The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1910-09-06
A Crown Of Love
By H. SANBORNE BROWN
Copyright, 1910, by American Press
Association.

Prince Carl. had son. Oluf. A neigh
boring ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS lost
its rulers in the male line, none re-
naming except the Princess Clothilde
and her younger sister Minna. ClO-
thiide. who occupied the throne, being
a very feminine woman. was averse
to the duties of sovereignty. She
would have abdicated in favor of her
sister, but Minna had no more desire
to rule than Clothlide Indeed. the
people of Essengen were a turbulent
lot who required the strong hand of
man to govern them and made no Sc
cret of their contempt for a sovereign
queen.
There was every reason why the two
contiguous principaIities should be
joined under one head. Negotiations
to that effect were entered upon be-
tween Prince Carl on the one side and
the mobiles of Essengen on the other.
1t was proposed that Prince Oluf
should marry the Princess Clothilde,
the two to be prince and princess of
the united principalities. After many
demands and concessions a compact
was made. and nothing remained but
the consent of the two parties most
especially concerned-Prince Oluf and
Princess Clothilde. Prince Oluf visited
the princess. and, as luck would have
it, she fell desperately in love with
him.
One of the points claimed by the
princess subjects was that she should
be sovereign equally with the prince.
her husband. for at the time of the
nuptials Prince Carl was to abdicate
in favor OF his son. There was so
much feeling among the people of Es-
Sengen that in order to satisfy them
one of Clothilde's ministers suggested
that she wear the iron crown of the
sovereign on her head at all public
functions The crown being heavy,
light one was made. and the princess
wore it nearly all the while.
Great preparations were made for
the wedding. which was to take place
at the capital of Essengen. after which
the bridal couple were to take up their
residence in Atruria. The princess was
so deeply in love with Oluf that she
desired his presence most of the time
in EsSengen. This was not pleasing to
the Princess Minna. who had conceiv-
ed great dislike for the prince In
deed. she gave out to those about her
that she would be glad when the cou-
pie were married. since then they
would remove to ATuria and she
would no longer be troubled with the
presence Of very disagreeable man.
Shortly before the nuptials were to
take place the Princess Clothilde fell
III. There was at the time so much
feeling on the part of her people as to
her united sovereignty with the prince.
who was to be her husband. that. al
though she was an invalid. her minis
ters insisted on her still wearing the
iron crown. On one occasion when she
had left it off a citizen of influence
who opposed the union Of the princi-
palities was admitted to see her and as
soon as he had left the palace at
tempted to foment a revolution on the
ground that the princess had left off
the crown.
Princess Clothilde grew worse and
died. but few days before the ap-
pointed marriage. Prince Carl, his son.
Prince Oluf; the Atrurians and many
Essengens were bitterly disappointed
that the prospective union of the two
countries had thus fallen through.
Prince Oluf. however, who had taken
as much liking to Princess Minna as
she had taken dislike to him-indeed.
it was said that had she been sover-
eign she would have been his choice
proposed that all that had been ar
ranged should be carried out, Minna to
become his wife instead of Clothilde.
The proposition was acceded to by
the union party Of Essengen. but all
expected that Minna even for reasons
of state would not marry a man she so
cordially disliked. However. the coun-
Gil went to her in body. represented
to her the Importance of the union of
the two countries and proposed that
she, become the wife of the man who
was to have married her sister.
She fatty refused
Then commenced struggle on the
part of the unionists of Essengen.
Prince Carl and especially Prince Oluf
to induce her to change her mind.
Prince Oluf. who had been in love
with her instead Of her sister from the
start, was wild with disappointment
He wooed her with delicacy. but did
not succeed in changing her antipathy
for him. But what he could not bring
about was in part effected by the prin-
cess ministers. Finally on their rep
resentation that it was her duty to
sacrifice herself for her peoples good
she consented to the marriage.
AS soon as the fact was given out to
the people the prime minister advised
the princess to wear the iron crown.
And now a strange thing happened.
Prince Oluf was advised that the prin-
cess desired to see him. He entered
gloomy from the fact of dislike on
the part of the woman be loved that
l. - a