Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1910-12-10
QUEENS
IN
EXILE


- lies, without country,
without a home. They are a pathetic
group and well are they called Queens
of Sorrow: The mad Carlotta, once
empress of Mexico; the wandering
Eugene, once empress of the French,
and now the beautiful Amelie. until
a few weeks ago queen of Portugal
1t would be difficult to say which of
the three is the most miserable. In
the case of poor Carlotta insanity has
kindly cast a curtain over her mind
So she at least may not know how
full is the cup of her wretchedness-
While the gay breezes played in the
bunting festooned from the govern
ment buildings and troops in bright
uniforms swung with spirit along the
broad avenues and under triumphal
arches that proclaimed the greatness
of the Mexico of today on the occasion
of that country's one hundredth year
of freedom from the rule of Spain, the
vacant mind of Carlotta gave signs of
a temporary awakening
1t was the great Hidalgo that lib
Grated Mexico; it was the Hidalgos of
a later day that bore Macmillan to
the plains of Queretaro, Topped the
kerchfef over his eyes and gave the
signal to the file of soldiers to fire.
Men, aim at my heart" was Maxi
milian's only request. Easily granted.
He fell dead upon his own shadow
and became a monarchial memory.
And with his passing contemporaneous
history came to know the first of
these three Queens of Sorrow.
Beginning of Lies Eclipse.
When the half score rifles flashed
the fire which robbed Carlotta of her
emperor she was standing in the audi
ence-room of the Vatican appealing
for aid that the pope was powerless
to grant. Mexico had repudiated En-
peror Maximilian. The French troops
that had held his monarchy together,
following the Civil war in our own
country, had been withdrawn. The
empress had gone abroad with a
prayer on her lips to save the throne
for him she loved. First she went to
Louis Napoleon, who had bestowed
the bauble of kinship. He could do
nothing. Then she turned to the pope.
Again the inevitable negative shake
of the head. Passing from the audi
ence-room, her attendants saw smile
o'erspread the face of the empress.
Then she laughed low and cultural
laugh The beginning of the end had
come.
THE birds in the Borda gardens.
how sweetly they singi Do you not
hear them, my Maximilian?" she
asked. looking far off. The attend
ants made answer as best they could
in soothing phrase and bore her away
away to the north, where a court
was formed, with it's chamberlains, la
DISSEMINATING and others of whatever
name and title satellites of a crown
are known. And here they sat her
an empress gone mad-upon the
throne of make-believe.
Lons years she has reigned In
empty fancy. For a time the formal.
ties of court life were followed with
punctiliousness almost real; for q
time jeweled crown rested upon her
fast whitening hair and she wore the
ermines and purple velvets of royalty
for time she bestowed phantom hon
ors upon those who knelt, as do char
acters in Shakespearian play, before
her. But not now. Fifty and odd
years have about done for the feeble
body the work that the tragic episode
of early womanhood did for the brain
Awaiting the End.
ing for the end is remote and forest
hidden. 1t is near Brussels and has
the name Chateau de Bouchard. o.
money to maintain 1t in magnificencs
there is a plenty-Leopold 1. was Car
lotta's father. He left to her and hel
sister the bulk of his great fortune
King Leopold, the ruler of Belgium
and the Congo and the royal spendel
OF Paris, who died recently, was hel
brother.
Macmillan lived to know that hi:
empress had been bereft of her rea
son, but Carlotta to this day doesn'
know her emperor died at the hand.
of military executioners.
When her lusterless eyes seemed Il
CLEAN with returning intelligence, a.
the cable told a few weeks ago, she
grasped the arms of her chair and
rising, felt her way across the cham
Der as II in search of something She
smiled at a figure on a vase and he
lips moved She passed to a tabl,
whereon stood a jardiniere of fragran
roses. Again the lips seemed about t.
give coherent utterance. A lady-fn
waiting took the feeble arm and fol
lowed where she willed Then Carlot
ta's shoulders Strengthened and sh,
walked To the window with the grac,
that once was hers. Looking out upo,
the towering trees from branches o
which the frost-tinted leaves were fall
ing with each play of the wind Can
lotta murmured, "Maximilian."
That was all The film gathere,
again on her eyes. her body bent an