The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1911-11-02

kept calling for more till the girl, see
ing that her white hands, the fingers
tipped with vermilion, was attracting
him, bllshed and clasped them behind
her.
Thanks" said the king. 81 am still
thirsty, but I will trouble you no more.
Is there anything 1 can do to show
my appreciation for your kindness?'
eyes, your majesty. Tell me why
you, a sovereign, rode in the races on
the Corso during the carnival?"
81 will tell you, relying on you to
keep my secret I am travelling incog-
nito that I may indulge my tastes. l
am desperately fond Of horses and
would rather ride race than partake
of q banquet I am not known here,
and l shall rely upon you, who are the
only person in Italy except few at
tendants who know that am king.
He who addressed me as your maj
esty' forgot himself"
The king, who had just come Of age,
full of life and spirits, fond of athletic
sports, annoyed by the routine Of a
court, had with a couple of intimate
associates and a single serving man
come to Italy for the carnival and en-
tered for one Of the races. In those
days there was not the travel there Is
today, and he did not incur the same
risk of being recognized by one Of his
subjects. He remained in Rome for
some time, and many were his rides
across the Campagna to the villa Of
Senore Cusani Clotilde kept the kings
secret and her father supposed at first
that his guest had taken a fancy to
his wine rather than his daughter. But
when he discovered the cause Of these
frequent visits he told Clotilde that
she must dismiss the stranger, who
gave no satisfactory account Of him.
self, since he cher father) was nego-
tiating a marriage for her with the
son of neighboring wine grower with
view to uniting the two vineyards.
After King Otho's departure mes
sages came from time to time for Clo-
tide. No one but herself knew that she
was in correspondence with a sovereign.
openly from King Ohio, bearing
huge parchment creating Clotilde
countess, the people Of Rome and its
environs were astonished. The nobil-
ity especially were agog, wondering
why little country girl was so hon
ored. But they did not learn that
King Ohio had visited them and had
ridden before them at a breakneck
speed down the Corso. Clotilde alone
knew that, and she would not tell.
But the sensation had not died out
before along came another envoy with
another parchment bigger than the
first creating Clotilde a duchess. Then
the people began to open their eyes in
earnest. Had they known of King
Otho's visit and that he had met and
courted the recipient of these honors
they might have surmised that they
were preparatory for something i'm
portant. The last elevation included
an estate, and Clotilde removed to it
with her parents, who in the mean
time had broken off negotiations for
her union with wine growers son.
There was no scandal connected
with the bestowal Of these favors,
firstly, because of Cotilde's native
purity. and. secondly. because the
donor never appeared and was not
known to have ever seen her on whom
he bestowed them. They came so
thick and so fast that the scandal
mongers were puzzled. A watch was
set upon the countess, but before the
watchers had time to learn the secret
Of her elevation she had been made q
duchess, and before any return could
be discovered to have been made for
the ducal coronet deputation Of no.
bles arrived from King Ohio propos-
ing to make the duchess his queen.
And so the reason for these star
Ting elevations was out. but not their
cause. No one knew that in addition
to the cup won by a stranger in a
race on the COrso he had won a cup
formed by the two hands of a young
Italian girl, or. rather, that by making
cup with her hands the girl had won
a Queenly crown.
al groom was coming to claim his
bride. Both were devout Catholics, and
it was arranged that the marriage
should take place in St. Peters, For
weeks before the nuptials workmen
were employed decorating the interior,
and all Rome was preparing for the
ceremony.
When King Ohio came to the city he
refrained from appearing in public
till the celebration of the marriage
The royal procession entered the
church at rear door and few saw the
kings face. since he went directly to
the altar. But after the ceremony,
when he turned and walked with his
bride down through the center Of the
church, many Of those who crowded
either side looked at one another and
exclaimed breathlessly:
"The race rider Of the carnivalr'
The bridal couple drove away from
the church, followed by the acclama-
tons Of the people, here and there,