Evening star., 1899-10-14
MEETING ROYALTY UNAwaREs.
Adventures of People With Kings and
queens They Didn't Know


Many amusing stories are told of the ad-
ventures of royal personages when they
nave divested themselves of what may be
called their official dress and assumed the
gulse of ordinary mortals. And no one
loves more to tell these tales of misadven-
ture than the royalties themselves
The czar still recounts the story of an
experience he had some years ago in Scot
land. 1t was in the early days of his cy-
cling enthusiasm, and he was riding in
company with Princess Maud. When the
royal cyclists We're walking with their ma
chimes up one of the steep hills near Bal
moral they overlook an old Scotsman, who
wished them good day" and seemed dis
posed for gossip.
The young pair entered into the spirit OF
the adventure, and chatted merrily about
their cycling until they reached the top of
the hill. Before they remounted the garru-
machines, and said: 'Weel, weel, they're
grand things for you toon lasses and lad
dies" When they had got out of hear
ing the royal pair literally laughed until
they cried, and the car even yet answers
to the name of the toon laddie among
his cousins.
Not many months ago the German en-
peror sustained quite a shock Like King
Leopold of Belgium, the kaiser loves occa-
sionally to take a solitary ramble in the
country. One day last summer while at
Potsdam he had wandered further than
usual, and at dusk found himself. dusty
and weary still a dozen miles from the
place When at this stage country
woman driving a cart overlook him ne
greeted her politely and asked her to al
low him to take a seat in the cart. The
woman looked down critically at the dusty
and diSheyeled man, and, whipping up her
horse, said, Not me; don't like the looks
of you"
Some distance ahead a mounted patrol
STOnnpi uha Ia
emperor had said to her. The kaiser2"
she queried in amazement. What kaiser?''
Then, as the truth gradually dawned on
her, she turned pale, gave a frightened look
at the dusty figure coming nearer, and
drove rapidly away.
Ex-Queen Emma of the Netherlands and
her daughter. the queen of today, had
many amusing experiences in their wan
derings incognito. Last summer when
they were staying at one of the hotels in the
Tyrol, the young queen won all hearts by
her sweetness of disposition and vivacity.
There was one young EngliShman who was
SO overcome by her charms that he fol-
lowed her everywhere in spite of a froWn
ing mamma, and, it must be said, with
some mischievous encouragement from the
daughter His attention at last became so
marked that one day the young girl and
her mother disappeared without warning,
and 1t was only some days after that the
young Englishman learned, through the
papers, that the young lady he had wooed
so persistently was the girl queen of Hol-
laSd-
Many good stories are told of the curious
adventures of Queen Margaret of Italy on
her mountaineering excursions. The story
of how she entertained party Of tourist
climbers in one of the mountain huts is
well known, but few have heard of an
other little adventure which befell her this
summer The queen, whose energy is al
ways the envy and despair of her suite,
had wandered away from her attendants,
and had not only lost her way, but was
both hungry and fatigued. when she saw
peasants cottage in the distance.
Making her way to it, her knock was an
swered by an old peasant woman, whom
she asked for rest and refreshment. Come
in, my dear. and welcome the kindly old
peasant said. The queen entered and in
sisted on helping her hostess to prepare the
simple meal of milk and bread. When the
belated attendants reached the cottage
they found the queen and the old woman
gossiping and eating with all the freedom
of old friends and ii was not until some
days later. when a handsome present ar
rived at the cottage, that the woman learn
ed how she had entertained her queen.