The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-18
princess, one of the daughters of Charlie

magne.
Charlemagne, as King of the Franks, was
also Emperor of Germany, with the excep-
ton of SaXony, which, at that time, was
one of the few remaining corners or Eu-
rope which had not accepted Christianity
To convert as wei! as to conquer the Sax
ons Charlemagne waged a long and relent-
less war, which, after many ups and downs
defeats and victories. resulted finally In
conquest and wholesale conversion.
Charlemange had a large family of ex-
ceedingly sprightly and beautiful daugh-
tiers. one of whom, Emma, he contem-
plated marrying to noble whom he looked
forward to making Duke or Prince of Sax
ony. But the Lady Emma was not dis
posed to encourage the latter's suit, though
for what reason no one could tell, in view
of the fact that the prospective ruler or
the Saxons apparently had no rival.
The secret of the matter, however, was
simply this: The Emperor Charlemange
had at court very handsome young sec
rotary of the name of Eginhart, man of
base birth and without hope or prospect OF
ever becoming other than mere under
strapp and attache of the royal establish
ment. Notwithstanding these difficulties, he
and the Lady Emma fell in love with each
other without her father or any of his ia
vorites finding it out.
Eginhart was in the habit of stealing
forth at night under Lady Emma's bal
cony, and climbing up to her apartments
by means of rope ladder which she let
down for him at a preconcerted signal
Every thing was as romantic as could be-
and no one was in the secret except an
old and faithful nurse, who, from long
experience, had learned to keep silence
on all that she saw or heard about the
palace, so that this courtship might have
gone on indefinitely had it not been for a
peculiar accident for which neither or the
two were prepared.
1t happened that during the winter, about
Christmas tide, in fact, Eginhart came one
evening under my lady's balcony. uttered
low whistle and, climbing up the ladder
which his lady love lowered for him, was
soon by her side, telling her how much he
loved her and of how he would wade
through blood and fire for her sake. Among
lovers the sun and moon are always shin
ing, Eginhart, absorbed in his passion
for the handsome Emma, had failed to no.
tice as he approached her chamber that
the sky was overcast and the temperature
lowering.
Like many modern lovers. he did not
know when it was time to go home. and
on this occasion remained unusually late;
so late, in fact, that Lady Emma was
doubtless obliged to call attention to the
fact that the size of the candle and fuel
bills might excite suspicion in the minds
of the lords of the royal exchequer; there
fore when Eginhart took leave of his sweet
heart his dismay can be better imagined
than described when he looked out and
saw the ground covered by a deep snow
that had fallen during the interval of his
courtship. To reach his lady love he had
to climb a garden wall and traverse a
garden which all save the royal family
were prohibited from entering, and he knew
that If he left the palace his tracks would
be seen the next morning by the lynx-eyed
minions OF the court, who would lose no
time in tracing up the offender and taking
him before the King.
Now, it so happened that on that very
night Charles the Great had himself been
out on a lark. visiting the chateau of a
neighboring duke. where. among bishops.
counts and mobiles of the realm he spent
many hours in revelry and song, and on
his return entered the palace through this
same garden, very unusual thing for him
to do. he usually entered from another
quarter. When half way across the
garden he Witnessed. therefore, sight
that fairly robbed him of his breath The
sight that the great warrior beheld was
none other than that of his daughter EN-
ma carrying c'toting,' as the Virginians
would say the Secretary Eginhart on her
back across the garden. She was, more