The daily Alaskan., 1905-11-18
UNCONSCIOUS
 BEAUTY

ter, should be kept from seeing her own features as long as passIble. The queen died when the little princess Henrietta was an infant and the king placed her in one of his palaces, where she was brought up In charge of the Duchess Margaret her aunt Not mirror was permitted in the palace, and the king ordered the water in the artificial lakes anl basins with which the spacious grounds abOunded to be drawn off for fear the princess should catch the reflection of her face From time to time the duchess was required to make reports to the king concerning her charge.
 "The princess is growing to be very beautiful" the duchess reported when Henrietta was sixteen years old, "and Is absolutely unconscious of her charms"
 Tell her." replied the king, that she Is very homely."
 The order was Obeycd. The princess, who up to this time had not thought of her own appearance, was seized with a desire to see what sue looked like, and the duchess was obliged to double the Instructions she had thrown lu the way of her doing so. But In time she began to consider that the sight of her ugliuess would only dis rcss her, and she made VOW never to see a reflection of her face.
 When she was twenty her father died suddenly, and she became. queen. 1 Those near her at once broke the SC cret Of her beauty to her, but she would not believe them. Now that ] am queen you are all disposed to flat ter me" she said, "and, though l be ugller than Mcdusa, yop would make me believe I am beautiful as Venus ' Her first edlct was that any one being instrumental in showing her her fca lures should at once be beheadcd. Many nelghb0riug princes proposed | for the hand of the queen, but she, be ueving in her Ugiiness, feared that when they came to see her they would be shocked, and she would listen to none of them.
 | Now, the Queen Henrietta, being Q woman with no strong minister to sup. poft her in governing her people, soon became the prey of several SmHu na. tons, whose rulers planned an alliance to invade her kingdom, conquer 1t and divide 1t among them. Queen Henri | etta did the best she could to S-'m the ! tide that set In against her; but, having no general on whom she could re.y. her | forces were beaten. and there was cv cry prospect that her kingdom would soon belong to her COvetouS neighbors- | For some time a young officer, Theo- dorus, had been rising through merit l alone from one command to another, and at last the queen decided to ap- point him her general in chief She had never seen him. Indeed, she knew nothing of him except what he had ac | comDlished in her service.
 Meanwhile she was so troubled about her affairs that no one dared risk being instrumental in showing her that she was beautiful instead of ugly, for lD her present mood even the discovery | that she had been mistaken might lead her to deal unmercifully with her 10 former. This as well as the success ot her foreign enemy showed how lacking h bravery were her own men.
 No sooner had the young genera. come to the supreme command that the tables were turned against the Tueeu's enemies. In a series Of battles jn which he displayed not only great
 rigor and generalship, but persoua. bravery, he routed the armies of bis foes. laid waste their countries and
 ,nnexeI them to the kingdom of his
 ,oveveIgn.
 | When the war was over great prcpa rauous were made at the capital to re ,eiye the victorious army. Before hi' ] lrrlval the queen had made Theodorus l prince, but this was only the begin, aing of the lOnors that were to he giv. aa him. He marched home with that portion of his army not needed to con l trol the newly acquired countries and rode at its head on its entry into the capital. The queen had directed that a throne be erected in front of her pal ace upon which to receive the young hero. For fear be might break the law she had issued in regard to showing her her likeness, she sent him copy of the | edict embroidered on velvet. Upon his arrival at the palace he threw himself from his horse before the throne and was about to kneel at the queens feet when be was startled at sight of her l ranscendent beauty. Then instead of 1 kneellng he thrust his polished shield | before her face.
 The effect was electrical The queen gazed for a moment at her features. then, rising from her throne, knclt at the feet of the prince.
 Be thou king" she sad "I am nc longer worthy to be queen, for vol have disobeyed my edict anI as yorr sovereign I should be obliged to beheat you. That cannot dO."
 TheodOrUs, raising her, lcl her back 1 to the throne. then kucIt before her.
 "Gracious queen" he said, "I an a' A.. a-.4.R !