L.P.M. : The End of the Great WarBarney, J. Stewart (John Stewart)
Science
L.P.M. : The End of the Great War
Barney, J. Stewart (John Stewart)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Fiction
“And you can enjoy watching them as they sit around, licking their
chops,” interjected Edestone, “as they think of the dainty morsel you
will make when they eat you alive tomorrow. Be careful. We want no
false steps, and there are some pretty skittish ponies in the Emperor’s
stable. He can hold in check his plough horses, but these young
thoroughbreds are getting nervous at the post.”
“Well,” said Lawrence, “I never was very strong for these Prussians, but
they made a hit with me tonight in the way in which they started for
you. They were a pretty fine looking lot of handsome young chaps,” and
curling an imaginary moustache, he continued: “Almost as good as our
eleven of 1903,” and they both stood and toasted grand old Harvard, and
he was leaving the room singing, “Here’s to dear old Harvard, drink her
down!” when Edestone called him back and said:
“Lawrence, get one of the Embassy automobiles and I will drop you on the
way.”
Edestone, whereas he knew that his movements were being watched and that
this meeting had been arranged, if not by the German General Staff, by
some of its female lieutenants, was determined to show them that he did
not intend to compromise this little Princess by calling upon her at
that hour of the night in a secretive manner.
All was perfectly quiet in the streets, and the automobile was allowed
to pass without interruption. When he arrived at the Palace he imagined
that the coast had been cleared for him, for on entering he discovered
that there was some sort of an entertainment going on, which would have
necessitated the presence of waiting automobiles on the outside, which
were conspicuous by their absence.
He was evidently expected, and was immediately conducted to a small
room. He could hear music and laughter in another part of the Palace,
but saw no one except the flunkeys in the hall.
The room into which he was shown was evidently one of those used by the
family in their home life, as was shown by the papers, books, and fancy
work lying about.
The situation would ordinarily have been most amusing to him, and had he
not been so occupied with such serious matters, and had there been less
of a difference in their ages and social positions, he would have
enjoyed the excitement of a mysterious rendezvous with this extremely
charming and attractive young woman.
He was thoroughly conscious of her attractions, and though he might have
denied the necessity of this, in thinking of her he always kept before
his mind the fable of the fox and the sour grapes.
He was kept waiting for about fifteen minutes, and he began to wonder if
the whole thing had not been arranged, and would not have been surprised
if when the door quietly opened he had seen von Lichtenstein or even the
Emperor himself instead of a very much frightened little woman.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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