The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1915-12-24

lex, he is called. 1t may be within the
purpose of my foster brother that tha-
boy shall be brought up as the king
in case /, myself, should fall He IL
not fit to rule. He is not your king
But signed hereunto is the name and
the seal, unmistakable, done in my
blood and his, of your king, Michael
the First, and of your future king
Michael the Second, my son. He is
as yet too young fully to know the
gravity of these presents. But by this
sign you shall know your ruler, shall
these presents come to you, well be.
loved.
In the name of God, amenl Mi
chael, Rex"
Below this signature of Michael
the Good" said the measured voice
of Count Frederick, there is another
signature-'Michael the Second, Rex
Gentlemen, there are two signatures
to these scripts, and there are two
| seals"
| A sigh Of wonder, almost of conster-
nation, came from those assembled
The only protest was from the hud
died object in the farther corner of
the room, where still remained Mi
chael, the drunken.
What then, the guard" he
shrieked. Treason to me-after hin,
men! This pretender-what is it that
he says? What proof has he?-what
proof"
This proof, siri" said Count Fred
erick, coldly, and approached to him
the broad page of the parchment
sheet
Michael gazed stupidity at what he
saw, uncomprehending. Others gazed
also, and at first could make nothing
of what was there. Count Frederick
went on:
Il recall now, as I see this page,'
said he, this writing of the king, my
father-you hear me, gentlemen-my
father!
Il recall that 1 saw him place be-
meath the great seal, that other seal
done in his own blood. l saw him
draw the blood from his own arm and |
put his thumb in it, and place it here, |
thus sealing this document with the |
unmistakahle seal-the one alone |
which cannot show a mistaken iden- |
tity.
And here, gentlemen, beneath that
other line of signature, which you
have heard and seen, there is another,
a smaller, very small seal of SINH
lar Sort 1t is the print of human
thumb of hoy, Of baby
"a baby then, man now-who re-
calls that scene vaguely. And here
is the proof. Gentlemen, recall now,
it was my father made this mark: hut
it was his great hands which took my
little one and dipped my thumb in the
blood which he drew from my arm,
and set it here below that name which
be has written, Michael the Second.
Gentlemen, who then is your
Krng?"
Even yet they could not grasp the
full significance of what they heard.
and again the voice of Count Freder-
ck resumed: II
Go, now, gentlemen, send out your
agents quickly. Bring here those men
If science skilled in the reading of
such things as these. 1t was Bertillon
Who developed that science of infalli-
lie Identification. 1t was he who
showed that each man carries with |
lin, in his person, from his cradle to
lis grave, that unmistakable seal !
which identifies him infallibly.
Now bring here your men of sci
nee. Here is my hand as God made
t, and as my father held it in his so I
many years ago. Small then-larger
nd stronger now! God grant it be L
trong enough today to do what my /
ather did, and do it well. And may my f
hind have justice and liberty before v
always, as those things were before y
is. f
Gentlemen, you know the history y
this kingdom as well as |. You v
now the long regency following the a
war. You know why that J
sgency was established. Rumor was q
nat King Michael died like a king,
/ his own bed. The truth was other W
Use. He was murdered here in the RI
ault below by the men of his own S,
,ster brother.
IF that be true-and as God is my II
illness, / believe it to be true-thea IL
e well may guess which boy was 1t
'ought up under the regent to take
lie place of king. That was not NY Sc
,f-others, relatives of mine, reared
e, as you know, until am what you sc
low. And yonder man-this drunken
aster-not even the son of lawful tn
edlock, never the son of a queen lie
at man, he was the one accepted as tn
'ur king! Treason, you say-why, sc
ere was treason to every human be- tn
g who lived on Gretzhoffen soil, la
le1 that pretender took the thronei tn
''As for you, sir!" and he stepped IN
or to lay an iron hand en- the Shout
r of the covering man who sank ST
ok upon his seat, your day is done. 90
10 not say you were a party to this UP
only say. you must 60. For the
st, the parliament of our realm shall sa
'mally decide" tn
His steellike grip half lifted Michael
IN his place, thrust him toward,
'ough, the door-and instantly the III
Dr. closed behind him. Beyond, there or
s an outcast king. Within, before ca