Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-10
The Royal Marriage
BY FRANCIS oRIBBLE.
Author Of THE Englishmsn's Prisoner" etc, etc.

Copyright. 1903. by T.. c. McClure)
The Princess was young and beautiful.
dark-haired. dark-eyed, with possibilities
Of passion, unaroused as yet. She was
self-villed. too, as her mother. the Queen
Regent. found, when the time came to
marry her.
II shan't marry him." she said. stamp
ing her foot petulantly. You can't make
me. You know you can't. II you try to
I'll scream right in the middle OF the we'd
ding"
II was a thing she was quite capable Of
doing, unless she was carefully managed,
so the Queen Regent had to explain the
reasons why the marriage was deemed
necessary. The bridegroom elect vas OF
the family Of the pretender to her little
brothers throne. To unite the two fami-
lies by marriage was the only means OF
staving of a certain civil war and a very
possible revolution.
Then / know / shall hate him. said
the Princess. 1T is my duty 10 hate him.
His father fought against us and killed
my countrymen."
The Queen Regent explained as dellcately
as she could that the people who had been
killed we're OF no particular Importance,
that IL was only the dynasty that mattered,
NH9N INN AAoA VI Us ~ "a oA ~
account be let to slip.
Besides" she added, hes very nice
and very good looking. When you see
him you'll fall in love with him"
Il shan't, and what's more, / won't
answered the Princess.
well, you've got to marry him, whether
you fall in love with him or not" r~etortet
the Queen Regent. And as for your threat
Of screaming in church
She did not even trouble to finish the
sentence, but proceeded with her prepare.
lions for the wedding, her sons Interest,"
being far more to her than her daughter
whims.
Hes coming next week to be presented
she announced, a little later.
II don't care" said the Princess. I'm
going to be rude to him, so that he won
want to marry me-"
But a beautiful young woman's rudenesi
does not always have the effect that sh.
anticipates. 1t did not in this instance. I
merely seemed to the young Prince to Civ,
piquancy to a courtship which he had ex
pected to be dull and commonplace.
Tn a horrid girl, and you won't like m,
at ALL" she said, talking to him like
naughty child.
Princess he replied, you are wortl
winning because you are SO naTu 10 VIII
mot hard-impossible." she ~rejoined
making an ugly face.
Impossible? In what dictionary do 20
find that word? 1t is not in mine" was hi
retort.
your dictionary will have to find roor
for It,"
And why. pray?"
Because l don like, and don't mean t
like you"
princess, II you only knew how Thankful
l am to you for saying that"
What! Don't you like me either? Don
you want to marry me?"
The expression OF establishment ha
slipped from her unawares. The smile wit
which the Prince received it made her fee
uncomfortable.
II beg your pardon. That isn't what
meant to say" she interjected quickly.
ITS no matter" he said. II only thanke
you for your candor. Candor is a virtu
that"
,"I think we've talked long enough. Pleas
take me back to the Queen" said tn
Princess, feeling that her first attempt 9
rudeness had been less successful than sh
would have liked.
She made other attempts. however. He
, manners were not only bad for a Princess