Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-08-15

The king, who had just come or 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 a neighboring wine grower with
a view to uniting the two vineyards.
After King Otho's departure mes
sages came from time to time for Gle
tide. No one but herself knew that she
was in correspondence with a sovereign.
But when one day an envoy came
openly from King Ohio, bearing
huge parchment creating Clotilde a
countess, the people Of Rome and its
environs were astonished. The nobil-
ity especially were agog, wondering
why a 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 a wine growers son.
There was no scandal connected
with the bestowal of these favors,
firstly, because of Clotilde'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 a
duchess, and before any return could
be discovered to have been made for
the ducal cOrOnet a 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 n cup
formed by the two hands of young
italian girl, or, rather, that by making
a cup with her hands the girl had won
a queenly crown.
Then it was announced that the roy
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 celebrat ton 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-
tions Of the people. here and there,
now and again, a voice rising above
the tumuIt: The race riderT "a roy
al jockeyw "He won a prize" and
other like shouts. AS the cavalcade
crossed the Tiber the news that the
king had visited Rome before. had won
a prize in the CorsO and his bride on
the Alban hills grew like an e&pend-
ed wave circlet till every one knew.
But Of all the most wondering were
the mobiles. Many a matron with mar
riageable daughter was wrathful that
she had not known that this impression.
able young king was In their midst in
cog. Many a girl among the hereditary
prfncesses that abound in Italy grieved
IL h1 70 hn-
come queen
They were all too late. The king
took the vineyard lassie away with
him, followed by the lamentations Of
every marriageable woman in Rome
who might have hoped to win crown
had she known Of the kings presence.