The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-02
THE QUEEN AND
/ THE SWITCH TENDER
= nd How She Broke Down the
Barrier That Had Long Sspa-
rated Her From Her Son.
From he French of FRANCOIS copp',


the Seven Castles and accompanied only by
old Baroness de Georgenthal, lady of the
bcdohambar, and Cen. HorschoyitZ, her
gentleman usher.
In spite of the hot stones at her feet and
the furs which were piled around her the
Queen felt cold, and, tired Of her novel and
the Generals continued knitting the
old soldier WIS an expert with wools-she
rubbed impatisntly at the frosty window
to see what was happening outside.
1t was sudden and irresistible caprice
which had started her Majcsty, in the very
middle Of the winter, on trip to PARIS to
see her mother, when she had only to wait
for the spring. when her mother would
have joined her at home. Tho Queen was
accustomed to cons.lt only her immediate
wishes and regardless OF the thermometer
being 10 degrees belo" zsro. she shook up
the Baroness from her rheumatism and her
warm seat by the fire and summoned the
General, to lis despair, for he was Obliged
to leave a magnificent afghan which no
was knitting for mis- daughter and take
only mode st pair of stockings to bsgui!e
the VT arinfss of the journey
The travelling rad been hard, for all
Europe wrs covered with GaoT7, but at last
they were reaching their destination. They
lad rad a hasty supp2r n Macon and now,
although the hot bottles wcro scarcely
warm and outside the Zig Cakes were falling
fast. the Raroness end the General in their
corners, dreamed contentcdly of their
rrrival in Pnris, where Tho old lady would
perform q little special devotion and the
white haired soldier would repair to
certain shop OF woods and yarns where he
could match shades to perfection,
The Queen however. was not so content.
Feverish and shivering hen"ath her
wonderful caps of blue fox, her head, with
its wealth of straw oolored Eai, tumbling
from beneath her dark bat resting on her
arm, she was staring ancad into the hlack-
ness of the night listening YEARLY to the
rattle and grinding of wheels on the rails.
lii memory she was living over her short
young life, the poor little Qio"n. and she
felt that no one was so unhappy as she,
Her thoughts went back first to the time
when sha was q little Prime s' Snort and
plump, with red hands. PLAYING with her
twin sisters. the sister whom she loved so
dearly and who rcaomhled her so closely
that they had always been Obliged to wear
different colorsd ribbons to distinguish
them. This was before the instruction
had overturned the throne of her parents.
and she had loved tho calm, pea caful atmos-
phere of the little court of Oimntz. whera
etiquette was tempered with good natured
fellowship.
This was during tho Gays Of her fathers
reign, good King Louis ", whose custom
it had been to walk unesoorted coross tho
royal park, dressed in his count clothes.
~, ,,ili 1f,yercI yyth
woodbine and honcysioise, whore he drank
his cup Of afternoon coffee with his sister
and watched tho river like e necklace of
cleaning silver. at the foot of autumn
colored hills.
Then came her marriage and tho great
ball of the presentation on 'he beautiful
July evening wilcn, through the open win
dows, she bad heard the nurtnur of the
gathering crowd in the brightly illuminated
gardens. How she had trembled when
they had left her alone in the conservatory
with tho young King
She loved him already; she lad loved
him from the first instant shc had looked
at him, as no advanced toward her, so
graceful and proud in h!a blue uniform
with the diamond orders glitterng on his
breast After the first waltz Ottokar had
taken her arm and led her into the long,
cool corridor whore they had sat down
together beneath spreading palm, and
then he had looked deep into her eyes,
saying softly:
Princess, will you do me the honor to
become my wife,"
She had bltshed and looked down az she
replied in voice which she tried in vain
to render natural; @Yes, sire!" and in the
ballroomGthe orchestra breathed the notes
Of the wild march, n ssn of triumph and
enthusiasm
A,asl 50 brief period Of happiness, and
then her joy had fed forever. Then she
learned what every one else had known
that Ottoknr had no real love for her and
that he had deceived her continually.
Some hing seemed to freeze then in her
heart, something that never melted even
at the sight of her son. the little Nladisas,
who was only miniature copy of his father.
Besidee, she never had him 10 herself.
There was always n swarm of duennas
and stately nurses with enormous honncts
hovcring around the royal cradle and when
ever tho Queen wished to inquire for her
son ard embrace him little, she was SOL
EMMY informed: His Royal Highnes7
has coughed little to-day" or "I!is Royal
Highness is suffering from his teeth" There
was always barrier raised between them.
No, she could not stand it any longer;
life was too bitter She had obtained Per-
mission from the King to 60 and see her
mother. the Queen Of Mora via. now exiled
in Paris. and there she would cry out all
her grief in her mother 5 arms.
Only she had been obliged to leave her
baby, for the tradition Of tho Bohemian
court forbade that tho Crown Prince should
travel without his father
Suddenly the Queen awoHe from her
revery. What had happened? For some
moments the train had been gradually
slowing its speed and now it had stopped
altogether. What did it moan, stopping
here in the open fields, in the middle of
the night?
The Baroness and tho General awoke
abruptly, vaguely anxious. The latter,
catching sight of the lantern Of n guard,
sprang from his seat and put His head out
of the door
what has happened? What arc we
stopping for?" he demanded.
1.-TWO feet of snow on the track. sir, :"
was the reply I'VE are stalled here for an