The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-05-25
UNCONSCIOUS
.....BE AUTY
.Originall

Lel, SuouN De kept IFOm seeing ner
own features as long as possible. 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 and 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, land
is absolutely unconscious of her
charms"
Tell her," replied the king, that
she is very homely."
The order was obeyed The princess.
who up to this time had not thought
Of her own appearance, was seized
with a desire to see what she looked
like, and the duchess was obliged to
double the Instructions she had thrown
in the way Of her doing So But in
time she began to consider that the
sight Of her ugliness would only dis
tress her, and she made a VOW never
to see a reflection Of her face.
When she was twenty her father
died suddenly, and she became queen.
Those near her at once broke the Sc
cret of her beauty to her, but she
would not believe them. "Now that I
am queen you are all disposed to fiat
ter me- she said, "and, though I be
uglier than Medusa, you would make
me believe I am beautiful as Venus"
Her first edfct was that any one being
instrumental in showing her her fea-
lures should at once be beheaded.
Many neighboring princes proposed
for the hand Of the queen, but she, be-
lieving in her ugliness, 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
woman with no strong minister to sup
port her in governing her people, soon
became the prey Of several small ma
tons, whose rulers planned an alliance
to invade her kingdom, conquer it and
divide it among them. Queen Henri
eta did the best she could to stem the
tide that set in against her; but, having
no general on whom she could rely, her
forces were beaten, and there was ev-
cry prospect that her kingdom would
soon belong to her covetous neighbors
For some time young officer, Theo-
dorus, had been rising through merit
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-
complished 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 in
her present mood even the discovery
that she had been mistaken might lead
her to deal numerically with her in
former. This as we'll as the success of
her foreign enemy showed how lacking
In bravery were her own men.
No sooner had the young general
come to the supreme command than
the tables were turned against the
queens enemies. In series of battles
in which he displayed not only great
vigor and generalship, but personal
bravery, he routed the armies of his
foes, laid waste their countries and
annexed them to the kingdom of his
sovereign.
When, the war was over great prepa-
raions were made at the capital to re-
ceive the victorious army Before his
arrival the queen had made Theodorus
prince, but this was only the begin
ming Of the honors that We're to be CIV
en- him. He marched home with that
portion Of his army not needed to con.
troll 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 he 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 he was startled at sight Of her
transcendent beauty. Then instead of
kneeling he thrust his polished shield
before her face.
The effect was electrical. The queen
gazed for moment at her features,
then. rising from her throne, knelt at
the feet of the prince.
BE thou king she said. II am no
longer worthy to be queen, for you
have disobeyed my edict and as your
sovereign should be obliged to behead
you. That cannot do"
Theodorus, raising her, led her back
to the throne, then knelt before her.
"Gracious queen" he said, II am as
ready as ever to die in your service. In
tho fold r oorvo1 on ,,pcaop