The first American King

I. ON THE BROAD HIGHWAY 25 II. THE MAN WITH THE COCKED HAT 41 III. A STRANGE REVELATION 51 IV. SEARCHING THE FILES 61 V. THE STORY OF THE PAST 75 VI. THE STAR OF EMPIRE 85 VII....

I. “WHO ARE YOU” 207 II. VALERIE SEEKS NEWS OF THE FASHIONS 219 III. THE MASKED VISITOR 229 IV. UNFOLDING THE PLAN 251 V. A STRANGE MESSAGE 267 VI. THE NEW CHANCELLOR 284 VII. F...

The establishment of Dr. James Belden was pleasantly situated upon the southern shore of Long Island, some ninety odd miles from the city. The spacious house was fitted with eve...

At the time appointed on the following day--it was the tenth of June, 1900--Dr. Jaquet called for them and they started on one of their customary walks. The Doctor acted as guid...

The sunlight was streaming down upon their faces. They were no longer in the cave, but were lying in the outer air upon the grass, their rugs still wrapped about them. A few ste...

In spite of heat and fatigue another half-hour found them on the outskirts of the village. As they approached they were passed several times by vehicles leaving the village and...

“In the name of the King!” cried Kearns, half indignantly, half amused. “I’m sure I don’t understand what you’re driving at; but from that badge I take it you represent the Law,...

For a moment both men stood breathless, stupefied. A groan was stifled upon Kearns’ lips and he leaned heavily upon the table for support. The Professor stared blankly at the sp...

“You ancient coxcomb!” exclaimed Kearns next morning, as he watched the Professor struggling with the intricacies of a new-fangled necktie, “to think of a man more than one hund...

“You would doubtless prefer to hear how the great changes which have taken place were brought about and learn of the events which led up to them,” continued the Colonel. “For th...

So prattled away Beatrice, daughter of Colonel Sir Maynard Cuming, sprightly and eighteen, as she sat at the head of the breakfast table, and daintily served Kearns and the Prof...

“You will forgive me if my words have been too blunt,” he said courteously; “but students of sociology agree that the conditions of the present epoch had their origin in your da...

The antechamber of the King, in the great Summer Palace on the hill, was crowded with officers of the Army and Navy, financiers and statesmen, diplomats and courtiers. The offic...

“I will point out some of the notables,” said General Mainwarren to the Professor and Kearns; “they will no doubt interest you, especially such as are descendants of those known...

“Yes,” replied the Countess Brooke, “both Captain Mortimer and Captain Swords belonged to the Tenth and the Regiment was quartered at the Summer Palace at Oldport. However, Lady...

“Well, I was marveling at the beauty, the luxury and the splendor of all this, and thinking what it must cost to keep up. The thought occurred to me that the cost of this one ba...

Out of the ball-room the messenger rapidly led the way. They were whisked up on an electric elevator; and along a passage, lined with sentinels, they hurried until they reached...

“Tell me, Professor,” said Kearns to Dean at fourteen o’clock on the following day, “I’ve reason to believe I’ll need you badly in clearing up matters here. Will you help me?”

“Say, Dorothy!” cried Beatrice Cuming, sweeping into Miss Brandon’s apartment with the energy and enthusiasm of a miniature cyclone; “I’m so glad to catch you alone--so glad! I...

“Perfectly,” conceded Kearns bluntly. “Well; just as sure as ducks swim and as your air-ship flies--and mighty high and rapid is its flight, I’ll admit--so surely will my hypoth...

A last, lingering pressure of the hand, a hasty exit from the ball-room and Captain Mortimer hurried back to his post of duty. He reached the corridor, returned the salutes of t...

The movements of the pursued craft, which Professor Dean described as signals, continued for only a short time and then once more the pursued rose to a great altitude. The “Roya...

Captain Robert lost no time in carrying out the order thus received to remove the prisoners. Placing himself between them, he marched from the tent and hurried down the cañon.

“Those who come to this camp,” answered Robert gravely, “invariably arrive before daylight. I don’t think I’ll betray any very special information if I tell you in confidence th...

“General,” answered Mortimer, “your great military record, and your eminence as one of the financial powers of the land, are known to me as they are to the rest of the world. Yo...

The days passed. Captain Mortimer sat with bowed head and heavy brow, resisting Valerie’s archest smiles and brightest sallies. The fine appetite he had displayed on the occasio...

These were days of great news happenings at the palace. An officer of the Guard, Captain Stanley Mortimer, had strangely disappeared and another officer of the Guard, Captain Ra...

“I don’t like that last,” said Lady Brooke. “It sounds vindictive. By the way, I may say frankly that it’s well he returned just when he did. I was beginning to grow suspicious.”

“I have a letter to send off, dear,” answered Beatrice, “and I will go to your desk and write it. I suppose you will be back to me before I have finished.”

A murmur--faint at first--gradually swelling until it merged into a positive cry of alarm! A strange confusion without the gates, which rapidly communicated to the grounds withi...

“I was on my way to the King,” said Kearns, in rapid tones, “and was approaching Fairoaks when I perceived the air-ships and ordered the phaeromobile halted. I watched and saw i...