The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1913-10-31
KcTlG I
HAUNTED
BY DEAD |
w Ill II @1O

elry, no bullion chest, but only the
full-length portrait Of princess long
since departed. The gentle Marie
Louise gazes sadly out Of her gilded
frame, and though Ferdinand in mo-
ments Of exhilaration passes by the
room with head averted, in days of
stress and trouble he seeks to hide his
misery in the silence Of the locked
and secret chamber.
During the last ten months mys-
ferrous rustlirgs have been heard in
the National Museum and the horror
stricken palace as of some one wan
dering unhappily from room 70 room,
seeking something that could never
be found. On these occasions, when
King Ferdinand bethought himself of
leaving the chapel door open, his dead
wife's shadow has been seen to pass
the portals, and he has himself knelt
at the altar there, his face buried in
his hands, as though awaiting a SUI
pernaturaI visitant. No allusion to
these vigils has ever passed his lips,
for Ferdinand confdes in no one.
Over her children the spirit of
Marie Louise also broodS as fondly
as In her lifetime, and the people be-
lieve she visits their bedside when
ever they are ILL., The nurses who
cared for Princess Eudoxia during her
long illness last year attributed her
almost miraculous recovery to the
prayers of the dead mother, who was
seen in spirit form in the chapel
nightly, always kneeling in the same
place slowly lingering her diamond
rosary beads.
Owes Success to Wife.
King Ferdinand, who has had an ex-
traordinary career, owes his most
solid successes to the dead lady who
even now watches over him, as he be-
lieves. to restrain the impulses
against which she vainly warned him
when alive, and concerning which
even from the other world she has
given signs of sorrow and disapproval.
He was the pet son of his mother,
the cleverest daughter, of the late
Louis Philippe, king of the French.
She never ceased to plot for the re-
storation of the Bourbons to the
throne of France, but in the mean
time did not disdain to pick up any
possible crown for her sons. Her
plans were mostly foiled, as In the
case OF Philippe, older than Ferdi-
nand, who married Princess Louise of
Belgium in the hope OF succeeding the
late King Leopold. But the marriage
was so ill-assorted, and Princess
Louise showed such violent antipathy
to her husband, that a speedy separa-
ton was the result.
With Ferdinand, Princess CIemen-
tine had no such trouble. He was the
most docile and obedient of her sons,
.nheriting her own subtle disposition
md tenacity Of purpose.
When Prince Battenberg Of Bull
garia had displeased the Russian en-
peror by his Independent attitude, and
was consequently forced to leave the
country in the dead of night, with
only time to throw a coat over his
sleeping attire, the palace at Sofa re-
manned vacant AS soon as Batten-
berg's friends recovered from the
shock of his being kidnapped they set
off on a tour of Europe to search for
a princeling who would undertake the
difficult job Of governing Bulgaria.
Quietly Becomes Sovereign.
This quest came to the ears of
sClementine, who, learning that a fav-
orite haunt of these big game hunt
ers when in Vienna was a fourth-rate
restaurant, sent her son to make their
acquaintance. After some friendly
conversation. during which they did
not suspect that he was anything but
what his uniform proclaimed him TO
be-a simple lieutenant in an Austrian
Tegiment-he declared himself their
man. Without further preamble he
took them round to his mothers pal
ace and thus proved to them the real
ity of his claim to high birth and his
connection with two great royal
houses. There was no reason why he
should not start a dynasty of his own,
and the bargain was quickly con-
Guided. In few days the citizens of
Sofia were greatly astonished to see
the flag flying once more over the
royal palace, and young man with
prominent nose and a serious face
driving through the town in solitary
stateliness. There was no equerry,
no display, no reclamation, no rejoic-
ing. People were still asking them
selves, How long will Russia allow
him to stay?"
Royal Wife Finally Secured.
As soon as Ferdinand felt his throne
TO be q little more steady, Princess
Clementine began to cast matrimon-
ial nets on her sons behalf But
there were few aspirants. Royalties
held aloof, and nothing but blue blood
would satisfy Ferdinand and his moth
er. 1t was by working on the strong
religious sentiments of the Duke of
Parma that the prize was at last Sc
cured in the person of an eldest
daughter, the Inflated Marie Louise,
TO whom was entrusted the mission OF
furthering Catholicity in schismatic
Bulgaria. Thus was the gentle, fra
gle idealist, tender offshoot of the
pious House of Parma, mated to an
ambitious adventurer, of her own
rank indeed, but Of a temperament
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