Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-02-25
THE PRINCESS AND THE POET

The Grand Duke of Dusseldorf am
/ Rheiu sent for his daughter, the Prin-
cess Isolde and spoke TO her in much
the same language that meaueT mortals
/ use when calling younger members OF
/ their families to order.
Come, come my child" he said Il
want 10 know the meaning OF this
| 1T was letter-or at all events 4
draft of fragment of letter The
Baroness Won Spandau had found it in
| the princess blottng ease and laid it
before the grand duke as one who dis
! charges a painful duty. 1t ran as fol-
lows:
! ooh. YOU are euel-cruel Why must
you take advantage OF my ignorance
and weakness. Surely YOU must have
known that l did not mean all that
/ sailor that ! should not mean it al
] ways You know, as we'll as ] do that
/ time flies and hearts change, and that
| love, like n bird. is ON the wing And
yet | have to plead with YOU and
plead in vain, and You threaten You
will etc.
The grand duke read it aloud, in dry
accents. as if ne were reading an order
/ in council,
ITS no good telling me that that's
/ French exercise miss. because | shant
| believe YOU 1t is evident that YOU have
| been conducting clandcstme CORE
| spondence with someone The question
is with whom e.
81 don't know, papa replied the prin,
cess. beginning to cry.
you don't know: Nonsense! / insist
upon your telling me"
But | don't know really. papa" the
princess repeated, 81 only know the
name he writes under"
"Nrites!H calculated the grand duke,
He's a poet papa"
Poetry! Nou don't mean to say pco-
pie write poetry nowadays? How does
this poet. whoever he is. come to he
writing letters to princessy"
1T was my fault. papa she said.
Your fault, childy What do you
mcan?"
Because began by writing letter
to him"
The grand duke started in his chair,
and repeated his daughters words with
emphasis.
II didn't see why / shouldn't" she
said "He wrote such beautiful poetry
all about love and that sort of thing
Iapd ! wanted to tell him how much /
2smired it,
Tristram-that was the poets pen
name had awakened sympathetic chords
in the princess bosom by his beautiful
verses. She had yielded to a sudden inn
pulse. and sent an anonymous letter
She had corrupted her maid, and ar
ranged for an answer to be sent for at
e glove shop. The corresp ondeucc thus
begun had continued, had become quite
intimate. 1t had seemed romantic to
have that mystery in the midst of the
unromantic etiquette but now
"And now" said the grand duke with
scorn, your poet appears to have tired
OF you. 1t serves you right, of course,
but still
He was about to say that he was
glad; but the princess protested.
1T was | who got tired first" she said
Indignantly.
''1ndeed! And may ask what it was
that caused you TO get tired ?"
1T was Prince Eric, papa" she said.
Il see"
He spoke a shade more kindly now.
feeling that things were not quite so
bad as he had feared Princess Isolde
had just been afIianced to Prince Eric,
and it was all to the good that she was
willing to throw over the poet fpr his
sake.
Hes so good looking" she said. and
he dances 50 beautifully, and he says
such beautiful things to me"
Quite so, my dear You needn't
apologize said the grand duke
Only, if he were to find out about
those letters, papa"
Precisely. That's the point. On if
other people were to find out-that's an
other point. On if that republican rag
Socialismus were to get hold of the
story that's a third point. How many
letters did you write the mani"
Il couldn't tell you, papa, without
looking at my diary"
"Pll have to talk to Prince Eric about
it." said the grand duke Meanwhile
you'd better run away and play And
in due course Prince Eric was closctcd
with him
Prince he asked him, edo you hap
lpen to know anything about poets? 2"
And the prince replied that any knowl.
edge Of poets which he possessed was
entirely at She grand dukes service.
"Are poets gentlemen {" the grand
duke asked And the fair haired, blue
eyed youth smiled winning smile as
| He Iep.lt1;
5 'Some poets have even been noble.
: men. There was Lord Byron, for in
stance. Your highness may have heard
OF him"
OF courze-of course But how about
the others ?"
Your highness is pleased to speak in
riddles said the prince
= So he told him what he had just
e heard, and then
you aren't half angry enough, prince;
F., in fact, you seem rather pleased than
! Otherwise
We'll, it is rather pleasing for a
a prince to think that mes cut out a
! poeti' he said gaiIy.
lyon don't seem tn understand the
seriousness of the thing
"On the contrary it is just the scri
T. BUSINESS Of the thing that fascinates me.
9 You don't seem to understand that il
2 that rag Socialismus got hold Of The
g story
!. "Ob. surely, your highness----'
t "And came out with II on your wed