Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-11-24

THE CAPTAIN THREW HIS GLOVE AT THE
PRINCE.
a large fortune, was a person of in
fiuence and much sought after by the
marriagea BILE young aristocrats attach
ed to the court.
The king heard of the quarrels OF
the adherents of the two ladies and.
naturally taking the part Of a princess
of the blood, treated Hildegarde with
marked GOODNESS. The poor girl was
at her wits end. To be brought into
n contest with one so far above her in
rank was sure to result diSastrously
to the weaker vessel. She was not
permitted to leave the field. and if she
remained in it she would surely come
10 grief.
To make matters worse, young Off
Ger of the garde du corps. Captain Won
Helmsmuller, must needs fall in love
with the countess and advocated her
claims to superiority in waxworking
so loudly that he called forth the an
tagonism of Prince Herbert, the kings
youngest son. who was devoted to the
Princess Sofia. What had before been
a gale now became q hurricane. The
king. who deprecated guarrels among
his courtiers, strove 70 quiet the con
tending partisanS, but failed. 1t seem
ed to Hildegarde that she must retire
from court.
But when she mentioned this plan to
her partisans they one and all init
mated that they would consider such
action an acknowledgment of defeat,
a desertiOn of her supporters The
Ia, In
the lurch, after long elaboration final.
" hit upon an expedient which would
show the folly of the war that was
being waged and, she hoped, would
end it.
She induced one of her friends to
offer a suggestion that the two rivals
each make a wax peach; that the
models be exhibited for time. at the
end of which vote he taken as TO
which was the better work, the artist
receiving the higher vote to he consid,
cred in possession of the field. the one
receiving the lower vote TO refrain
from further waxwork
The suggestion, being talked about
reached the ears of the king, who, see
ing in It possible way to end the war.
seized upon IT eagerly, issued a com
mand embodying it and adding TO 1t
an important feature. He decreed /
that the artist whose work was voted I
to excel the other was TO be appointed !
TO his majesty for life.
There was now nothing for it but /
that the Contestants should give their /
whole attention to the work in hand. |
The princess took two weeks TO do /
hers. while Hildegarde took but one. /
When the models were ready for exhi- /
bition each contestant put her peach In
4 glass receptacle provided for 1t and /
sent IL by her own maid TO be placed
5n a stand in the room Of the palace
provided for the exhibition. A silken
cord stretched across the room. ten
Feet from the works TO be voted on,
Kept those inspecting from going too
near them.
Alas for hopes OF peace! The very
irst day of the exhibition Prince
Herbert and Captain Won HelmsmuiIer
net in the room where the peaches
bad been deposited and got into
quarrel over which peach was the bet
ter production.
NO one ever saw fl peach" said the
prince. referring to the countess work.
-of a hue like that-a yellewish brown.
md look at the specks on it-they are
Il grant, your royal highness," re
.orted the captain, that the other
peach is representation of better
-ruit, but as TO naturalness, why, any
me can see easily that IL is made of
wax"
DO ycu mean TO tell me-" retorted
he prince, that shrunken thing is
nore perfect work OF art than the
luscious fruit beside it? You are a
'ooI."
Were / OF the same rank as your