The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-03-19

1T he's red. he's right" k.
received me in silence and with sulIer
looks, and my dear brothers portrait
ornamented most of the windows
which was an ironical sort of greeting
to the king. was quite glad that hi
had been spared the unpleasant sight
He was a man Of quick temper. anC
perhaps he would not have taken IL SC
placidly as I did.
At last we were at the cathedral. It's
great gray front, embellished with
hundreds of statues and boasting a
pair Of the finest oak doors in Europe
rose for the first time before me. and
the sudden sense of my audacity al
most overcame me. Everything was
In a mist as dismounted. I saw the
marshal and Sapt dimly. and dimly the
throng OF gorgeously robed priests who
awaited me. And my eyes were still
dim as / walked up the great nave
with the pealing OF the organ In my
ears. / saw nothing OF the brilliant
throng that filled ii; hardly distin.
gulshed the stately figure OF the car
1inal as he rose from the archiepisco-
pal throne to greet me. Two faces only
stood out side by side clearly before
my eyes-the face Of a girl, pale and
lovely. surmounted by a crown OF the
glorious Elphberg hair flor In a wom-
an II is gloriousl, and the face OF man
whose full blooded red cheeks. black
hair and dark. deep eyes told me that
at last I was in the presence Of my
brother, Black Michael. And when
be saw me his red cheeks went pale all
In a moment and his helmet fell with
clatter on the floor. Till that mo-
ment believe that he had not realized
that the king was In very truth come
to Strelsau.
or what followed next I remember
nothing. knelt before the altar and
the cardinal anointed my head. Then
! rose TO my feet and stretched out
my hand and took from him the crown
OF Ruritanla and set It on my head,
and l swore the old oath OF the king.
Then the great organ pealed out
again. the marshal babe the heralds
proclaim me, and Rudolf Y. was
crowned king, OF which imposing cere-
mony an excellent picture hangs now
In my dining room. The portrait Of
the king is very good.
Then the lady with the pale face and
the glorious hair, her train held by two
pages. stepped from her place and
came to where I stood. And q herald
cried:
"Her royal hIghness the Princess
FlayIaw
She courtesied low and put her hand
under mine and raised my hand aud
kissed II. And for an instant I
thought what I had best do. Then I
drew her to me and kissed her twice
on the cheek. and she blushed red, and
why. then his emInence the cardinal
archbishop slipped In front Of Black
Michael and kissed my hand and pre-
sented me with letter from the pope.
the first and last which I have ever re-
ceIved from that exalted quarter.
And then came the Duke Of strelsau.
His step trefnbled. swear, and he
looked 70 the right and TO the left, as
a man looks who thinks on flight, and
his face was patched with red and
white. and his hand shook so that IL
jumped under mine, aud felt his lips
dry and parched. And I glanced at
sapt, who was smiling again Into his
beard. and, resolutely doing my duty
In that station Of life 20 which had
been marvelously called. took my
dear Michael by both hands and kissed
him on the cheek. think we were
both glad when that was over!
But neither In the face Of the prin.
cess nor In that Of any other did I see
The least doubt or questioning. Yet
had and the king stood side by side
they could have told Us in an instant,
or at least on little consideration.
But neither they nor anyone else
dreamed or imagined that I could be
other than the king. 30 the likeness
served, and for an hour stood there,
feeling as weary and biase as though
] had been q king all my life, and ey.
erybody kissed my hand, and the am.
bassadors paid me their respects.
among them old Lord Topham, az
whose house In Grosyenor square had
danced a score Of times. Thank heay.
en-. the old man was az blind M a bat
and did not claim my acquaintance.
Then back we went through the
streets 10 The palace, and heard them
cheering Black Michael. but he, Fritz
told me. sat biting his nails like man
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