Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-10-11
THE KING AND THE IDIOT.

Of Prussia.
He is here, SIRE
The idiot entered
There was a moment Of silence. The
kings eyes, like hands, searched the
captive Behind him, drawn up stifiy,
two -de-camp stood counting their
heart beats, and a clock on the wall
licked out the seconds monotonously.
"Ah!" said the king, with his eyes
fixed on the fellows face.
The head was ignOble, with bristling
hair, with dead, lackluster eyes. 1t was
not a head; it was a mass of clay
modelled in human semblanCe. Saliva
dripped necessarily from the pendulOus
lips, and it hardly seemed possible that
human soul could be imprisoned in
such a bestial specimen of manhood.
1t was pathetic.
"And what do you think of him,
gentlemen? Speak French before him.
What do you think?"
THAT he is not an idiot as he pre-
tends to be, sire, and that you can per.
fectly we'll question him"
You are the man." the king began,
"who escaped from the hands of my
grenadiers on the night Of the 18th of
this month with secret information for
NJ. de CheVert." He stretched out his
hand and took up a paper which he
showed the prisoner The man looked
down on the ground.
Eyes" remarked the officer, "he also
pretends to be deaf and dumb. He is a
clever rascal" and he gave the prisoner
a shove. The idiot looked at the Prus-
sian and laughed silently.
81 insist" continued the king. Here
is a letter advising me of your mission.
You are discovered. Drop this farce
and answer"
The idiot gazed about him stupidity.
For some time an old general had
been studying the captive closely. He
was white-haired man, of some i'm
pOrtance evidently. He drew near.
Il recognize you, monsieur lie mar
Quis," he said.
The boy did not seem to hear a word.
His head nodded slowly and water ran
out of his mouth. Silence again, and
the clock licked out the second. 1t was
pathetic.
1t was you," the king continued,
'who advised NJ. de Chevert, who had
taken up a position near Achem, to Or
der up another corps formed of the
regiments of Navarro, Auvergne. and
40 companies Of grenadiers. " *"
The idiot was intently watching a fly
crawling along the floor, and suddenly
stamped at it with a resoundng
thwack
- and two brigades Of cav
airy. in order to attack Halberstadt.
Is that correct, monsieur?' concluded
the king
Only the clock replied.
The old general turned to the king.
Il am absolutely certain, sire" he
said. that this man is the Marquis
Antoine de Keryerscop de Coadilo OF
Brittany. Two of his brothers are in
Cheryert's army, and he aIso-au OF
them brave, and known as the 'slasher
On the 10Th he had a beard: today he
has none. That is the only difference
l know you we'll" he contin-
ued, looking at the prisoner. A gentle
man would have clean teeth OpeI
your mouth"
The poor wretch did not seem to I'M
derstand. A Prussian grenadier was
called in He seized the idiots neck
and opened his mouth by sheer force
The teeth were fairly filthy, as frightfu
as a lepers. This made the genera
furious.
"Oh he is bright! He is deep!" the
old bear exclaimed.
The idiot started forward a step and
caught up a chair. He turned it inane
ly around by its back and final,
dropped it, probably ignoring it's use
Suddenly, squeezing his eyelids tightly
together, he pulled out an eyelash witt
jerk
He is clever! He is clever!" re
peated the bear
But the scene had made a great i'm
preston upon the young aides-de
camp. They turned pale and one o
them murmured: He is really crazy
look at him."
The idiot gazed around him helpless
ly with vacant stare With his huge
tremulous head and hideously leerin
face he seemed the incarnation of mis-
cry and stupidity. 1t was pathetic.
He will never speak," remarkc
some one.
The king began to reIent
Il can not discover any signs Q
aristocracy in this poor fool" he sait
Don't be too hasty. general. TIL
French spy certainly has done us
great deal Of harm. but what if thi
man is innocent?"
The young officers looked eagerly 2
the king.
The old general leaned against tn
wall for a few moments to gather h
thoughts. With folded arms he stoo
growing from time to time: He is
sharp one! He is bright!" Suddenl
he seized a pistol, stepped behind tn
idiot, and fired at the floor close to h
feet The fame and smoke leaped {
the ceiling, but the fellow RENAME
perfectly impressive.
The king laughed.
"Well, what do you think OF hi