TWO COMMON PEOPLE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 302, 18 December 1912, Page 10

TWO COMMON PEOPLE.

By REX COLVILLE.

': """ CHAPTER 11. J A PRINCE IN DISGUISE. j As the electric coupe smoothly slid forward, the rr-ranger plunged into the premised explanation. !*-The Emergency Agency," , he beean, "is one of the most powerful institutions in the world. It would be only tedious wer? I to enlarge upon the many —ah— incidents of international importance in ■which it has boer. the guiding hand. Without undue boasting. I may eafrly 6ST that, on? time or another, the destiny of nearly every civilised country hat been in its keeping. I am speakingia confidence, remember.' 3'oh. exactly." agreed Chatterton, offiSndedJy: "but you will perhaps forgive njy remarking that you are aLso talking in- Gre*k, so "far as I am concerned." •feis companion made an impatient gesture. 2* Yet you look intelligent, he remarked with a frown. -"However, doubt3eS.=. you will understand better later on." '"I daresay."' was the casual reply. "But nrfiat do you do?" ■'■We are Emergency Experts and Crisis ■Averters —or sometimes Inducers. Pracrically every royalty is on our lists of efieni. Tact its our chief commodity— tact. coupled with our very exclusive knowledge of other peopled business. Y2ur own little affair is so simple that iigwonW hardly be worth our while dabbling in it were there not other coaemeratkms dependent upon its successful outvoinp." it be too much to ask what my ottn little affair may be?" ""Not at all. A natural question. But here we are at the office. .Let us alight. I am childishly anxious to observe fcir Henry Haverford's expression when hu seas yon. He is a wonderful man—wonderful —but I do not suppose even he will be , able to conceal a faint, start of surprise." followed iiis companion up toe broad flight of steps of an imposinglooking mansion—one of the many buildings in Victoria Street that, are occupied by Government Agencies, important charitable institutions and the like. A- lift hurried them smoothly to the second floor, and a= the trelliss?d grill of, the well flew back to allow them egress, directly opposite them, across the intervening corridor, fiashrd a brass plate upon a polUhed maiojr;iny door, beirinjj ine inscription: "Th* 1 Emergency Agency." in copper-plate characters. iTae door led into an ante-room, glassclg.=eu, and here Major Chavarard exchsnzed a few brick sentences with a sfc&iJ, elderly man who had ri.-en to srrpet toern upon their entrance. The Major spoke imperatively; th? elder man rolled humble shoulders, but plainly indicated his conviction of tie impossibility ot being a; once conducted into the ciiefs presence. ; Eventually, th? Major 'srfzed the inp:;;h-pioce of a telephone and spoke rapidly therein for a minute. Then, the receiver, motioned Chatterf on to follow him. and passing swiftly through a bus} traverse.; srim was obviously a waiting-room of grotu eleganrr, and came to a stind-stiH before a tlcnr marked "Private." On thLs_iie rapped twice quickly, pansed a couple of seconds. zh<*n rapped a<ra;n. "Yes," carae the wuii.l of a singularly eweet mascnline voice, and Majr-r (_ h ;v----arnrd and his protege entered. 3£*e room was spacious; aui-terfly. but expensively furnished: gloomy, but impressive. An atmosphere of importance, oftgreet, responsibility pervaded it. J)e--spi Wl hid inns te fiipp-ancy. Humphrey Chatterton was not unconscious of a sensaSbn of aw? ?;he advanced by the side Majpr toward tho centre of the room whErp. at a husre writing-table, eat a Jjttle bald-headed, pink-faced man beamingly awaiting their spproacli. There surely was ostensibly little to inuimdate in the appearance of this chi£f_of the Emergency Agency, but perhaps it was because of this very l:\ck of a-Kfe-inspiring attributes that Chatterton was conscious of undoubtedly feelinjr impressed by a sense of his power. There ■wso something uncanny in the Thought that this benevolent, florid little man. who conveyed the impression that he would not-wijlingly hurt a fly. wielded a power which (if half the Major had hinted were trdei was coveted and sought after by th|»powerful ones of the earth. Se nodded cheerily to th» young man. anob waved a hand of invitation toward a -cbii?-: then, turning twinkling pale eyes~in tb: direction of tic Major, spoke wifh the remarkably pleasant intonation Castterton bad already heard. are indeed a jewel, Major,' , he Gratification held the Major silent; he cotfld only bow and cast an adoring glance at the little phik-faced man who, the situation, swung round upon Chatt-erton and surveyed him with pale •wiiikling eyes. f3fou are one of the lucky ones of i&ig earth," he observed genially.

For answer, the young man elevated a foot. "Yes. yes," agreed the ex-Ambassador cbeerfuily ; -"but it was your temperament, not your clothing to which I referred. We can alter your circumstances easily, but, 1 trust, leave your temperament untouched. And now to business. You seek employment V The Major rapidly rehearsed the circumstances in which he had persuaded the would-b? soldier to accompany him. "Ah, yes," mused Sir Henry at the conclusion of the recital. "I enppose, Prince Maximilian Plestich-Breiner?" The young man shook hij head. "'Never heard of him," he smiled. "Really? You are one of those imaginative people who prefer not to read newspapers?-' "No. I hare but lately returned from Lganda and MashonaJand_. and one does not get much opportunity to " "\es, yes. You have the Maehona-1-and tan. Major, just run over the salient points of the Prince's career for the benefit of our young friend." Major Chavarard complied with military conciseness and precision. "At age of twenty-three, succeeded to the throne of Plestichsßreaner. Independent State ahem! —by courtesy. Russia and Germany both godfathers. Prince suffered early from swelled head. Spendthrift, gambler, and—ah—other things. Six weeks ago Prince sends Colonel oi Guards to arrest every speaker at a reform meeting then bein? held in his capital. Shoots three of the ringleaders and deports half-a-dozen. Result—d-uee of a row. Germany says, 'shockingRussia says, 'do it again.' State "of 1 lestich-Brrener practically bankrupt through Prince's prodigalities. PTince cant borrow any more; must marry -Meets American heiress at Xice—again at Vienna. Arrives here yesterday to clinch alliance and " "And here I shall take up the romance, ' smilingly interposed the exAmbassador. -'Prince Maximilian's one chance of continuing his diverting reign is to marry a level-headed woman of undoubted spirit and enormous wealth. Urs Van Camp has entered her daughter for the competition; there is no question oi Miss Van Camp's fulfilling all j the necessary conditions." "One slight drawback exists, however, namely, that the young lady, though ultra-modern in every other essential, has the curiously old-fashioned taint of wishing to both respect and love the man who will have the squandering of her huge dowry. Mrs Van Camf. however, like a true republican, worship? rank, and is determined upon having the Prince as a son-in-law; Miss Van Camp is ambitious and will no doubt yield to persuasion. And now, here comes the little difficulty." " Ah!" exclaimed Chatterton, " and this is where I come in, eh?" " Exactly. You are the image of the Prince. No doubt my dear Major Chavarard was a triile chagrined at my not leaping to my iVrt in bewilderment at your entrance. The fact is, I have seen you before. I saw you in Bond Street, and would certainly have addressed you. thinking you were the Prince, but" for your expression. You see, I know the Prince's soul —yours (I congratulate you) i< q-nitp different. "Rut I had you followed to your Bloomsbnry boardimjho!.'."=e. and since then you have been under a benevolent surveillance. I thought you might prove useful. Our cirver Major forestalled mc." "Nothing escapes you," exclaimed the Major in admiration. Sir ITenry smiled. " Few things. I adrait. Major, just -show our young friend those interesting exhibits we have in the cabinet." A red wig, a Tong brown-red beard, and a caped mackintosh coat were displayed by the obliging Major. " Those droll theatrical properties represent Prince Max's boundaries of imagination," remarked the ex-ambassador with gontle irony. '"He called them 'a disguise.' J ' " Prince Max? Hβ is in England, thc-n ?" "" He is in the next room," was the calm reply. Chatterton looked puzzled. " Then 1 don't understand," he muttered; "for if the Prince is here himself •" "■ He has had a bullet through his leg," continued Sir Henry, dispassionately. " An intelligent Reformer shot at him— ha! ha!—as he ran." " Oh! I see. He didn't like it V " He hated it. The despotic, autocratic Prince is a complete coward." " And you want mc ?" " Yes. I want you to impersonate him. The fee is £1,000. Your task is accomplished when Miss Van Camp signs the marriage contract—an affair of, perhaps, three days." In the meantime," laughed Chatterton. "I shall be dogged by ravening Reformers and disinterested German spies." " Possibly. But it will be amusing." Chatterton'a imagination was aflame.

"It will," he exclaimed. The exAmbassador beamed, and Major Chavarard heaved a sigh of relief. " Then it but remains," began Sir Henry, when the tapestry screening a hidden door in the wall wae poshed aside, and a well-set-up, dark-complex-ioned man entered the room, leaning upon the arm of. a servant in a mulberrycoloured livery. Chatterton's eyes blinked and stared, the newcomer's eyes blinked and stared; Chatterton's in amazed amusement, the stranger's in haughty astonishment " prince," blandly exclaimed Sir Ilenry Haverford from his chair, " let mc present to you Mr Humphrey Chatterton. Mr Chatterton. this is his Highness Prince Maximilian of Plestieh-Bresner.'" Prince Max stared sourly at his counterpart. Not so Humphrey Chatterton.; for he flung himself back in his chair with a spontaneous shout of laughter. "Great Scott!" he cried between the gusts of merriment, " we're as like as two peas!" (To be continued daily->