Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-03-08

| ON returning 10 the villa. ne gave
1.-THE princess her first preSent-a hear
set in brillants. 1t was certainly .
day of symbols.
ION the following day things tool
a more definite turn. The king came
in the morning to take the princes:
To San Sebastian, where they me-
IQueen Maria Christina. Nobody
knew what happened in the course
of the interview and the subsequent
private luncheon at the Miramel
Palace. But it was, beyond doubt
a decisive day At Fuenterrabia, the
first Spanish town through whici
they passed on their way to san Sc
bastian in the morning, the king SAID
to the princess:
You are now on Spanish soil
oh she said, i am so glad.'
1T will soon be for good
And they smiled at each other.
The frantic cheering that greeted
her entry at San Sebastian, the hail
of flowers that fell at her feet when
motherly kiss with which she was
received at the door of Queen Maria
Christmas drawing room, must have
made Princess Ena understand that
all Spain had confirmed its sovereign
choice and applauded his good taste
| "Twenty-four hours after this visit
the queen mother in her turn went
to Biarritz and took tea at the Villa
|
before her. Intense happiness was
| reflected on every face. When the
queen, who had very graciously sent
| for me to thank me for the care that
| was taking of her son, stepped into
| her carriage she said to the princess
with a smile:
| I'VE shall soon see you in Madrid.
Then, taking a white rose from
the bouquet which the mayor of
gave it to the princess, who pressed
it to her lips before pinning it in her
| bodice.
THAT same evening the king, beam
| ing all over his face, cried TO me from
a distance the moment he saw me:
Its all right, Paoli; the official
| demand has been granted. You see
before you the happiest of men!
THE days that followed upon the
betrothal were days of enchantment
for the young couple. One met them
daily motoring along the picturesque
roads or walking through the streets
of Biarritz, looking in at the shop
windows, stopping at the photogra-
piers or at the pastry cooks.
DO you know the king said to
me one day, 1 have changed the
princess's name? Instead of calling
her Ena, which l do not like, l call
her Mini. That's very Partisan, isn't
lit?'
when after several days of ia
miliar intimacy it became necessary
to say goodbye there was a pang at
the hearts of both. AS ! was leaving
with the princess for Paris the king
said to me:
you're a lucky man, NJ. Paoli, to
be going with the princess. I'd give
anything to be in your place
THE date of the wedding was fixed
for May 81. 4 few days before that
went to Calais to meet the princess.
1t was as though nature in her
awakening was smiling upon the royal
bride and had hastily decked herself
in her best to greet the young prin-
cess as she passed with all her youth
full gladness. But the princess saw
nothing, she had hidden a last fare
well to her country, her family and
her home, and despite the happiness
that called her the fond memory of
all that she was quitting oppressed
her heart.
1T is nothing NJ. Paoli,' she said
when / asked the cause of her sad
ness. 1t is nothing. l cannot help
feeling moved when l think that
am leaving the country where | have
~ tn IN
ward the unknown
She did not sleep that night. At
3 o'clock in the morning she was up
and dressed, ready to appear before
her future husband, before the nation
that was waiting to welcome her.
while the king at the same hour was
striding up and down the platform
at Irun in q fever of excitement, peer
ing into the night so as to be the
first to see the yellow gleam of the
train and nervously lighting cigarette
upon cigarette to calm his impa-
tience.
Then came the whirlwnd of fes-
tivties at which the king invited me
to be present, and the sumptuous
magnificence of the marriage cere-
money in the ancient church of Los
Garonimos. 1t was as though the
old court of Spain had regained its
pomp of the days of long ago.
once more the streets, all dress
ed with flags. were filled with anti
quated chariots, with heraldic cos
tunes, with glittering uniforms;
from the balconies. draped with pre-
cious stuffs, flowers fell in torrents,
cheers rose from the serried ranks
of the crowd; an intense, noisy. mad
gayety reigned on all mems lips;
It'll Ii,
the state coach that carried her to
the church the surprised and delight
ed princess, forgetting her flecting
melancholy, now smiled her ac-
acknowledgements.
"A tragic incident was fated
brutally to interrupt her fair young
dream. Finding no seat in the church
of Los Geronimos. the dimensions of
which are small, | took refuge in
one of the court stands erected along
the route taken by the sovereigns;
and | was watching the procession
pass on its return to the palace.
when my ears were suddenly deafen-
ed by a tremendous explosion.
AT first no one realized where il
came from: we thought that it was
the report of cannon shot, fired tc
announce the end of the ceremony.
But suddenly loud yells arose, people
hustled one another and rushed away.
madly shouting:
Its murder. The king and
queen are killed!
Terrified, l tried to hasten To the
street from which the cries came. a
file of soldiers. drawn up across the
roadway, stopped me. | ran then to
the palace, where | arrived at eX-
actly the same moment as the royal
coach, from which the king and the
young queen alighted. They We're
pale but calm. The king held his
wife's hand tenderly in his own. and
stared iu dismay at the long white
train of her bridal dress. stained with
great blotCheS of blood. Filled with
horror, | went up to Alfonso Nil.
oh, sir | cried. "at least both
Of you are safe and sound
Yes he replied. Then lowering
his voice. he added: But there are
some killed. Poor people. What an
infamous thing"
Under her great white veil. the
queen standing between Queen Maria |
Christina and Princess Henry of Bat
tenbers. still both trembling, wept ST