The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1911-03-18

81 see crown, a royal crown" he
said, mo, two crowns!"
Il see two royal crowns" he went
on. "One is fatal and bloodstained,
the other leads to happiness and pow.
or. | am hesitating for do not know
which of the two you should accept
the first or the second"
On the following day. the strolling
soothsayer made bold to visit the pal
ace at Cettinje and demanded that he
see the Princess Xenia. The aston
ished turnkey at the gate would have
barred the old man, but he was SO In
sistent that the news OF his visit was
conveyed to the princess.
admit him at once" ordered Xenfa
81 have come" said the soothsayer,
slowly and solemnly, ito warn you to
refuse the first crown offered to you,
no matter what 1t may be, because that
crown will fall with blood"
Prophecy Proved True.
The warning was not forgotten. Soon
afterward Xenia refused King Alexan-
der and his crown did fall In the blood
lest royal slaughter of modern times,
dragging his queen down to death with
him and setting up another dynasty.
HE was right, as l knew he would
be-" declared the princess when word
of Alexander's assassination came to
Cettinje And her father, who had
been angered at her refusal Of q
throne, perforce had to agree with her
Xenia of course, had more abiding
faith than ever in the soothsayer's
strange words.
Il will take the second royal crown
when It is offered me-" she said, calm
ly enough 1T will be the crown o
| happiness. as the old man said anC
that is what most desire In THU
world"
But the years sped on and no crow
was offered. The lovely Xenia passe'
twenty-five years and twenty-six an
twenty-seven. Her next birthday, Apr
10. will be her thirtieth. The peopl
of Montenegro think that it is hig
time their princess should find hersel
a husband. So does Queen Helena c
Italy, her elder sister, who has alread
tried several matches for her, only t
he met with the curt mot until | ca
convince myself that the crown offere
to me Is the Happy Crown!'
The much discussed, much travele
Duke of the Abruzzi has met the 81
perb Xenia, and they say he has mad
: up his mind to marry her if she wi
have him, for the reason that he re
Lies that he must marry, and If he ca
not get Miss Elkins he must take SON
} one who has at once royal blood an
Y the good will of his autocratic famil
2 Who are power unto themselve
S Ouene Helena is delighted and Il
e Dowager Duchess d'Aosta-his ste
:, mother. who was Princess Lett
9 Bonaparte--is only too willing, for
win get the impetuous and lovelol
Il duke off Ter mind.
0 Hard Combination to Overcome.
No engagement has been formal
! announced and perhaps none will
The duke may yet change his min
as ne HIS NOiOits anu itNC pbt hAe -
true to the American girl. He may
main faithful to the pledge of lifelo
e ce'ibacy which. It Is said, he and MI
Elkins mutually made, but Queen do
ager Margarita, Queen Helena, 7
is two Duchesses d'Aosta and the Cou
to ess of Turin are feminine combil
is ton that might we'll succeed in ov
fe riding the scruples of the royal low
IS, II they do it will not be the first 70.
MT marriage in which the heart his be
n in another place.
Not that the Princess Xenia is !
?" lovable, Far from 1t. indeed, she
ly one of the most attractive young VIC
ed en- in all Europe, despite the fact u
she comes from such backwot
Id kingdom Few of her equals have
nd charm of manner, her tact and gri
or her wondrous semi-Oriental beau