The Harlowton news., 1913-02-07
In the | Inc: of
Succession
By JOHN D. PARKER

en- sons and seven daughters. The sons /
only had any chance Of inheriting the
crown, and ghere was but a slight I
chance for any Of these excepi the
crown prince doing so, As for the
daughters. all the sons must die Or
otherwise be removed before even tho
oldest girl could be queen. NeFefthe-
less the king insisted on all his sons
and daughters taking mates OF the
blood royal.
Now, the youngest of the kings
daughters, one day looking out through
a window Of the palace, saw young
baron caracoling by on horseback and
was struck by one of Cupid's shafts
Remembering that she could m;trry
only a prince Of the blood, straightWay
the injustice Of the matter struck her.
Being h fine scholar, with taste TOR
mathematics, she sat down and began
to compute her chances of ever com
ing to the throne After covering sew
eral yards Of paper with figures she
arrived at the conclusion that her
chances of being a sovereign We're but
one in several millions. So she went
to her father, with whom she was a
great favorite, and. finding him in the
council room, said:
Papa, have seen q young man, not
of royal blood, but baron. whom
wish to marry"
"No. my daughter" replied the king,
''you cannot You must marry
prince
"Why is that necessarily asked the
girl
"Why is it necessary? Why, because
all your brothers and all your sisters
might be removed and you would be
| queen. It is forbidden that a queen
should have a husband not of the blood
royal"
The princess sent for the papers con
| tanning her computations as to her
chances of attaining the throne and.
LAYING them on the council table,
! which, though ten feet long, was COM
! pletely covered, invited her father to
go over the figures with her that he
might see what chance there was that
the people would require her services
to govern them The king put on his
spectac]es and, leaning over the papers,
began to study the calculations.
The princess had assumed there was
one chance in five that her Oldest
brother, the heir apparent, would Ole
and the crown would descend to the
next male in line. The king admitted
! that there was scarcely one chance 10
five for that. since the crown prince
was very strong and healthy, as, in
deed, were all his children. Then the
princess figured that the chances Of the
second oldest son dying. too, We're
greatly decreased And in this way b,
"a process of arithmetical progression
= she went on tc figure the decrease Of
her chances of coming to the throne
The king took off his spectacles anc
wiped them with his royal handker
chief and said:
"These figures, my daughter, arr
based simply on the lives Of your broth
ers and sisters. But some of them ar
!. married and have children who will in
= herit before you Therefore if you
chances, figured on the first basis, o
/ coming to the throne are but one il
several millions, on the second basi
they would be only one in several bi
r lions or perhaps trillions. | think
may be safe for you to marry one nc
t of royal blood, but there Is conti1
;, gency you have not considered SUI
pose there should come earthquake
f war or pestilence that would swee
g away our whole royal family exceI
= you. Then you would be queen, and
It husband not Of royal blood would b
inadmissible.'
The princess withdrew and in
month returned to her fathers wit
eight strong men bearing roll Of p'
ID per on which she and fifty assistant
:. had figured the chances Of all tt
~ royal family being swept away /
" earthquake, war or pestilence. ant
placing the roll on the floor, they b
10 gan to unroll it that the king migl
At see the result of the calculation. B'
the king shrugged his shoulders al
al asked for the result. The princes
,,7 told him that the chances against h
= becoming queen through earthquall
'e- war or pestilence were expressed
- thirty nine figures, which was beyo1
W anything that could be expressed
he words.
Then the king told her that 81
NO might marry the baron, land she w
so happy that she tainted for JOY.
- Now, the king loved his daught
very much. though it required thirt
-1. nine figures to express the chanc
= against her succeeding him, al
thinking that the young baron who
: she loved was necessary to bring b
to herself again. sent a messene
posthaste for him. When he came
. was ushered into the presence of t
princess. not knowing why he had be
sent for.
= Now, the princess. though bright
q figures. was not equal to the task
telling a young man who had neN
Oh, aim erie