The Yellowstone journal., 1894-09-07
8z6zaasR4s
A PRINCESS SENT TO COVENTRY.
It was All Because She Would Ride Cycle
on Public Ways.

on Public Ways.
Bicycles caused no end of bad blood
in more senses than one, it is to be
feared - before finally obtaining the
right of citizenship among orthodox ye
hicles of the road, and, universal though
they have now become among ordinary
mortals, they have still a deal of up hill
work to accomplish before acquiring a
status among the surroundings of roy
atty. OF course prince or king may
bestride wheel" and do anything
but break a record or his neck, but
were q princess so far TO forget what
she owed to her house. her dignity and
her long line of ancestors as to patronize
this democratic means of locomotion the
whole civilized world would be expect
cd TO stand aghast at the desecration of
royalty implied by the act And this is
the horrible deed that has just been an
nounced by the telegr tph and has
thrown Italian court ci oles into cere-
monial commissions
The catastrophe occ Irred in Turin,
and the heroine and vi lim-the lady is
both-is the pretty. ac omplished young
widow, the Duchess If Aosta, who is
staying at the Castle vi Stupinigi. Prin-
oess Maria Loetizia Is a sister-in- law of
the present king o Italy, she having
married in 1883 his brother, Prince
Amadeo. duke of Aosta, who died in
1890. This lady, who is a Bonaparte,
- not merely accomplished and pretty,
but is brimfnl of life and fun and takes
positive delight in tramping upon the
rigid court ceremonial of past ages. The
last of her frolics was executed ON BIZ
cycle made for one.
She set out few days ago on one of
these tabooed vehicles accompanied by
a maid of honor and two court cavaliers,
and after long ride the party Were
flying up one of the shady avenues lead
ing 70 the palace of the dukes of Aosta
when a company of soldiers commanded
by a major met them half way, glanced
at them furtively and perhaps a trifie
too furiously or critically and marched
on without making sign. The duchess,
rendered more sensitive than usual by
the consciousness that she was trans
gressing the bounds of court etiquette,
felt hurt at not being saluted in the APP
proved fashion by the major and his
soldiers.
This was perhaps human nature, and
as such excusable- But the lively lady
went much further-she actually COM
planned of the conduct of the major,
who had. she affirmed, culpably neg
lected to salute her. The commandant of
Turin, General d 'Oncian de la Batin, at
once summoned the officer TO appear be
h a,,a a., l., no
major said he was guiltless of any Of
fense, as he did not recognize the high
born lady, oddly dressed and seated bn-
tween two wheels, and would never have
permitted himself TO think of her high
ness as a mere hicyciiat Had be known
or suspected it was she, of course he
would have etc. Gensral de la Batin,
uncertain what course to take, appealed
to the Solomonic wisdom of the war
minister 10 whom he forwarded a de.
tailed report Of the whole occurrence,
asking fer instructions as to the punish
ment to be meted out to the major,
whom he meanwhile kept in arrest. The
minister of war, if not precisely Solo
mon, was at least quite shrewd enough
to see that the ground he was treading
was courtly, if not holy, and instead Of
taking the responsibility upon himself
demanded an audience Of the king, be-
fore whom he laid the report of the
cnmmaudant
The monarch cut the gordian knot in
twinkhng. He sent a telegraphic order
to Turin releasing the major from ar
rest and entirely exonerating him III
the matter This, however, was the So
luton of Only one-half Of the question.
The remaining moiety concerned the
lively young widow, and the king sent
his bicycle loving sister-inlaw an order
fOrbidding her to attire herself in red
oOurt costume for the space Of two cal
endar months, prohibition which is
equivalent to strict domestic arrest for
that period The princess is, therefore,
absolutely invisible to the good citizens
Of Turin, who We're wont to watch and