Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-06-18
By JOHN D. PARKER

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baron caracoling by on horseback and
was struck by one of Cupid's shafts.
Remembering that she could marry
only prince of the blood, stra.ghtway
the injustice of the matter struck her.
Being a fine scholar. with taste for
mathematics, she sat down and began
to compute her chances OF ever com
ing to the throne. After covering sew
erai yards of paper with figures she
arrived at the conclusion that her
chances of being sovereign were but
one In several millions. So she went
to her father, with whom she was q
great favorite, and. finding him in the
council room, said:
Papa, | have seen a young man. not
Of royal blood. but baron. whom
wish to marry
mo. my daughter" replied the king,
you cannot You must marry q
prince"
why is tina, necessary p asked the
girl.
"Why Is II necessary? Why. because
all your brothers and all your sisters
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queen. II Is forbidden that queen
should have 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
pietely 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
spectacles and. leaning over the papers
began 10 study the calculations,
The princess had assumed there was
one chance In Ave that her oldest
brother. the heir apparent, would die
and the crown would descend to the
next male In line. The king admitted
that there was scarcely one chance in
Ave 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. were
greatly decreased And In this way by
n process of arithmeticai progression
she went on to figure the decrease OF
her chances OF coming to the throne.
The king took off his spectacles and
wiped them with his royal handker-
chief and said:
These figures. my daughter, are
based simply on the lives OF your broth
ers and sisters But some OF them are
ma rried and have children who will In.
herit before you. Therefore If your
chances. figured on the first basis. of
coming to the throne are but one In
several millions. on the second basis
they would be only one In several BILL
lions or perhaps tIillions- think 1t
may be safe for you to marry one not
of royal blood. but there is a contin-
gency you have not considered. Sup
pose there should come earthquake.
war or pestilence that would sweep
away our whole royal family except
you. Then you would be queen. and a
husband not of royal blood would be
lnadmissible."
The princess withdrew and In
month returned to her fathers with
eight strong men bearing roll of pa
per on which she and fifty assistants
had figured the chances of all the
royal family being swept away by
earthquake, war or pestilence. and.
placing the roll on the floor. they be-
gan to unroll 1t that the king might
see the result of the calculation. But
the king shrugged his shoulders and
asked for tho result The princess
told him that the chances against her
becoming queen through earthquake.
war or pestilence were expressed by
thirty-nine figures, which was beyond
anything that could be expressed In
words.
Then the king told her that she
might marry the baron. and she was
so happy that she tainted for joy.
Now. the king loved his daughter
very much. though 1t required thirty
nine figures to express the chances
against her succeeding him. and.
thinking that the young baron whom
she loved was necessary to bring her
TO neEseh hEaAut hchs q N-~~<o~-
posthaste for him When he came he
was ushered into the presence OF the
princess. not knowing why he had been
sent for.
Now, the princess. though bright at
figures, was not equal to the task OF
telling young man who had never
seen her that she loved him and wish
ed him to marry her. The conse-
quence was that after trying for
long while to find way out OF the
matter she dismissed him without tell
ing him why he had been sent for.
Since she never found courage to de-
clare her love the affair came to moth
ing. But 1t was fortunate that 1t did.
for during naval review. at which
all the roypl family except the young
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