Warren sheaf., 1899-06-08
FAMOUS KINGS WE
HAVE MET .@..
By wardon Allen Curtis.

suppose it's wrong for a free-born
American to say he would like it, but
l acknowledge that I would. How
sver, as that's impossible, I should at
least like to. sec king and converse
with him." ~ IF " e Z
Il can't say that I ever saw real
king" said the Rhode Islander who had
been in the French navy; "but once
saw man who claimed to be king.
One night, when the Arethuse was
lying in French port, and it was my
watch on deck, was startled by. feel
ing hand upon my shoulder and hear
ing a strange voice whisper:
Il am the king of France; don't tell
anybody that I'm here
II turned and saw rather imposing
looking man with wild, rowing eye.
would like to grant your request,
said I, but it is my duty to report your
presence here, sir. 1 shall have to tell
the admiral
Please don't tell anybody They
will execute me- said he. If you'll not
tell, I'll make you a baron when get
my throne
huG tIeiC 5 Gue duulId1 l. III nave
to tell him that you are here
"'Well, offer him a marquisate from
me as the price of his silence, and, if
he'll espouse my cause and deliver up
the fleet, I'll make him a duke and
commander of the royal navy. have
an army ready on shore, and now
want naval force
Io ~
told him about the stranger.
Undoubtedly the republic is in dan
ger, said the admiral, and I'm glad of
1t. There isn't enough pomp and glory
about it. Here may be chance for
us to win renown, Baxter. I have fore
seen a royalist uprising for some time.
The Paris correspondents for those
American papers you lent me have been
finding out things about the threat
ened royalst uprising which people
over here have not seemed to know any
thing about, and here the uprising is.
What salary does he intend to give to
the commander of the navy? What did
he look like? Is it the Due de Chartres
or the Comte de Paris?'
! 4 have never met those gentlemen
said I. They never have been in Rhode
Island that know Of -
II brought the royal parsonage into
the cabin. The admiral whispered to
me that he didn't recognize him as
any of the pretenders. Nevertheless,
he addressed him respectfully and
asked him about his chances of secur-
ing the throne.
'''I have all army of 100000 men col
agents tell me that the country is ready
to rise tonight and proclaim me
Charles the Eleventh Tomorrow -.
My king, salute you,' said the
admiral, kneeling. y s"af - 800 j.
Just then four men rushed into the
cabin and handcuffed the monarch.
"'EIa!' cried the admiral, drawing
his sword. 'Vive lie roi Ia republique!
What does this mean? Unhand his
majesty. Arrest all traitors present.
Is the plot crushed? Is there to be
glorious monarchy, or is the beloved
republic safe?'
"'Plot. monarchy?' asked one of the
strangers What are you talking
about? This is an escaped lunatic-a
man afflicted with a mania that he is
the dispossessed king of France. We
take him back to the asylum he came
from
"'Perhaps so; but not so fast. There
may be plot against the republic here.
Call the guard, Baxter and in a mo-
ment the lunatic and four keepers were
surrounded.
ALLOW us to CO. said the head keep
er. He is only a madman.'
""This is serious thing said the an-
miral. Even a pretended pretenderma
deceive some one. The French are mer-
curial people, alas! and this madman
wight have started revolution had
he not been seized at the start by one
SO firm in hisallegiance to the republic
as I. He may escape from the asylum
again, and by deceiving the people be-
come a source of great danger. Let the
officers of the fleet be summoned to a
Court-martial.'
1.-The officers assembled, and, as sure
as shooting, the court-martial adj.
judged the poor old lunatic guilty OF
treason. So he was hanged at the yard
arm"
''Was anything done about the hang
ing?" asked the storekeepcr.
Nothing, except that the admiral re-
ceived a sword of honor and the thanks
of the govern ment,"" said the Rhode Is
under who had been in the French
navy.
Il never knew no kings" said the ex-
sergeant of the Devonshire Blues, "but
I met a sultan once.
''It was arter the Chinese war, and
our troop-ship put in at some. is
land inhabited by a Chinese sort OF
people, governed by a man what called
'isseH sultan. The sultan sent word
that any of US could call on i'm if they
wanted to- but it turned out thatHIs
was the only man what went. s,r
when [ got to the palace I was taken
to the all where the sultan was, and
they told me to crawl on my lands and
knees I objected e and said Twol1ld