Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1914-06-04

the blue and yellow coach, drawn by
eight cream colored ponies, swing over
the stones. Following it, two by two,
came mounted guards. turned back
Nikolai stood facing me.
"Good-by, Summers" he said, grip
ping my hand. "Or au revoir, rath.
er; we meet in Vienna"
And he marched forward to meet
his followers, the cloak cast over his
arm, his plumed hat pulled well down,
every inch as kingly as the man whose
place he had taken.
heard the footsteps of the attend
ants die away down the corridor. Now
| could go where l pleased, for there
was no more order in the palace. Leo
pold's recent arrival with his retinue,
his own attendants and those OF his
brother, had thoroughly upset all
plans and arrangements. Nobody
knew who his neighbor was. Guards
and attendants in every possible cos.
tune swung pell-mell into the court
yard, forming in rabble around Nj
kolai their king. | saw him enter the
coach and leave the palace. Follow
ing it, found myself all at once in the
middle Of jeering mob, not openly
hostile, but wanting, could see, only
the stimulus of a leader to convert
them into a bloodthirsty horde. They
thronged around the coach, which
could proceed through the streets at
snails pace only, thrusting them
selves among the guards, who rode
with drawn swords, catching at the
horses names, even inslnuatlng tnelr
heads into the carriage windows and
hurting taunts at their new ruler, as
they supposed Nikolai to be. And he
played his part well. Forcing my
way beside the coach, | saw him COW.
er back as though in terror-he, who
had never covered before any man,
At that moment | wished with all my
heart that fortune had cast him for
some better role than that of an i'm
postor and--even though he aimed
at high stakes-a common thief The
prize. the magnificent crown Of
Pennsylvania, with its rubies and dia-
monds, seemed a strangely insignit-
cant guerdon to be won at the expense
of such emotions.
They conveyed him onward to the
cathedral. At the doors. some order
had been created. A regiment of
Transylvanian troops was drawn up,
and, as Nikolai stepped from his ve'
hicle and passed in, something like a
cheer came from their throats 10
the minds of these men he represented
something of the ancient glories OF
their race. How he could have
changed hostility into enthusiasm at
such a juncture, had he been set upon
a throne and not on a crown.
forced my way into the cathedral.
| was resolved to witness the drama to
its conclusion. | elbowed aside all
in my way. While men muttered and
stared and jostled, | calmly made my
way on until found place among
the ranks Of the nobility. They made
room for me perforce, and then, as
the archbishop came forward, in mitre,
with golden wand, the tumult died
away.
saw Nikolai stand straight up be-
fore him lie cast aside the sable
cloak that covered him and flashed
forth in all the magniticance OF royal
array. A sigh went up through the
whole vast assemblage. This was
their first king-their king, even
though III posed upon them from with
out Then, STOPPING, the archbishop
raised something in his hands and,
holding it aloft, placed 1t upon Niko-
lais brow.
1t was plain iron 'circlet!
And suddenly | remembered.
What fools we had both been, and
how little thing had defeated all our
far.hung aims. The papers had said
that Leopold would be crowned. Yes,
but they had not stated with what
crown, for everybody knew. Why.
had | not read of it in school books,
was it not almost portion Of the
elementary education of every man.
that the princes of Pennsylvania re-
ceived, upon the day of their corona
ton, not the jeweled crown of their
kind, but the circlet Of rusty iron.
fashioned from cannon taken from the
Turks upon the glorious battlefield of
Rastenics, a symbol of their warrior
history?
hot oil hof
vast assemblage. | saw Nikolai stride
from the dais and advance down the
aisle toward his coach at the door l
sprang to my feet and followed him,
pushing my way over the bodies of
the half PROSTATE multitude | was
five PAGES behind him at the door.
1t was flung open, and, as Nikolai ap-
peared in the sunlight, roar went up
from a vast multitude without. But
it was no roar of welcome-it was q
clamor of death.
They sprang for him, fighting back
his guards, who formed solid circle
around him. They beat them back,
they clutched at him, they seized his
robe. The crown fell from his head.
A courtier seized it before it touched
the ground. Nikolai was at the car
riage door. They urged him in, But
he hesitated, and, with bent shoul-
ders and quavering knees he looked
a king no more And suddenly, with
what seemed supreme effort, raising
his hands, he cried in accents tremu-
lous with fear:
81 abdicate my throne. Spare my
life, good people of Cheskaf, and let
me go home"
For one brief instant overcome with
astonishment, the mob was silent.