Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1915-07-16

that character. But the physician
pointed out that such q course. BE-
side being fraught with peril, would
only put OF the evil day for another
generation, as marriage and offspring
would be out Of the question for such
q successor.
while they were still celebrating,
the prime minister arrived at the
palace, and, on being informed Of this
by an attendant, the king sent for
him to join their conference. His dar-
ing mind suggested a holder ex-
pedient He had just learned. on his
way through the park. of the birth OF
q boy to one OF the royal lodge-keepers.
and he now proposed that this child
should be secretly taken from its par
ents and substituted for the royal
infant
Incredible az II may seem to
you-as 1t still seems to me-this
monstrous scheme was adopted, the
physician himself undertaking to carry
II 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 Luxemr
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 a fit of rage led
to the revelation of 1t 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 long pause.
THAT is the very question which
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
occupied, was one OF sheer dismay.
But this feeling deepened into one
of fierce resentment as realized
what these men, this king and HIS
ministers, had made of me. was a
living falsehood, the most colossal Inn
poster in the world, robbed OF my very
manhood, and unable thenceforth to
look my fellow creatures in the face.
"'If 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 to implore me
not to expose him in the eyes of
Europe
Il 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 battle
the enemies of Holland. AS Il was,
the evil was now past mending.
Miserable as my life had been in the
oppressive atmosphere of court,
had sense enough to know that it was
too late in the day for me to accustom
myself to the obscure poverty of q
peasants life. | even forbore to ask
the king for the names of my unknown
parents.
Yet could not face the prospect
of continuing to play part which
found SO intolerable. discussed the
matter with my father-as have con.
tiued to call him-and In the end II
was decided that should live abroad
in a semi-private manner, a substan
J tial pension being assigned to me on
the condition that the secret of ms
birth was strictly kept
Such am, such Ia my career You
| perceive in me monster OF the mora
, world, a creature to whom every virtu
GUS and noble aspiration has been for
J hidden before he was born, a wretch
whose life is a prolonged crime, and
who will render the only atonemeni
} 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 voiet
| shook Il was indeed necessary to be
: lieve that his recollections had caused
him genuine emotion.
r II endeavored to soothe this younf
man, SO miserab1y situated. but with
: out success BY this time dawn wai
> approaching, and he decided to return
, to his own residence, where he pressed
, me to visit him. To crafty him
, consented. but / did not fuIhll m.
( promise. With every sentiment o
pity for this 1mpostor in spite of him
4 seif,' did not care to associate will
him; and, besides. his circle, yot
: understand, was not one of those II
Y which one gains reputation by mixing
Y And as shortly afterwards | entered
e upon the series Of foreign employ
e ments which have since filed m!
+ life, 1t so happened that we neve
: met again"
when did the prince die?" aske.
; | saroaonfly