Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1910-11-03

story of danger and distress. The rival claimant
of the throne had demanded her hand in
riage, and had promised to spare the life of her
father il she would consent to become his queen.
1t but matter Of weeks, possibly of days,
till his force would be strong enough to back his
arrogant demands. In the end the white man
knew that the island beauty had fallen in love
with him. She pleaded with him to stay and help
her escape from the clutches of the oppressor.
1t is possible that Thompson would have lin
gered for a time if his companions had not been
eager to get away from the island before the civil
war began. They were traders, and as such they
did not to take sides in the dispute. 1t
might hurt their business chances in case they
over made another trip to the island. The anchor
was lifted the brown sails spread and the ugly
little schooner slipped out of the harbor of Mai
keva while Thompson stood on her deck and
waved a farewell to the imperious little island
beauty. At the very last she had reminded him
of his promise to return to Naikeva.
1t weeks after the departure of the ship
from NaikeVa that Thompson dramatically
reminded of his promise to the Princess Laka-
ntta. The sun had just set one night and Thomp-
son was lying deck smoking and watching the
swift tropic dark come up out of the east A. ma
tive canoe scraped against the schooner's side
and native was heard calling for the white
man with the blue eyes" He was brought aboard
and proved to be the faithful messenger of the
distressed princess He had followed the schoon-
er across leagues of unknown seas in his open
canoe searching for the only upon whom she
could rely for aid
The end at hand in Naikeva, and Laka.
nita and her father were about to be put to death
Help must come quickly, and 1t was more than
possible that it was now too late That night the
stRnch little trading vessel pointed her PROV
toward Naikeva In the final melee along the
sands the old king and his rival were both slain
and Thompson stunned by a blow from a
war club in the hands OF a savage fighting man.
han he fyad he and ,4a
Of determination for all the revolters. They were
wiped out and their villages fired before the party
returned to the kings village, where the schooner
lay anchored Then the white hero was stricken
by one of the malignant island fevers, brought
on by his injury oil the beach
II many days before he was able to rec
ognize HIS free-trading companions. The princess
had been his devoted nurse through his danger
GUS attack of tropical fever Now that he was about
to leave the island forever she grew sorrowfu
and listless. She dropped like a dying flower as
the ships preparations for sailing were being
made. All his promises to return brought on fits
of passionate weeping on the part of the little
princess She wanted him to stay
Il fought that fever when 1t tried to take yor
away from me, and it was all for nothing" wa.
her constant reply, "and now that you are vel
the white men are taking you away where Laka
nita can never hope to see you ugain"
In the end her pleadings won After all Their,
was nothing in the outer world to which he caret
to go back
The good news spread quickly over the littl
kingdom "The Child of the Sun" was te. we,
their princess and rule them IN the wise ways O
the white man.
After twenty-five years of idyllic happiness
Thompson, the love-lorn youth who fled fron
the covert jeers of the town OF his birth, died
king in far-oh Naikeva, The princess stiH live
and his two sons will reign In his place Tn
silence of twenty-five years haa been broken b
the news of his passing away surrounded to tn
last by his dusky retainers.