Evening star., 1903-07-27

so enthusiastic. Jar Mahomed Khan was a
much married man already. and 1t was not
seemly that the daughter Of a British SOL
dier should be one of e household OF an
ASiatic. prince and friend Of the grand
mogul though he was. So the negotiations
took some time.
Becomes a Queen.
Finally. the Khan said that his other wo-
mem were not his real wives. but hand
maidens after the style of Davids COM
forters. and. at any rate. he would put them
all away-pension them off and have but
one wife thereafter, according to the Gus
tom of the white man. if the beautiful Eng
lish girl would only become his queen.
The result of this declaration was appar-
ent a few weeks later, when Alice married
and departed in litter with rose-colored
curtains from Delhi. accompanied by her
lord and a great cavalcade passing across
the snow mountains and beyond Bokhara
into Turkestan. where she became queen.
Not long afterward the great Sepoy mu
tiny broke out, Private Clifton was killed
In battle, and the Grand Mogul was tried
IN his own palace charge of treason
against the English. Mrs, Clifton escaped
after many perils and went home to live
among the English fields and daisies on a
liberal allowance sent her by her royal
daughter.
For ten years Queen Alice reigned as the
consort of Rao Khan and was intrusted by
iIih WIN equal snare III tfle gov
ernment. At the end of that time Jar
Mahomed slept with his fathers and Alice
Ci1fton had herself proclaimed sole and alb
solute ruler of the khanate There were
aspiring ministers and near relations of Jar
Mahomed who tried to dispute the throne
with her. but Alice had learned the arts of
ASlauc government. and what happened to
the ambitious ones who sought to contend
with her Is not recorded in history. But
something definite happened to them and
they troubled Queen Alice no more
Her Reform Administration.
Once firmly established as queen in her
own right. Alice set about the work of
reform administration. She opened new
caravan routes. built new bazaars and re-
paired the old ones and repealed bad laws
and made good ones in their places She
Increased her army and tried to put 1t on
a modern footing She was the best SOL
dier In her dominions. for was she not
child OF the regiment. and Of an English
regiment at that?
The ruler of a neighboring khanate went
to war against her. thinking to make short
work or a woman general. but Alice led
her army against him in person, met him
in a pitched battle and utterly overthrew
him and scattered his army. Then she an
nexed part of his territory and made him
humbly Sne for peace
In this battle she commanded with ad-
mira BILE skill, ordering the disposjtion Of
the troops and all their movements. and
once. when the outcome of the fight
seemed doubtful she headed a desperate
charge. which broke the enemys lines and
sent the hostile khan fleeing from the field
Whenever little rebellions broke out as
they did now and then. the wandering
tribes of the desert got too bold Alice
would take the field with her army and
scatter the tents of her enemies to the
four winds of heaven. A traveller named
De Courcey. who visited her capital in
1868, describes Queen Alice as "dignif ID
shrewd and thoroughly capable
The Shadow of the Bear.
But to the north and the west of Tur-
kestan a great cloud lay along the horizon
the everencroachng power of Russia
Still young and wondrously beautiful and
a powerful queen. Alice read in those
clouds the coming of the storm which
should cverwhelm her and her nation. The
girl of the environments could understand
what her wiseSt ministers were unable to
comprehend.
Finally, in 1873. the storm broke. Russia
poured her troops into central Asia. Khiva
fell and General Tschandyr overran the
country of Queen Alice. Calamity she led
forth her army against the invaders, but
the unequal and hopeless struggle was soon
over. Alice retired to her palace and clad
in her royal robes and seated on her throne,
awaited the coming of her conqueror. Deep
ly impressed by her beauty her romantic
history. her misfortune and her dignity.
General Tschandyr treated the fallen queen
with every courtesy and consideration.
AT first she was allowed to remain on the
throne under Russian tutelage, but this
was calling to her naughty spirit, and there
was danger to the Russians as long is Alice
Clifton held even the semb1ance of power.
Eventually she was given the great house
in Orenburg and liberal pension on condi-
ton that she leave Turkestan forever.
Conqueror Of the Conquerors.
Some of the native rulers overthrown by
the Russians in their central Asian con-
quests were treated with scant considera-
ton, and others met with most unpleasant
fates, but Alice Clifton left the country as
she had entered ft-a queen. This is the
little old woman of Orenburg who holds an
oriental court in the biggest house in town
and who has said that, despite her years.
she intends visiting the great worlds fair
to be held in this country next year
City Gardens and Squares.
bo4 4rchi ctrra