The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-02
MADRID, May 10.
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nay DEAR: After what has seem
M( ed like months of nervous tension
and tendency to jump out OF
ones chair at the rumble OF every pass
Ing cart. 1t is all over.
Really, the affair was such hustle and
hustle at the last that l have to pinch
myself to believe that It Is all true. II
and some of the ladies had dined together
as usual. 1t was too warm 10 so to the
theater. so we ordered coffee In my rooms
aud sat by the open windows overlooking
the gardens The queen. With the king
and her mother, had quite long stroll
there In the early evening. We finished
our coffee, and then leaned out and looked
once more at those bare nagstaffs poking
up into the blue night sky. had those
bare poles on my brain for the thousandth
time We wondered II it would be flags
or colored lIghts-then toddled off to bed.
That night there was no one waiting in
the big square. For weeks there had
been small groups hanging about hoping
to be the first to get news, but that par
ticular night the sentries had 1t all to
themselves.
was awakened by voice shouting,
Get up! Be quick," simply fell out OF
bed. and, rushing to the door without my
dressing gown. screamed: rs the palace
on fire? Wait for mel opened the
door Marie de B. stood there. She was
absolutely crying with excitement Fire!
You goose, no! The queen" l rushed
for my dressing gown-Marie had her
hair in curriers', and looked sight-and
dashed into the corridor and the arms of
Pho of the halberdiers with long spear,
who was running faster than l have ever
seen Spaniard move before.
The Palace Like Beehive.
We begged each others pardons, and
asked him II there was any news. In
Spain one gets most awful!y frank about
these things, and 1 have found myself
Camping" with utter strangers In way
that would make one blush for a week In
England. From the minuteness OF his de-
tails he was. l am sure, married.
By this t!me-all in moment 1t SEEM
ed-the palace swarmed and hummed like
hive. Behind closed doors l heard the
electric switches turned on. while half
dressed maids hurried from room to
room. The captain of the halberdiers
swung by, q body of men in all the glory
Of their old-world costume at his heels.
1--WE are hidden to summon everybody. 1t
cannot be so very long" he vouchsafed.
/ observed that we had better so and
for little later the bishops were assem-
bling in the private chapel. and we all
rushed away.
The chapel looked lovely, white flowers
everywhere. and such decorations. But
we all gave our dignity away sadly The
old Duquesa of c. had forgotten half
her hair and all her rouge. The bishops
also were not as tidy as they might have
been, and l never saw such a collection
OF unshorn chins in my life-and the
Spaniards do get SO dreadfully blue. Some
OF the dear ladies' prayed very hard, but
all the same there was constant rustic
of unrest and excitement and also more
than a suspicion that a certain amount
Of hooking-and-eyeing was going on all
the while.
The Bravery of the Queen.
It was q brilliant morning when we left
the chapel, and then / ran against Lady
-. who told me that the queens mother
the dowager queen, and the doctors and
maids had all been called up about !, and
had not left the queens apartments since,
She said that Princess Henry was terribly
excited. but was being awfully brave, and ,l,
that the queen herself was behaving
splendidly. But then, she Is so plucky-
II is only when one sees her among all
these courtiers, with their fussng ana
their Tuning about tritles, that one realizes
how splendidly English her majesty Is.
was dying TOR some chocolate ny TINS
time. but little Rita de L. said 1t was
much funnler to go round to the other
side of the palace and watch tho people
OF course. | had never been anywhere
when future king was being born SO
gave up the chocolate and went with
her.
The Great Churchmen Arrive.
Presently all the crowd In the square
bent and waved to and fro, The grea
rhurchmen We're arriving. They hat
rome more carefully dressed than hat
most OF the bishops, who wore a yer,
''up-alI-night" and worn appearance Blu
pven these great WORTHLESS betrayed som,
anxiety, and the archbishop OF Toledo
threw an anxious glance at Diamond
( Tower as he left his coach. Up In thu
tower were the men witllTthe two flags
One was the royal standard, you know
hat was for a hoy; the other was white
OF course, we all tried to talk and ever