The Dermott news. (Dermott, Ark.) 1910-1977, 1915-06-24


you--as it still seems to me-this
monstrous scheme was adopted, the
physician himself undertaking to carry
1t out He took away the tiny princess.
without being detected. gained admit
lance to the keepers wife under the
pretext OF being sent by the king to
offer his services. exchanged the in
fants, and brought back the plebeian
child to be reared in the palace as the
heir to the Netherlands and Luxem-
burg.
Thus was this extraordinary plot
carried out with the most complete sue
cess. The early death of the unhappy
little daughter OF the royal house,
from congenital cause. seemed to
condone the kings treachery to his
wife, and effectually stopped all fear
of discovery The king and his two
accomplices preserved their secret,
till the moment when fit of rage led
to the revelation of it to the person
most concerned
And what did the prince OF Orange
do, when the king informed him OF
all this?' | asked. as the ambassador
made a long pause
That is the very question which I
put to him on the occasion when he
took me into his confidence. He re-
piled:
My first feeling on learning that
| had no title to the position that I
occupied. was one of sheer dismay.
But this feeling deepened into one
of fierce resentment as l realized
what these men. this king and his
ministers. had made of me ! was a
living falsehood. the most colossal i'm
poster in the world. robbed of my very
manhood and unable thenceforth to
look my fellow creatures in the face.
II my adopted father had hoped
to crush me by the disclosure OF my
true position, he must have been sadly
disappointed My first impulse was
to reject the lying role he had thrust
upon me. and to publicly renounce
my borrowed rank The first hint OF
such an intention was enough to
bring him To reason. For the first
time some faint notion OF the deadly
injury he had done me appeared to
penetrate his mind. In his humilia-
ton, he condescended 10 implore me
not to expose him in the eyes OF
Europe.
/ could not entirely resist these
prayers Had any other person than
myself been the victim. | could not
have withheld all sympathy from the
scheme. which was intended TO bafle
the enemies of Holland. AS il was.
tho evil was now past mending.
Miserable as my life had been in the
oppressive atmosphere OF a court.
had sense enough TO know that IL was
too late in the day for me 10 accustom
myself TO the obscure poverty OF
peasants life. even forbore 10 ask
the king for tho names OF my unknown
parents
Yet | could not face the prospect
OF continuing TO play n part which
found So intoerable discussed tho
matter with my father-as have con-
tiued To call him-and in the end 1t
was decided that | should live abroad
in semipriyate manner. n substan-
tai pension being assigned 10 me on
the condition that the secret OF my
birth was strictly kept.
Such am. such is my career You J
perceive in me monster OF the moral !
world a creature To whom every virtu- =
Gus and noble aspiration has been for
hidden before he was born. wretch
whose lie is n prolonged crime. and
who wifi render the only atonement
to society which is in his power by
Fastening his progress TO the grave
AS the ambassador repeated these
pathetic words OF the prince. his voice
shook. II was indeed necessary TO be-
lieve that his recollections had caused
him genuine emotion.
Il endeavored to soothe this young
man. so miserably situated. but with
out success by this time dawn was
approaching. and he decided TO return
10 his own residence where he pressed
me to visit him. To crafty him I
consented. but did not fulhll my
promise With every sentiment OF
pity for this impostor in spite OF him
self did not care to associate with
him, and. besides. hts circle. you
understand was not one OF those in
which one gains reputation by mixing.
And as shortly afterwards | entered
upon the series OF foreign employ
ments which have since filled my
life, IL so happened that We never
met again"
when did the prince die" asked
presently.
Il think II was in the year or 1884"
was the reply. Queen Sylvia died six
or eight years before that. thus ena-
bling the king to marry again. But
destiny seemed to have decided that
Luxemburg could no longer belong to
the Netherlands. for the only child
OF this second marriage was. as you
know. a daughter, who is now the
reigning queen"
The prince OF Orange never mari