The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1915-03-06
By F. A. Mitchell


but they had never met for during
their childhood their fathers had been
at continual warfare. When these
two kings died-abOut the same time
the cabinets of both countries decid.
ed to make match between the young
king and the young queen.
Queen Bertha would not consent to
the match without some acquaintance
with the man she was to marry. She
therefore insisted on their meeting in
one of her palaces near the border
line between the two kingdoms. the
the queen by three women. To this
the king gladly assented.
Before leaving for the rendezvous
the queen said to maid of honor
who was also her bosom friend: 81
wish you to exchange places with
me, l to personate you. This will be
easy, for | have purpOsely limited the
number of my attendants so that there
are only two besides ourselves to bc
I'm the secret"
When the king met the substitute
queen. whose name was Catherine,
he was well pleased with her, for not
only the queen herself. but her at
tendants, were beautiful women. Ber-
tha had charged Catherine to treat
her with some severity lest by her ac-
cuStOmed Difference she betray the Sc
cret. During the first interview Cath
crime spoke TO Bertha somewhat sharp
ly, and the kings notice was turned
from the spurious to the real queen,
who bore the reproof with becoming
meekness. Indeed, King Caspar was
charmed that the maid showed no
temper whatever, while the reproOf,
which seemed to be uncalled for, pref
udiced him against her supposed mis-
treSS.
Queen Bertha had gone to the meet
ing with no other object than to over
look her future husband incOgnita. But
from the moment she saw him she was
much smitten with him and resolved
to win him if possible. She directed
Catherine to lose no opportunity to
show her severity while in the kings
presence. Catherine, who was an ex-
cellent actress, played her part remark
ably well. Did she order the queen to
do her any service, no matter how
speedily the duty was performed, the
spurious queen would reprimand her.
At such times the real queen would
east down her eyes, bearing the injus-
tice with angelic sweetness.
One morning Catherine sent Bertha
to the royal garden for some flowers
and when she returned scolded her for
not getting the kind she wished. New
ertheless she handed several of the
choicest to King Caspar, whose blows
were knit ut the harsh treatment of
the maid of honor. Taking the gift,
he selected the most beautiful flower,
a rose, and handed it to Bertha.
AS might have been expected had
the play been a reality. Catherine after
this, with the queens concurrence re-
doubled her harshneSs to Bertha, who
availed herself of the opportunity to
show herself an angel of patieuce.
This excited the kings sympathy and
admiration for the poor maid to such
an extent that he resolved to break off
the negotiations.
When Bertha considered the fruit
ripe for plucking she contrived to meet
the king in corridor in the palace as
IL by. chance. He stopped her and,
despite her pretended efforts to get by
him, forced her to chat with him. This
she did with her eyes bent upon the
floor in well affected modesty. While
they were together q door opened and
Catherine came out into the corridor.
With fire in her eye she ordered Bertha
TO her room, then said to the king:
IF this is sample of your majes-
fy'S constancy I think we had better
go no further in this matter"
las your majesty pleases," replied
the king with a formal bow.
Thus was the king turned from one
woman to another. Queen Bertha and
her maids of honor returned to Finger
land and King Caspar to Walkaria.
But the king did not remain there
long before he took a step which he
must take with great care. since his
failure TO marry the queen or Finger
land had made him unpopular in both
Kingdoms. He sent a confidential
friend to Zingerland to learn If he
could marry one whom he supposed to
be the queens maid OF honor.
King Caspar had no hope that he
would be permitted the woman of his
choice. The queen had shown herself
1nsanely jealous OF her maid OF hon0
and would doubtless refuse his request
with some harsh accompanying mes
sage. During his messengers absence
he walked the floor impatiently and
with anxiety, waiting for his answs-.
His emissary returned with snf-
prise announcing that the maid was
the queen and the queen was the maid.
Without losing a moment the king
mounted his horse and. summoning his
escort. rode night and day to the capi-
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