caro, and held them toward
the king.
“That there may be doubt In your
mind, that 1 am the original mau who
made the loan to your government.
And that I am empowered by John
v&hodes to act as I deem best, you
will please read these. They will
serve as credentials."
He handed the papers to the king.
Who read them and handed them
(back; but with an Increased look of
■aspect in his eyes. His gaze shifted
back to the chancellor, then, almost
absently, so evident was his concen
tration, to the fire dogs. Plainly he
was hesitating, yet devoid of tends
or other plans, an exile, tempted to
ptange.
“If yoa were oub of money, why
4Unt you sell those manganesb
■sines you own, or a concession on
E
them for a number of years?” Kent
•asked the king as if by afterthought.
“Because I could conceive of no
on being fool enough to offer me
such a sum for a concession,” re
plied the king. “It would require
more capital or labor than I can
produce to make them pay."
Kent stared speculatively at him,
and took a turn through the room.
“I’m not certain that I wouldn't
be foolish enough to try it," he said
thoughtfully. “I’ve been well in
formed that they are valuable. Why
not grant mo a twenty-tour year con
cession, out of which I give you fen
per cent of the profit; but with this
clear agreement: that 1 am to have
full power to haudle you and your
kingdom to make them pay? It’s the
only way I can find to save Ilhodes’
money for him.”
The king lokod tempted, yet cau
tiously considerate; but did not an
swer in haste.
Kent paced the room thoughtfully,
and at last, with a kindly air, walked
across and laid his hand on the king’s
shoulder.
"You are not a king to me,” he
said, quietly. "You are just a fine,
brave young fellow, with high ideals,
who deserves a chance. I hate to
see as decent a young chap as you
are fall, irretrievably for the want of
some one to back him, and to show
him the way through. We donS’t have
kings in my country; but we have the
young fellows. And I have helped a
lot of them, when about all they
needed was some one to pat them on
the back and say, ‘It's all right. Boy.
You're not licked yet! Get up and
try. again!’ And most always, they
take heart and 50 in and win! Your
duty is to be a king! *And I now tell
you, go and be one! If you’ll do as
I say, Provarsk is much abler than I
think he is, if we don’t best him,
hand and foot. In any event, he shall
have a struggle that will make him
about the busiest usurper that ever
tried for & throne.!”
i ueKing, trained to repress display
of emotions since childhood, and
passed through the course which
makes of prlnees wooden-faced im
ages, forgot all that education as the
American progressed, and became
merely a desperate hurt human be
ing. craving friendship and support.
His lips twitched and strained under
this unexpected tender of sympathy.
They might have remained unmoved
had he walked upon the scaffold of
a guillotine, but here was a new em
otion, that rendered him defence
less. With something akin to boyish
amazement, he stared at the grim,
satirical, strong face above him as
if to make certain of the character
that offered open support in return
for secret domination, and what he
saw there gave him confidence. For
a long time he weighed the situa
tion with all its alternatives, asking
now and then cautious questions and
receiving reassuring answers. At
last, quite like one taking a final
and desperate chance, he made his
decision. He stood to his feet, as be
fitted the gravity of the situation,
and said, very simply, "I accept The
concession is yours, and I put my
self completely in your hands be
cause I trust you and because I have
no other recourse. Our agreement is
one of honour, to last until you have
secured your superior’s money, or
by your own word release me from
further obligation.”
’’That is fair; very fair,” Kent re
plied, with equal gravity. “And you
may trust me to make my stay as
brief as possible, because I've no
wish for the job.” He paused a min
ute and added with one of his rare,
half-humorous smiles, “You see, the
fact is, I never have run a kingdom
before. Once when I was young, I
ran a sawmill, and after all, running
kingdoms and sawmills are not
much different. Both consist in seeing
that the work is well done.”
The king extended his hand to
the financial age.it. who took it, and
for an instant held it, and studied
the king's face as if to make a last
appraisement of this material with
which he must work.
“And I take it that the chancell
or—”
“For more than 20 years, as a boy
and man,” Von Glutz rumbled, “I
have served the house of His maj
esty. And behind me are four gen
erations of my name who have also
given all they had to give. I ask
nothoing but to serve. The king’s
wish is to me an order.”
“Phew! That's going some! Takes
me back to a gallery seat at a mek
odrama,” Kent said in English,
much to the chancellor’s bewilder
ment. But with the chancellor, too*,
the American shook hands as if
this were to seal a binding contract,
and then, almost abruptly, he swung
round to hs desk, seated himself.
and was the man In command. Hla
head appeared to aet more doggedly
his voice to become more crisp and
authoritative.
"I’ll take your word for the con
cession until we can draw it up.
Now who is this friend of whom you
spoke?” he asked the king.
“Baron Von Hertz, distantly re
lated, who dwells most of the time in
a modiaeval castle he has hehablli
tated. It is less thanten mile from
Jforken.”
“And you can depend on him?”
“Implicitly. On him and all his
followers and tenants.”
"And how far is his castle from
here?"
"About 30 miles, I should think. ’
"All right. We shall have to use
the car the princess arrived in. We
threewill start at once.”
"And leave my sister here alone—
undefended?”
Kent stepped to the door, and
turned back to answer over his
shoulder.
"No, I shall leave my man- Ivan to
guard her. She will be as safe as if
we three were here.”
He was gone from thte room but
a few minutes and when he reurned
was clad in a heavy raincoat, and
carried in his hand a light sporting
rifle. He was very brusque and de
termined in the directness with
which he crossed the room, posses
sed himself of a magazine pistol, ex
amined the clp to make sertain that
it was filled, and gave an order that
was entirely devoid of preference.
“You will now call in Captain Paulo
and instruct him,” he said. “Also
there must be no forgetfulness of
our relative positions. You are now
and hereafter to be my mouthpiece.
You are still the king. You will give
such odrers as I give you as your
own, obey my instructions, and see
that they are carried out as if they
were your own. Yon understand
thoroughly?”
Both the king and chancellor bow
ed, the latter with a quick military
salute of acquiescence.
"Summon Captain Paulo,” said
the king, accepting his new role;
and when; in answer to the stentor
ian hail of the chancellor through
the lattice, the officer appeared, the
king commanded, evenly, as if noth
ing unusual could be found in the
situation, “Captain Paulo, bring
the car around to the door, headed
in the opposite direction. We return
to our kingdom."
The officer's youthful face flashed
to exultation.Almost he voiced it!
but recovered and saluted, while
his eyas danced with satisfaction. He
would have turned to obey, but the
king restrained him.
"Just a moment, Panlo,” he said.
"Mr. Kent accompanies us, and will
remain with ns for some time. It is
my wish that you obey anything he
ass as you do me. Do you now the
road from hre to the Castle Hertz?"
yurnj wen, cure.
“Then it is there that you are to
tae us.”
Kent gave his first direct order to
the officer a few minutes later as the
three men climbed into the car.
“Drive” he said. “Drive lie the
devil!”
And the car, with big headlights
ablaze, roared its way down the vil
lage street, sldded as it made a sharp
turn, and then leaped out on a long
straight road lie a raver reaching
for a goal.
For what seemed to Kent a long
and peril ions time, the car jolted
and slipped, and ran at a fearsome
speed over long level stretches, up
hills, over mountains roads, and at
last rushed noisily up a harsh incline
and across what he surmised had
once been a moat bridge, to come to
a halt in a courtyard, where it stood
and straeamed lie aspent racer finish
ing a course.
“Well! What’s wanted?”
A night watchman, flashing an
electric torch, challenged them, and
they climbed out ot observe that the
storm was abating, that off on one
horizon stars were shining through
a cloud opening, and that they stood
in front of a huge and gloomy old
pile that Kent new must be the Cas
tle Hertz.
“The 4iaron is within?” ased the
chancellor.
“Without d doubt. And asleep as
such an honorable man should be.”
was the watchman’s surly response.
"He must be aroused,” grunted the
chancellor.
“Not by me!” exclaimed the watch
man. “I’m an old man with a family
dependent upon me. Can’t you gen
tleman wait until morning?”
"You go and tell your master thae
—” Von Glutz began in a horase
bluster, but was qnietly elbowed
aside by the American, who contin
ued the sentence as if it were his
own.
“That three gentleman have called
here in the most urgent haste and
can not be delayed. Also that we are
on the ing's business. Here! This
may help you!”
He slipped a gold coin into the
wachman's hand, which the lat^r
took, inspected under the light of
the torch, bit to make certain that
he was not dreaming, and acknow
ledged by doffing his cap and bctv
Ing very deeply.
“It mist be on the king’s business.*
he declared. “No one else could po»
sibly have that much money in these
times. Sir. I'll take a chance.
“Wonderful what one can accomp
lish by diplomacy,” Kent remarked,
dryly, as the watchman ambled a.
round to a side entrance and dis
appeared. A long wait ensued which
indicated either that the Baron Von
Hertz might have been hard to awak
en, or had calmly murdered his
watchman and reaurned to his re
pose. And then when Kent was be
ginning to be annoyed, a huge door
in front of them opened, a light
glowed within, and they were invit
ed to enter.
“I trust,” observed the watchman,
meaningly, as he conducted them to
ward a waiting room, “that you
gentleman are really on the king’s
business. Otherwise I fear that my
Lord tire baron will prove—ahem!
a trifle unpleasant. Ac first he swore
that he wouldn’t get up for the king
himself. It was not until I suggested
you might be robbers, and there was
a prospect of a good fight, that he
consented to arise. He is now loading
his shot gun. Pray be seated.”
“Must be a pleasant old chap!”
said Kent, with a soft chuckle.
But the king, failing to see any
humor in the situation, threw him
self wearily into a chair without
removing his hat or coat, and stretch
ed his legs in front of him and stared
at his boots. The watchman took his
post outside the doorway, and then,
by afterthought, switched on the
lights in the corridors, and brought
the waiting room to full blaze. Kent,
as idly as any tourist, personally
conducted, and endowed with a con
noisseur’s knowledge, stared around
at the fine old wainscoting and pol
ished floors. He acted as if calling
out a baron of the realm of Marken
at three o'clock in the morning were
an every night occurrence with him.
He was disturbed by a sharp “Ahem!
in the doorway and looked around
to discover a tall, gaunt, white-whis
kered old gentleman whose bald
head was protected by a flaming red
night cap, and who carried a heavy
fowling piece in a perfectly 'willing
to use it on slight provocation. The
three men stood to there feet and
for a moment he glared at them, then
entering the room, hastily deposited
the shotgun in a corner, turned his
head and bawled to the watchman,
“It’s alright! Go on outside and watch
the weather. I’m expecting a hail
storm.”
After that he came quickly for
ward and offered both hands to his
soverereign.
"Well, Carl, what is up now? What
brings you here at this time of night?
Some one been lifting the lid to let
the sulphur out?..’
“Provarsk,” replied the king, sen
timentality.
me oia man smmieu a rye smile,
nodded to Von Glutz, and favoured
Kent with a harsh stare from under
his scowling yeybrows.
“It’s alright said the king. "We
can talk freely. This is an American
gentleman, Mr. Kent, who is the a
geei. for John Rhodes, the financial
magnate.”
“Oh! Can’t he collect interest In
daylight?" demanded the irascible
old man. "Since when did you begin
to make night Journeys with money
lenders?"
Kent stood unmoved; but the king
rushed to his defence.
“Baron.” he asserted, steadily,
"Mr. Kent has proved to be my
friend. As much as certain you will
regard him."
“Pardon me," the American inter
jected, "I do not seek the baron’s
friendship.”
Before the amazed old gentler'an
could recover, Kent walked directly
across the intervening space until
he confronted him.
“Whether you like me or not,
whether you object to me or noe. My
Lord Baron, Is to me the very slight
est importance. There is but one al
titude I expect from you, that which
is current between gentleman, and
consists of courtesy. That I demand!"
There was %n Intense stillness in
’’the 'room as they eyed each other,
Kent inflexible, the king distressed,
and the chancellor open-mouthed
at such unmompromising words. The
old baron was the most effected and
stood as if stupified with astonish
ment. For a pregnant time he met
Kent’s stare and then suddenly chuc
kled in his throat with a queer, wise
acceptance. He turned to the king
and exploded, much as an explorer
might have done on announcing a
discovery. “Wh. Kearl! You’ve got
a friend who is a man! By Saint
Dominique! This is a man!”
The chancellor twisted and frown
ed. The caustic inference was not
lost upon him; but he had no oppor
tunity for speech, for the baron ad
vanced to the American, put out his
hand and exclaimed, “My kinsman
needs a few like you. It should
straighten affairs out, unless I mis
take.”
For a time they stood and eyed
each other, the one stalfartin devel
oped strength, the other elderly,
weak, and wise.
(To be Continued Next WeeX>
lEt-DilEB
KILLED TBYING TO
Charles Stevens, 58, of Bristol
England, Is Killed in Attempt
to Shoot the Falls in a Bar
rel.
Chicago Tribune Special to The Sioux
City Tribune.
Niagara Falls. N. Y.. duly 12.—
Charles Stevens. 58, of Bristol,
England, Committed Suicide
Sunday morning by going over
the Horseshoe or Canada falls of
Niagara in a barrel in an effort
to emulate the previously suc
cessful feat of Anne Edson Tay
lor and (Bobbie) Leach. Stevens
reached the Canadian side of the
river some few days ago and be
gan to study the falls and river
locally with a view of determin
ing the possibilities of making a
successful trip. Ho viewed the
river above and below the falls
and to many expressed the view
that the barrel he had brought
along with him would carry him
safely through the upper rapids
and over the big dip of the
Horseshoe.
Sunday morning about 8 o’clock.he
and his party gathered on the Can
adian side of the upper river. On
the mainland about midway up the
shore opposite Navy island he crept
into the barrel, which was' equipped
with apparatus said to have been de
signed by Professor Hill, of England,
so as to give him an air supply of
about eight hours. The harness was
put over his head and he took the
mouthpiece in his mouth before
lfiends bade him farewell. His air
was confident and he showed little
or no fear. Others had made the trip,
why not he? A motor launch towed
him and his barrel to midstream.
Down, Down, Down.
And then downstream as far as it
was safe to go. There the final
fastenings were made over the man
hole and a rap on the outside of the
barrel was the signal that told
Stevens he was adrift on the bosom
of the Niagara only a few hundred
feet up from the awful precipice over
which* only two had gone and live
to tell the tale.
i-iown, down, down the swift cur
rent carried the barrel. The people on
shore stood transfixed at the sight of
the approach of the strange craft
with its human freight toward the
jumping , off place of the waters in
their drop from the higher to the tow
er level. Twenty-six minutes elapsed,
and for this period of time the people
stared with their eyes fairly sticking
from their heads in their following of
the barrel.
It had passed through the rapids
and floated through the more quiet
water to the horseshoe. A second
more and it. dropped out of sight and
then the scene of the tragedy was
transferred from the tipper to the
lower river. How these anxious
trends on shore on both banks
watched forfthe barrel to emerge from
the foot of the falls, as had the Tay
lor and Leach barrels years ago. They
looked and watched in vain. The tu
multuous currents of the boiling
waters at the base of the waterfall
delivered the barrel in pieces to the
bosom of the lower river and later,
boatmen further down the stream,
picked up some of these pieces and
carried them ashore to the Asher
Sovereign, as Stevens faith in his
ability to conquer Niagara.
Hurled Out of Barrel?
Friends on the river banks found it
hard to believe and read that Stevens
had failed in his effort.
The conclusion of all this is that
Stevens’ barrel dropped beside the
falling sheet water instead of being
cast out to the front of it as had the
other barrels which had safely made
the trip—in falling beside the sheet
water the barrel would make an aw
ful plunge onto the rocks of the cliff.
WILSON GIVES MARCH
CROSS FOR SERVICE
Washington, July 12.—By direction
of President Wilson, a distinguished
service cross was awarded today to
General March, chief of staff of the
army, for gallant services in Philip
pines. The citation reads
"Gen. Payton C. March, (then lieu
tenant in the Astor battery) for ex
traordinary heroism in action before
Manila, P. I., August 13. 1898. He
gallantly led a charge on the enemy's
breastworks, volunteers having been
called for by the brigadier general,
commanding.”
WIDOW OF NAPOLEON III
DIES IN SPAIN
London, July 12.—The Empress
Eugenie, widow oi Napoleon 111 of
France, died Sunday afternoon in
Spain, according to a report by the
Exchange Telegraph Company.,
Eugenie had American blood in her
veins, her grandfather on her moth
er’s side having been UV illiam Kirk
patrick, United States consul in Ma
laga. Her father, count of Montigo
and grandee of Spain, brought her up
in the court circles of Madrid.
The empress celebrated her 94th
birthday last May._
U. S. FLYEPS TO AID
POLISH SOLDIERS
New York. July 12.—Six members
of the American Flying club have
responded to the recent call from
Poland for members to volunteer for
service In the Kosciusko Escadrille
against the bolshevists.
Names of volunteers announced to
day included H. M. Winkler. Granger.
Tex., who served in the Royal Air
Force during the war. was brought
down and captured by the Germans,
later escaping.
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rn rni/l fO WSITIVtl* REMOVED by Dr. Barrr*
FRECKLES ~~
• nhWHLLW Co. 2978 Michigan Avonuo. Chicago.
.. 1 " _»
1920 Style.
In an Indianapolis barber shop a
man got a shave, haircut and tonic and
gave the boss burlier a dollar bill,
which the latter rang up as be said,
“Just right.”
After about a minute the customer
exclaimed: “The only difference be
tween you and Jesse James is that
Jesse had a horse."
“There is a bigger difference than
that," replied the boss barber; “Jesse
was a piker. Why, I’ve got a seven
pnJfcsenger car.”—Indianapolis News.
ASPIRIN
Name “Bayer” on Genuine
»3V VI.
“Buyer Tablets of Aspirin” Is genu
ine Aspirin proved safe by millions
and prescribed by pliysielans for over
twenty years. Accept only an unbroken
“Bayer package” which contains proper
directions to relieve Headache, Tooth
ache, Earache, Neuralgia, Rheumatism,
Colds and I’nin. Handy tin boxes of 12
tablets cost few cents. Druggists also
sell larger “Bayer packages." Aspirin
Is trade mark Bayer Manufacture Mon
oacetieacidester of Salicylicacid.—Adv.
Will Build Homes for Employees.
_ One of the largest London dry-goods
merchants, with a view of doing his
bit toward overcoming the housing
shortage and also to enable his own
employees to secure houses at reason
able rates, and with no desire to make
; even a penny profit, recently acquired
ja large tract of land with Hie inten
. tion of budding thereon several hun
' dred dwelling houses which could be
; let at reasonable rates.
f
I
f
Now is the Time to Get Rid of
'« These Ugly Spota.
There’s no longer the .slightest of
, feeling ashamed of your fireckleK, as Othlne
i —double strength—is guaranteed to remove
these homely spots.
Simply get an ounce of Othine—double
; strength—from your druggist, and apply a
little of it night and morning and you
should soon see that even the worst freckles
have begun to disappear, while the lighter
: ones have vanished entirely. It is seldom
.that more than one ounce Is needed to com
pletely clear th° skin and gain a beautiful
clear complexion.
Be *ure to ask for the double strength
Othine. as this Is sold under guarantee of
money back if it falls to remove freckles.
Burglars Helped Him Out.
*For a year D. T. McRoberts. a busi
ness man at Xetv Castle, l’n„ bad not
:been able to open his safe on account
jof the combination being lost, and so
I had been unable to get at papers and
;other property inside tlu* safe. One
‘night recently burglars broke it open,
ifound no money, left the papers and
oilier property, and Mr. McRoberts felt
very much obliged.
FARMERS ABE WORKING HARDER
And using their feet more tlnn ever before.
For all these workers the frequent use of
Alien’s Foot = Ease. the antiseptic, healing
powder to be shaken into the shoe, and
sprinkled in the foot-bath, increases their
efficiency and insures needed physical com
fort. It takes the Friction from the Shoe,
freshens the feet, and prevents tired, ach
ing and blistered feet. Women everywhere
are constant users of Allen’s Foot = Fase.
Don’t gee foot sore, get Allen’s Foot=Eaae.
Sold by dealers everywhere.—Adv.
Objection.
Knicker—Why is .Jones resigning his
Job?
Docker—He hasn't got enough not to
do.—New York Sun.
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