The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-01-04

IILHELMINA or Holland, the lnde-
hAI pendent little girl queen. is TO be
w welded soon. After disturbing
the peace of half the cabinets OF
Europe with ominous anticipations in
regard to her intentions. to say nothing
/. of turning the heads of asl the royal
bachelors OF marriageable age. Wilhel-
nina selected a totally unthought or
prince OF an obscure house--a man with
no great prospects and no fortune. The
public is officially assured that the
match is entirely a love affair. and. on
Wilhelmina's part at least, there Is no
doubt that strong affection exists, but
there Is disquieting story 20 the effect
that her fiance. dazzled by ambition,
sacrificed his love for an obscure Ger
man princess to become the consort OF
the cleverest, most dashing and most
beautiful queen i'm Europe. or course,
there may be not "a grain OF truth In
the story. for Jealousy Is quality not
unknown even TO royal breasts. and
there are many disappointed courts in
Europe which are prone 10 look upon
the darker aspects of the approaching
marriage OF the little queen.
The story OF Wilhelmina's courtship
Is a pretty one. She met her promised
husband. Duke Henry of Mecklenburs
Schwerin. at the German court when
she was visiting there with her mother.
The young man was n lieutenant and
was sometimes called upon 10 attend
Queen Wilhelminl and her mother.
Queen Emma, wher they We're In need
OF military escort
on one expedition the royal carriag !,
met with an accident, and the young
man by his promptness averteG possible
injury TO the ladies'. He showed his
tact by escorting then. their accident
having left them In a somewhat dishev-
eled state, back 10 Potsdam by a Sc
eluded way. where they We're In no dan
ger OF meeting any one.
The acquaintance thus favorably be-
gun was kept up unknown TO the Ger
man emperor, who had intended that
the rich little queen should marry his
second son, Prince Frederick. One day.
quite by chance. he discovered the state
of affairs and sent young Duke Henry
out OF the way until Wilhelmina and
her mother had left the German court.
The circumstance that enlightened
The kaiser was a matter of gossip in
Berlin for weeks. The very afternoon
after the incident of the carriage Duke
Henry while in attendance upon the
kaiser and his guests scratched his
hand upon an iron fence the blo1i
squirting forth freely. Wilhelmina. who
with her mother, was then in conversa-
;ion with the German emperor, noticed
the accident and sprang TO the assist
ance OF the duke. wrapping the wound
with her own lace handkerchief EN-
peror William made no secre. OF his
disa pprobation, but attributed IL To WI.
helmina's lack of respect for he. elders
Soon after this the young lieutenant of
rhasseurs was transferred elsewhere
tut not before he had declared TO VIII
he!n,na mis- love for her. The incident
IS said Ia have occurred i'm Sans Souci
par',
But" said the royal coquette after
Duke Henrys avowsl, they say that
Prince Frederick also loves me. What
OF him" ?"
Too loyal TO press his suit against
'nc son of his sovereign and patron,
Duke Henry bowed his profound de-
spair and was about 10 retire. feeling
that his love was hopeless, when VIII
heimina. giving him her hand. said in
German:
- desire 10 know thee better"
The courtship was continued at the
home of the mother of Duke Henry at
Schwarzbure- -Eudolstadt. There the
young lovers had an cxcellent opportu-